I certainly can't speak for its accuracy, but the high walls from (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) are available in .270. I'm certain they would chamber for any of the rimmed European 7 mm jobs already mentioned as well as the .25-06. The owner once told me their rimless extractor works well and that he had no reservations in offering it. Certainly that in the Ruger No. 1 works well enough.

Thank you, Froggie.  I appreciate your comments.  As I mentioned previously, I have owned numerous single-shots, a Dakota #10, a Browning Low Wall, and several Ruger #1s, including my current #1B.  I have fiddled with all of them (except the Model 10) including rebedding forearms, installing Hick's accurizers, Moyer's triggers, modifying quarter-ribs etc.  I believe that I am familiar enough with single-shots to know that what I have had so far is not what I want. None of the above have shown the accuracy that I am looking for or the features that I am looking for.

I don't want to pick up another vanilla single shot.  I want something that shoots better than anything I have had and that looks better than anything I have had.  I don't find side hammers attractive.  I don't find Rugers attractive (or maybe since you see them every time you turn around they have just lost their cachet).  I want something different. I want something that will be at home in a treestand shooting at deer at 350 yards.  I want something that I can use to stalk deer.  I want something that will be fun at the range, developing loads and poking holes in paper.

That's why I'm soliciting opinions.  I haven't had these traits in one gun.  I have bolt guns from Forbes, Sisk, Jarrett and Grisel.  They do excellent work, but they are not single shot experts.  I was hoping to get recommendations for smiths expert in both metal and woodwork on single shots.  I am familiar with most rimless cartridges but don't think I have owned a rimmed cartridge other than the .22LR and the 30-30.  I was hoping to get a rimmed cartridge recommendation that would accomplish my goals.  I'm currently set up to reload at least 20 different cartridges.  My ULA is a 250 Savage Ackley Improved.  My Jarrett is a 6.5-06 Ackley Improved.  Wildcatting doesn't bother me.

If there is someone who specializes in setting up modern High Walls for competition, I would love to have their contact information.  I haven't found that information yet.

I apologize to all if my questions seem too basic or too nitpicking, I'm just trying to get all the information I can from people who have actual experience with the subject matter.

Jim

Jim, it's gonna be hard to find a single top-level smith who:

Does both wood- and metalwork to the same excellent standard
Does accuracy work to your desired level
Specializes in single shots
Will build a rifle in your price range with an appropriate accuracy guarantee

There are a lotta guys who do some of this, and some others who do most of this, but I don't know of anyone who does all of what you're seeking. I can point you toward a few whose quality is unsurpassed, and who do both wood- and metalworki to the same excellent standard, but they're not necessarily accuracy smiths. A few good single shot accuracy smiths come to mind but they specialize in target rifles & not lightweight sporters with high-intensity cartridges.

You said you have had rifles by such folks as Jarrett and Grisel but they were not single shot smiths. Well, if you meant Pete Grisel, he is very knowledgeable about single shots and is also one of the best custom workmen around. He's not an accuracy smith as such but is well aware of accuracy requirements and is an excellent shot himself. I met him while we were in school together & have seen his work and also seen him shoot, albeit the occasions were many years ago. I would imagine it would be hard to find a better smith, and if you weren't happy with his work then you're probably pretty hard to please. Or maybe you had one of his bolt actions & didn't know he built single shots?

In any case it may be difficult to find one guy to do it all for you, to your satisfaction. I would suggest finding a new Browning/Winchester repro in either 25-06 or 270 WCF, tuning it up to your accuracy standard, and then having it restocked to your specs. If this means first having it rebarreled by an accuracy smith and then later having it restocked by someone else, then so be it.

Appropriate rimmed cartridges include the 6.5x57R, 6.5x61R, 6.5x65R, 6.5x68R, 7x57R, 7x65R, 7x75R and 30R Blaser. I have experience with the 6.5x57R and the 7x65R, both will do what you want but I personally prefer the 7x65R. My second choice among these would be the 6.5x65R which is basically a rimmed 6.5-06. These cartridges can be found in the book Cartridges of the World.

Good wildcats include the 25-06 or 270 WCF with rimmed cases, easy to make using various other rimmed brass (see above) for a basis and you can use standard dies & chamber reamer. The full-length 25 Krag is another excellent alternative.

Another idea that I've been considering is the 284 Win or 6.5-284 using rimmed brass made from 45-70 or 45-90 cases. It would be easy to have the 45-70 brass spun out a little longer or shorten the 45-90 stuff, & then size it down in standard dies, and of course your smith could use a standard chamber reamer & then cut the rim recess with the lathe tool. Necking down the larger brass will automatically give you the option of a tight-neck condition due to the neck brass thickening, so you have a built-in accuracy improvement possibility when adjusting neck thickness. A lot better than a tight-neck chamber IMO. This is one of the possibiliites I've been considering for my switch-barrel Borchardt, 4 barrels in 6-284 Rimmed, 284 Win Rimmed, 33 WCF Improved and 45-90, all using the same extractor size.

Like Paul Simon says in his song, there are fifty ways............
Good luck, Joe

Jim, if it was my project and for some reason I couldn't do the work myself (don't get me wrong, I don't consider myself THAT good but I sure work cheap! VBG) then I wouldn't hesitate to use Glenn Fewless (hst) for the barrel work. I've seen his metalwork & it's as nearly flawless as I've ever seen.

Woodwork is another story. A friend of mine, Billy Tierce, who Ken Hurst also recommends, is an excellent sander, finisher & checkerer but his shaping doesn't match my personal taste. And the shaping is at least as important as the actual finishing IMO. Please don't misunderstand, Billy's shaping is first-class as far as workmanship goes, i.e. tiny shadow lines, no runovers, delicately-formed comb nose flutes, etc etc, but the flowing lines themselves are not exactly as I would have sculpted them.

A local Guild (ACGG) gunsmith, David Christman, is also a first-class woodworker and does as good a job as I've ever seen up-close-&-personal, but he doesn't specialize in single shots & I've never seen one of his single shot stocks. David's in the same class as Pete Grisel, and his mentor was Maurice Ottmar who did some of the very best single shot work around, but as it happens I've never seen any of David's single shot stocks & so can't give him an unconditional recommendation so far as shaping goes. And his workmanship doesn't come cheap, I think his stocks start at $2500 plus wood and accoutrements. But he's GOOD! REAL good!

If you intend to use a pre-shaped semi-inlet or similar, then either one of these guys would do nicely. If you have definite ideas and want your stock shaped to match them, then perhaps you might need to do some research to find someone who can meet your exact needs. The only way to determine this would be to examine enough of their work so that you are confident that they can shape it like you want.

I've found that it's a big help for me to actually draw the entire rifle on a big sheet of paper, full size, so that I can experiment with different shaping ideas and dimensions before actually cutting any wood. This is especially important where the woodwork is concerned, but for instance I also like to draw different lever shapes to see which one(s) will look the best with a particular rifle.

When I have the shape like I want then it's a simple matter to scissor out the outline and lay it on the side of a stock blank so I can saw it to match. It's a lot harder than just using a semi-inlet but it's about the only way to get exactly what you really want.

A high-end smith who does specialize in single shots is Edd Webber of Montana, one of the very best in the world IMO. He's very particular about his projects however, and he's sure not inexpensive!

There are some folks here on this board who do good woodwork but I've never seen any of their work up close, maybe someone else can give you some more info on them.
Regards, Joe

It looks like it will be a Winchester/Browning High Wall repro in 25/06 or any other caliber that will facilitate rebarreling to 25-06.  As long as it is a model that has a pistol grip stock, my sensibilities shouldn't be offended too much until I get it restocked.  The names provided me will be a good start to select a metal smith and a wood smith.  I want to thank everyone who helped me with my selection process and too the time to write me with their opinions.  I truly appreciate it.

Now, who's got a line on a High Wall repro!   

Jim

Thank you, grandpa!

That's the kind of cartridge recommendation I was looking for!  I've heard other mutterings regarding the 25/06 before.  I've had two of them, one, a PacNor barreled Sako shot pretty well (1") with 100gr. bullets, the other was a Model 700 that didn't shoot worth s**t.  I assumed the problem was me.  I appreciate your recommendation regarding the WSM cartridges but, with apologies, will never own one.  Just personal bias, no rational reason required.  How about the 257 Whby?  Any experiences?

I love the bore size.  It seems the perfect compromise for whitetail deer.   I could go to the 257 Roberts Improved, but was looking for Godzilla.  Am I now back to looking at a 25 Krag or 25 Krag Improved?  Will a 1885 Repro set up for a rimless cartridge shoot a rimmed cartridge with a minimum of muss and fuss?  Oh, by the way, I may have found a donor action!  Thanks!

Jim

Another option for a rimmed cartridge would be anything based on a .308 case. The .307 Winchester case could be used to make a rimmed .243, rimmed 7mm-08 or that 6.5mm-whatever that they came out with a while back. There must be a .25 caliber version of it as well.

Glenn