[ckpj99]

So I was in the local shop the other day. I decided I wanted to start looking for something a little more accurate and less fussy than my 30-30 Marlin lever gun. I was just going to bite the bullet and get a bolt-action of some type with nice iron sights. I don't shoot with scopes because I'm rarely in a place I can shoot more than 100 yards away.

The guys at the shop know me, so once they saw I wasn't too interested in the Ruger American they had in stock, they said, "what about a trapdoor?" Being a sucker for old steel, I was immediately interested.

It's a Model 1884. It's the full size gun, not the carbine. It's chambered in 45-70 obviously. It's a shooter and has had some parts replaced over the years. It is priced accordingly. The bore isn't spotless, but it has good rifling. It has a nice vernier tang sight attached with a globe front sight with replaceable inserts. So I'm almost definitely going to buy it.

So what should I know? What type of accuracy can I expect with a good reload? I'm considering starting out by working up a 300gr lead load with Trail Boss, or maybe a 405gr lead load with 4198, but I'm open to suggestions.

What can I expect when shooting groups? Are these guns known for walking when their barrels heat up? Are they fussy about the ammo they like? Is there any reason to stick with jacketed bullets over lead? Any suggestions for factory ammo?

Thanks! Looking forward to my next purchase.