Have ~ a dozen PJ moulds - hunting bullets, money, experimental .... my goal in retirement is to take my 1874 and 1877 shilohs and the moulds and get lost in them for months.
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1874 Sharps 45-90 reloading questions.
- Thread starter Punisher29073
- Start date
Have ~ a dozen PJ moulds - hunting bullets, money, experimental .... my goal in retirement is to take my 1874 and 1877 shilohs and the moulds and get lost in them for months.
I'm going drop this here.
I just brought home the center Sharps in this family portrait this evening. It's a C. Sharps Sporting rifle with a 34" octagon barrel. Pristine and never been fired. Chambered in 50-140 Sharps. I didn't really want this calliber, but I got it for a song and I can always rebarrel it.
The Quigley on top is a 45-70 made by Pedersoli. I dearly love shooting this gun, and it's started an obsession with me.
The bottom gun is a .17 HMR, also made be Pedersoli. I got it to shoot it when my shoulder needs a rest.
I just brought home the center Sharps in this family portrait this evening. It's a C. Sharps Sporting rifle with a 34" octagon barrel. Pristine and never been fired. Chambered in 50-140 Sharps. I didn't really want this calliber, but I got it for a song and I can always rebarrel it.
The Quigley on top is a 45-70 made by Pedersoli. I dearly love shooting this gun, and it's started an obsession with me.
The bottom gun is a .17 HMR, also made be Pedersoli. I got it to shoot it when my shoulder needs a rest.
Don’t you dare rebarrel that 50-140! Dies, mold and cases and you will have the .408 Cheytac of the Wild West! Imagine the possibilities handloading for that gun!
Cheers, Sirhr
Cheers, Sirhr
I'd say the same thing. Buy a mattress for your shoulder before you rebarrel it.
I'm already reloading for it...and I've already bought a sissy pad for my shoulder.
50-140! My God, I'd be more afraid of my gun than the bear. Have fun.
I was reloading for it tonight. I think it's name is gonna be Powder Pig.
7000 grains in a pound 7000/140=50 rounds to a pound of powder. $25.00 a pound comes out to $.50 per shot. just in powder. 500 grain bullets eat up a pound of lead pretty fast too. Ever consider a .223?
Just teasing Buddy, I have the bug too. When you watch the shot thru a spotting scope, you don't see trace. You see a BIG SILVER BULLET rocketing straight up, and appearing to come straight down. Great fun. Enjoy!
Just teasing Buddy, I have the bug too. When you watch the shot thru a spotting scope, you don't see trace. You see a BIG SILVER BULLET rocketing straight up, and appearing to come straight down. Great fun. Enjoy!
I loaded smokeless with my 45-70 sharps but have to be real careful with how hot they run or use gas checks. I spend a lot of time with some chore boy scrubbing lead out of the bore
I started out loading smokeless, but once I switched over to balack powder I never looked back.
These guns were designed for black powder, and they give much greater satisfaction when shooting it. That may not make sense until you try it, but once you do, you WILL understand.
Once I started adding a vegetable fiber wad between my powder and bullet, all my leading problems magically went away. Doen't seem like much of a thermal barrier, but it's enough.
These guns were designed for black powder, and they give much greater satisfaction when shooting it. That may not make sense until you try it, but once you do, you WILL understand.
Once I started adding a vegetable fiber wad between my powder and bullet, all my leading problems magically went away. Doen't seem like much of a thermal barrier, but it's enough.
I took the 50-140 Sharps out for it's first range date this morning. It will take a while to get it sorted out. Kelly Soule and Globe sights may well be in its future. But it groups well, so I have some good data to begin working with.
Recoil on this beast is brutal. My shoulder stood up to it quite well. But my neck was getting whip lashed, and my brain felt like I was getting rabbit-punched from behind. I'm pretty sure a good cheek pad (already on order) will cure most of that.
Does anybody here have experience making reduced loads for these guns? I was thinking of doing a volume substitution of Cream of Wheat for powder. Anybody know a better way?
Recoil on this beast is brutal. My shoulder stood up to it quite well. But my neck was getting whip lashed, and my brain felt like I was getting rabbit-punched from behind. I'm pretty sure a good cheek pad (already on order) will cure most of that.
Does anybody here have experience making reduced loads for these guns? I was thinking of doing a volume substitution of Cream of Wheat for powder. Anybody know a better way?
back from the dead....
L-R
50-140, 650gr pill with 130grs of ffg
45-120, 550gr with 110grs of ffg
40-65, 370gr with 70grs of ffg
L-R
50-140, 650gr pill with 130grs of ffg
45-120, 550gr with 110grs of ffg
40-65, 370gr with 70grs of ffg
Have a 45-70 1874 shiloh and 45-90 1877 shiloh. Go black powder and grease groove bullets. Paper wrapped is another can of works. The only smokeless powder that works well is AA 5744 - relatively position insensitive ... but go with black powder, its what its made for.
For 45-90 get a couple pounds of swiss 1.5F.
If you reload smokeless reloading black powder will bring you back to your early reloading days. more pieces - over primer wad, over powder wad, under bullet paper wad ... fun as heck but be careful with black powder if reloading on a carpeted floor etc.
For 45-90 get a couple pounds of swiss 1.5F.
If you reload smokeless reloading black powder will bring you back to your early reloading days. more pieces - over primer wad, over powder wad, under bullet paper wad ... fun as heck but be careful with black powder if reloading on a carpeted floor etc.
unless the rifle is throated for PP bullets you may very well have issues.
Either ask or maybe a chamber cast.
black powder is loads of fun, I shot a 34” bbl Sharps 74 in 45-120-550 for some time,
go with a full case on single F and get a drop tube about 4’ long.
if you go black, get a blow tube and a wiping rod.
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" fun as heck but be careful with black powder if reloading on a carpeted floor etc."
Oh I gotta hear more about that. How's your wife's vacuum cleaner?
Oh I gotta hear more about that. How's your wife's vacuum cleaner?
- Nov 3, 2010
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It’s been around 2 years since the vacuum blew up. He is still piecing it together. Hopefully we get an update soon
Time for some thread necromancy.
I've added two more Sharps since I last posted on this thread; Another Pedersoli Quigley in 45-110 and a Shiloh Rough Rider in 45-70
About the 50-140...(Far right)
It's very accurate, and very punishing to shoot. This means that I'll literally beat the hell out my self shooting it because I'm loving the accuracy down range. My shoulder can take the recoil if I use proper technique, but my brain gets slapped against the inside of my skull. After about the 3rd shot, I have to stop and let my vison restore. By the end of the shooting session, I'm decidedly punch-drunk and I have one hell of a headache the next day.
The 45-110 Quigley (2nd from the right.) is pure joy to shoot. It likes paper patched bullets, and I still need to learn more about them. The recoil is big fun without being abusive. I can't see it since I'm right behind the sights, but other shooters at the range have told me that the bullets tend to pull some bore smoke with them down range. This gun has me laughing maniacally the whole time I'm shooting.
The 45-70 Shiloh Rough Rider (2nd from left) is still a work in progress. It doesn't seem to like the 535gn Postell bullet that the 45-70 Quigly loves so much, and that's unfortunate because now it's trial and error until I find the right bullet for it. It has a 30"-barrel length. It too is a fun shooter.
I've added two more Sharps since I last posted on this thread; Another Pedersoli Quigley in 45-110 and a Shiloh Rough Rider in 45-70
About the 50-140...(Far right)
It's very accurate, and very punishing to shoot. This means that I'll literally beat the hell out my self shooting it because I'm loving the accuracy down range. My shoulder can take the recoil if I use proper technique, but my brain gets slapped against the inside of my skull. After about the 3rd shot, I have to stop and let my vison restore. By the end of the shooting session, I'm decidedly punch-drunk and I have one hell of a headache the next day.
The 45-110 Quigley (2nd from the right.) is pure joy to shoot. It likes paper patched bullets, and I still need to learn more about them. The recoil is big fun without being abusive. I can't see it since I'm right behind the sights, but other shooters at the range have told me that the bullets tend to pull some bore smoke with them down range. This gun has me laughing maniacally the whole time I'm shooting.
The 45-70 Shiloh Rough Rider (2nd from left) is still a work in progress. It doesn't seem to like the 535gn Postell bullet that the 45-70 Quigly loves so much, and that's unfortunate because now it's trial and error until I find the right bullet for it. It has a 30"-barrel length. It too is a fun shooter.
I dont know if you're gonna buy any more, but if you do, make it a Creedmoor. The straight high comb is an absolute pleasure to shoot, and the reach to the trigger is better than that standard pistol grip guns.
I have a Shiloh 1877 that has finally made it to the checkering shop, after two and a half years. Hopefully I’ll have it soon.
My .50-90 really loved 700gr KAL paper patch bullet and 110grs of 1F. It would "theoretically" shoot sub 1" groups at 100yards, you know... if you threw out the ones that weren't in the group. LMAO An "it's not the gun, it's me" issue, and I was just using the factory barrel sights.
When I was shooting it regularly, weekly, occasionally more often, I didn't notice the recoil at all. When I stopped shooting it for about 8 months and went back to it, it was one of those "Wait, I enjoyed this?"
Life and my shooting life got very busy with no time for BPCR, and my shooting and interests turned elsewhere. While that was happening, my eyes went. Revisiting the Sharps I realized I'm never going to shoot little groups with it again, buy something lighter (bullet mold) that shoots well enough to hunt with. I did. I think I shot it once. Not being able to dedicate myself to it makes me wish it was a .50-70 or .45-70, something I could take out of the safe once in a blue moon, throw together some smokeless loads in a half hour and go shoot.
Just not a 6.5 Creedmoor. Because that would be sort of… ghey.
Sirhr
PS: for the Record… this is how you Necrothread properly!!! Awesomeness!!!
Shot BPCR FOR YEARS. If you dont shoot swiss powder you are wasting your money. 20 -1 lead cast bullets . SPG LUBE . Shot 40/65 72 grs. 1/1/2 Swiss.
Shot creedmore twice ,got medals close in 1000yd it went squirrly. Dave Guollo was unbeatable at a 1000 with a 45/90. One year a guy shooting a 50/ 90 detached his reticle. Big calibers are fun till you sit and shoot 60 rounds at a match. I have seen people guit and walk off. Steve Garby kicked every bodies ass with 38/56
Shot creedmore twice ,got medals close in 1000yd it went squirrly. Dave Guollo was unbeatable at a 1000 with a 45/90. One year a guy shooting a 50/ 90 detached his reticle. Big calibers are fun till you sit and shoot 60 rounds at a match. I have seen people guit and walk off. Steve Garby kicked every bodies ass with 38/56
