Hello Guys

I just got a Ruger action that I was going to build a "real hunting rifle" on - but for a variety of reasons I'm disappointed in the design.

Hi Walls are not common in these parts so I have ever only handled one, many years ago, but I can get a new italian replica on order.   

I know the 1885 was designed "ground up" as a hunting rifle by a great man who knew hunting - But one hears stories about how they are not the easiest to feed second shots into due to the deep sidewalls (and why did "they" make a Lo wall that was easier to feed !!).

So how does the Hi Wall compare with other actions in terms of clearing the old case and feeding a new round ?? Say compared with a Ruger etc.  Is it a function of dexterity or weather eg wearing gloves??  I have Martinis and they are not in this, it has to be scoped and they are not the best with a scope over the action.

Thoughts and ideas invited !!

Cheers - Foster

I have to agree with Dale on the Ruger! A little forearm and trigger work and you have a first class Single Shot Hunting Rifle!

I had a #1 in 6mm Rem. that I used to hunt in Colorado with I loved that Rifle for Hunting purposes!

There are high-walls, and there's everything else! 

I am admitttedly VERY biased in this respect, but I don't know anything that any single shot rifle will do in the hunting fields (other than handle rimless cartridges) that Browning's old design won't do just as well or a little bit better.

This said, I have a Ruger #1 offhand rifle, a Ballard Pacific and a Maynard #9, but if I had to give up all my rifles but one, the last to go would be a 'wall.  Call me an extremist, and maybe I am, but it works for me (YMMV.)

Dale hit it on the head when he mentioned that the only reason for the low-wall was to ease placement of small (read, "pistol length") cartridges into and extraction of them out of the chamber; and if you want to go with a small cartridge, by all means use a low-wall.  For truly rifle class cartridges up to and including the big .50s, the high-wall will get the job done for you with no fuss and no bother.  If you go with the modern-built high-walls, you can even get rimless case extraction and although they lack the soul of the originals, these new high-wall adaptations are really shining on the BPCS front, which was designed after all to simulate hunting.

All for now, HTH,  the Green Frog

I'll echo what Greg said. The swiftness of reloading is pretty much a moot point with any single shot, especially in cold weather.

I restocked my first Ruger No 1 back in 1967, and admire the looks and functionality of them. However, the ejector can sometimes be counterproductive because of the noise. John Taylor in his seminal work African Rifles and Cartridges mentions that a nearby animal is frequently unable to determine the direction of the first shot because of the startlement, and a second shot can often be obtained if reloading can be done silently so as not to spook the game. Other earlier outdoor writers have commented similarly. Taylor specifically cautioned against ejector rifles because of this. Of course the Ruger ejector can easily be disabled, turning it into a silent extractor instead.

One of my original high walls has been converted to rimless extraction in 223 Rem, and works reasonably well, but I would recommend against this alteration for hunting because IME it's not 100% reliable on an original 1st generation rifle. All my original CF walls will throw a rimmed case clear of the action if the lever is operated in a reasonably smart manner, and I see absolutely no problem with their extraction and 'ejection' in the field. Just open the lever firmly and the extractor will fling the case clear with no problems. The Ruger OTOH will sometimes leave a fired case in the loading trough because it hit the protruding end of the safety button and bounced back.

So each action has its faults and advantages, you pays your money and you takes your choice as the madam said to the Bishop. To me the Rugers are more attractive and more versatile in an abstract objective sort of way, but they still don't trip my trigger like a wall. Out of the score or so single shot rifles in my rack, there are now 8 walls and no Rugers. Go figure.
Good luck whatever your choice, Joe