Johnathan Browning Mountain Rifle

[deputy599]

Hello. I found a Johnathan Browning Mountain Rifle in 45 caliber, it appears to be new and made in the USA. They dont have the box or manual and it said Black Powder Only. They are asking $550.00. Does anyone know the loading data. I can't find anything on the internet.

 

[Zonie]

That rifle can use any lead roundball and powder load that's given for any other .45 caliber muzzleloading rifle.

As with all Browning firearms they are rather high priced and although $550 is more than many other muzzleloading rifles would cost the price is lower than many Browning Mountain Rifles I've seen asked.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Found the following loads for the .45 Browning with a .445" round ball, .015" patch and Goex powder.
40FFFg-1600(fps)
50FFFg-1725(fps)
50FFg -1570(fps)
70FFg -1825(fps)
90FFg -2025(fps)

Using the same set up with Pyrodex (RS)
90RS -1900(fps)

The 90 grain FFg load had a remaining velocity of 1070(fps) at 100 yards and was the max recommended load for the Jonathan Browning Mountain Rifle. These guns could stand a healthy load and were very popular for years.

 

[George T.]

They are 1 in 66 so they are pretty much round ball rifles. I think they are one inch across the flats. Pretty heavy in 45. They are a good rifle. The story goes that they are an exact copy of a rifle they were allowed to study out of a large collection. That is a OK price but no steal. You might look around on gun broker as they usually have one or two. Geo. T.

 

[Swede50]

My cousin had one in 50 caliber he had to send it back because the breach leaked.
When he got it back I had a chance to shoot his rifle and it was a lot more consistent to fire and more accurate than my CVA 45.
I saw two at the Gun Show a year ago they were asking $850.00 I thought they were about $300.00 to $400.00 to high.
If you can handle the rife and feel the balance or lack of you could make a better choice than off the internet.
Also look down the barrel for rust.
If the rifle is in decent condition with no rust, dents or chips I would buy it since Browning hasn’t made them in many years.
Since I do not currently have a 45 BP rifle I can't remommend a load.

 

[deputy599]

Thanks for all the information. I just want a good muzzle loader to start out with. I'm looking for traditional style any other manufacturers?

 

[Swede50]

I have been told that the Browning was close to resembling a Hawkin.
I have a Lyman GPR that I built from a kit that also resembles a Hawkin Many others do not.
If you want a reliable rifle you might consider a TC Hawkin style it only slightly resembles a Hawkin but it is dependable and reasonably accurate.
I have a TC Hawkin in a 50 caliber percussion that I also build from a kit.
I have seen The TC’s at the Gun Shows for $350.00 and up

Good Luck on your choice.

 

[Vaino]

A JMR in .45 w/ a 1" bbl would weigh a lot and be muzzle heavy. I had one in .50 and got rid of it....too heavy and poorly balanced. Mine was of good quality... much better than most factory MLers.....Fred

 

[nit wit]

They are better than T/C's,1in66 is nice and accurate. I had one once, should have never sold it One of the best production guns ever built.
Nit Wit

 

[deputy599]

The rifle said to use black powder only. Can I use Pyrodex?

 

[necchi]

Sure.

 

[JOHN L. HINNANT]

Good Evening All,

I am always amused when people complain about the JBMR rifle being too heavy for them.

My late wife had never shot any kind of firearm until she decided to try BP shooting in 1983. I taught her to shoot my 50 caliper JBMR. She never complained about the rifle being too heavy and quickly became one of the best Lady Shooters in the state.

One of our Lady friends shot a 53 caliber Santa Fe Hawken with the barrel shortened by 2 inches. That rifle weighed in at a touch over 10 pounds, and she won the Ladies Division of the the TMLRA State Championships several times with that rifle.

And for the record, my late wife was not built like an NFL guard, but more like a 115 pound Miss America Contestant. She once tried a T-C Senaca, then complained that it was much too light to hold steady off-hand, and what did I do with HER Browning?

Recently I remarried. She is a 110 pound slender lady fron Thailand. After being at the TMLRA State Champioships with me for a week, she has decided that shooting is a very poor spectator sport, and it is time for her to learn to shoot.

She likes my JBMR with the 45 caliber barrel and does not think it is too heavy.

Oh well, to each their own,

With my respects to all,

John L. Hinnant

"God and Texas"

 

[JonnyReb3]

Big difference though, between a hunting rifle you carry all day and one only held long enough to fire a shot. The Browning is a boat anchor any way you look at it, beautiful, accurate, balanced, well built..but still a 10+lb behemoth. It would not be my choice for a mountain goat hunt

 

[JOHN L. HINNANT]

Good Morning Jonny Reb,

I carried the JBMR on many a hunting trip, including numerous trips on foot into the Gila National Wilderness Area. Most of my White-tail Deer hunting in my home state of Texas was on foot in the South Texas Brush Country. My partner and I would cover an area of about 12 square miles, "horn rattling" all day.

Age and bad knees, high blood pressure ended that kind og hunting. But for that, I would still be "out in the brush" on foot with my JBMR.

The rifle only weighs 8-3/4 pounds. Many modern bolt action hunting rifles, scoped, slung, and loaded, ready to go, weigh more than that.

Original Hawkens weigh in, on average, at 10 to 10-1/2 pounds, and those men of the past were not always on horse-back.

As I have always said, "To each, their own".

My respects to all,

John L. Hinnant

"God and Texas"

 

[Vaino]

For our elk hunting, the BMR was too "heavy" and this sense of heaviness may have been due to it's lousy balance. Three members of our elk camp carried the BMR all day and none liked it because of the afore mentioned disadvantage. Never used a rifle that just plain didn't "fit in" for elk hunting. Using the BMR on the target range....well, like was said....it's not like toting a rifle over "hill and dale" in the higher elevations of the "Rockies".......Fred

 

[Rifleman1776]

The rifle said to use black powder only. Can I use Pyrodex?

At the time they came out Pyrodex may not have been invented or on the market yet. I don't recall the perzact years of those products but it seems to me that would be the case.
Pyrodex would work but you don't have my permission to use it. :wink:

 

[Dphar]

The rifle said to use black powder only. Can I use Pyrodex?

Short answer? You can, however, not if you want it to last.
Given the fouling trap that the Brownings have, at least the one I debreeched some years back, powder with high levels of chlorate will cause problems and no cleaning regimen will counter it.
The fouling will have access to the breech threads and once in there it can't be removed short of bebreeching.

This is the breech as I removed it from the rifle. I cleaned up OK but had it been used with Pyrodex it would not have. Based on personal observation and reports from other shooters and builders.
Order or buy some BP FFFg you will be far ahead.

Dan

 

[JonnyReb3]

Good Afternoon John, i had no idea they were so trim. Mine is restocked with a double set trigger added, feels like 10lbs anyways and must just be forward weighted enough to "feel" so heavy. Sure settles in nice and steady on a target either way. Heavy or not, its one of my favorites. J

 

[Dphar]

The rifle said to use black powder only. Can I use Pyrodex?

Short answer? You can, however, not if you want it to last.
Given the fouling trap that the Brownings have, at least the one I debreeched some years back, powder with high levels of chlorate will cause problems and no cleaning regimen will counter it.
The fouling will have access to the breech threads and once in there it can't be removed short of bebreeching.

This is the breech as I removed it from the rifle. I cleaned up OK but had it been used with Pyrodex it would not have. Based on personal observation and reports from other shooters and builders.
Order or buy some BP FFFg you will be far ahead.

Dan

This is the browning breech. Goofed up the post and had to run to Billings today and did not see the omission till now.

 

[JOHN L. HINNANT]

Good Evening Jonnyreb,

The 45 caliber Browning ha 1-56" rifling twist. 1-62" in 50 caliber and 1-66" for the 54 caliber.

The 1-56" twist is excellant for 45 caliber. You will find that twist will handle 3FFF BP charges of 50 t0 75 grains very accuraratly. I shot quite a number of JBMR's back in the late '70's and through the 80's. I never shot one that was tempermental. All would give match grade accuracy with the proper ball/patch combination.

I suspect the original single set trigger developed a problem. A factory replacement was not available, and for whatever reason, repair was not possible. The solution was to install the current trigger, which have also required a different trigger guard.

A .445 ball with .018 thick cotton patching over 50 grains of 3FFF BP is a good place to start. You MIGHT be able to tweak your accuracy a bit with a .451 ball.

Be sure to wipe the bore betwen shots for the best results.

Have fun with your JBMR.

My Respect to All,

John L. Hinnant

"God and Texas"