Taylor’s & Co. 1886 Ridge Runner Takedown LC1/220090 45-70 Gov’t

The 45-70 Government cartridge has been in constant use since 1873. The U.S. military adopted the round and used it until 1892, while the cartridge’s sporting use for hunting and competition has been uninterrupted to this day. That says a lot about the performance and reliability of the 45-70. There are better cartridges that are flatter shooting and have more downrange power at long distances, but with a modern lever-action rifle, the 45-70’s sweet spot is close to 100 yards. Depending on the ammo, if your rifle is equipped with an optic, and your shooting ability allows, you might be able to squeeze out effective shots to 200 yards. Lever-action rifles chambered in the round are popular with hunters in states that require a straight-wall cartridge and for hunters who want a lot bang to get the buck. Or wild boar or black bear. Large game is in the 45-70’s portfolio at the right distance.

The Marlin 1881 was the first successful lever-action to be chambered in the 45-70, but many more are available today. We tested four, starting with a slightly used new manufacture Winchester Model 1886 Extra Light, a Taylor’s 1886 Journey made by Pedersoli, and a Taylor’s 1886 Ridge Runner Takedown made by Chiappa. While these three lever actions are based on the Model 1886, they all have distinct differences. We also tested a Marlin clone, a Rossi R95. 

The obvious common denominators with these rifles are the chamberings, action types, and tubular magazines. All rifles were loaded via a loading gate on the side of the receiver, and we could top off the magazines on all of these rifles as shots were fired by pushing rounds into the magazine tube as we went. Barrel lengths varied from 18.5 inches to 22 inches. Weight across the board was slightly more than 7 pounds. All came equipped with iron sights. The Rossi is drilled and tapped for mounting an optic, and the Pedersoli and Chiappa remakes feature open sights and a section of rail for a forward-mounted optic. The Winchester is drilled and tapped for a side-mounted peep sight. 

We tested all four rifles with open sights at 50 yards, with a range bag for support. For ammunition, we selected Hornady LEVERevolution rounds with 250-grain FTX bullets, Winchester Super-X 300-grain jacketed hollow points, and Federal Fusion 300-grain soft points. The Winchester and Federal cartridges are more traditional 45-70 loads, with muzzle velocities in these rifles that ranged from 1737 fps to 1953 fps. The Hornady round is made specifically for tubular-magazine lever-action rifles. The 250-grain FTX bullet uses a more tapered bullet profile with an elastomer Flex Tip, so the cartridges play nice together in the magazine tube. When touching the primer of the cartridge in front of it, the Flex Tip ensures the rounds won’t go off under recoil. And there is some recoil with these rifles. Extra weight is a good thing when touching off these big bores. Muzzle velocities with the Hornady round ranged from 1935 fps to 2100 fps. 

We also fired the rifles off hand to judge the smoothness of their actions and their ability to provide a fast follow-up shot. In our opinion, any of these rifles would work as a hunting rifle, and after we collected the empty brass, we found a real bargain, a safe queen, an odd duck, and a pricey nice-to-have rifle. Here are the specifics. 

Taylor’s & Co. 1886 Ridge Runner Takedown LC1/220090 45-70 Gov’t

$1742

Gun Tests grade: A-

The Ridge Runner Takedown is modern take on the classic Winchester 1886 with a muzzle compensator, rubber buttplate, and sighting options galore. Price is steep.

This 1886 from Taylor’s is manufactured by Chiappa and has an action more similar to the original 1886 design than its counterparts. There is no manual safety. The Ridge Runner relies on a half-cock hammer and common sense. 

The matte-chrome finish was nicely executed and contrasted with the black-finish wood stock. The Ridge Runner features a straight grip like the Extra Light, except it has a larger D-shaped lever loop, which we found more friendly when wearing gloves. The buttpad was thin rubber. We preferred the pads on the R95 and Journey. Shouldering the Ridge Runner was snag free, and the action cycled slick and smooth, the best of all the rifles. The LOP was 13.5 inches, so levering the larger D-shape lever loop was in reach. Sling studs were factory installed.

The Ridge Runner is a takedown rifle similar to a variant made by Winchester back in the day. To take down the rifle, the action must be open and the muzzle brake must be removed before disassembly. Use the disassembly lever on the magazine tube to unscrew the tube until it is free from the receiver, then while holding the tube slightly up from the action, twist the barrel 90 degrees so that it is perpendicular to the receiver. The ability to take down the rifle means that it can be stored in a smaller footprint for easier transport. The rifle will not lose its zero since the sights are on the barrel assembly.

The barrel is half octagonal and half round, giving the rifle a distinct look. At the muzzle is a ported brake that helped with managing recoil. The sights on the Ridge Runner were done right, in our option. An integrated Skinner peep rear sight is attached to a Weaver rail with a front fiber-optic sight. This allows for maximum sight radius for the open sights while providing the ability to mount an optic, such as a scout-style scope or a red dot. We liked this setup. The only caveat is you may need to install a slip-on or strap-on stock comb riser, depending on how high the optic is mounted, for a better cheek weld.

The Ridge Runner was smooth loading, and at the accuracy bench, the best group measured 0.88 inch with Winchester Super-X ammo. The Winchester ammo was the best performing ammo in all the rifles tested. Average in the Ridge Runner was 1.14 inches. Best groups with the Federal and Hornady ammo was 1.20 and 1.36 inches, respectively. The Hornady averaged 1.83 inches, and the Federal averaged 1.45 inches. At 7.2 pounds, the Ridge Runner was as light as the Extra Light rifle. Recoil was very tolerable with Federal and Winchester ammo, and it was noticeably more with the hot Hornady ammo.

During speed shooting, we noticed the muzzle brake helped to manage recoil so we could get back on target. The shorter LOP also meant we could pull the rifle into our shoulder with our support hand and easily cycle the rifle with our shooting hand without disrupting the sight picture too much.

Our Team Said: The Ridge Runner offered accuracy, ease of use, an excellent sighting system, and a muzzle brake, all in a takedown package. We liked a lot about the Ridge Runner, except for the cost. If you want a more modern take on the Model 1886 with useful features, the Taylor’s & Co. Ridge Runner Takedown is great option.

To collect accuracy data, we fired three-shot groups from a bench using a rest. Distance: 50 yards with open sights. We recorded velocities and energy using a Garmin Xero C1 Pro Chronograph. 

Written and photographed by Robert Sadowski, using evaluations from Gun Tests Team members. GT