loads for orignal 50 70 sharps 1859 carbine???

[dingus]

I just bought a Antique sharps 1859 carbine in 50 70
and wondered whats a good load for the old gun.
I already have a 50 70 pistol so have the Dias ect Brass.
Tho i load Round ball for my Rolling block pistol and pyrodex whats a good load for the ORIGNAL sharps.
Oh man its a sweet unit to all redone case hardened orignal wood not a crack or break in it.
be my frist sharps so i want to load it right.
What kinda range can i shoot.
Has orignal flip up sites so must be good to 200 Yds eh?

The fellow who had it says 50 grs of BP and filler for the rest with a 450 gr bullets a good load that 70 grs of BP is over kill.
I might shoot a few deer maby a black bear ect.

Heres a few pics there not my pics tho.
The gun was pro restored. that might turn off some but i love it as the bore is minty action tight and the gun should shoot.
It was such a great deal i could not pass it up.
I been looking for a nice one like this for 5 years.
Tonight was it !!!

And yes its and orignal Antique Sharps.
Most of the stampings numbers ect are still clear a few partly buffed off.
Id class this as a keeper.

 

[Smokepole]

50gr BP, pushing a 450gr bullet would be a very low velocity load.
I would be tempted to load 65gr under that bullet for shooting at game. More if it will fit.
Wasn't the original load 70gr under a 350gr hollow base bullet?
I think the 50-70 cartridge is limited to about 200yrds. Maybe less in a carbine.

BTW - Nice lookin' Sharps.
To put it in perspective, I always think - That gun was OLD (obsolete) by the time the Model 'T' became popular.

 

[dingus]

Thanks.
i love its a pro refinish job .
the wood is orignal no cracks or chunks missing.
Heres a few more shots Takes alot to get me excited but i was excited tonight LOL
I always wanted one.
200 Yds would be and extream long shot for me.
100 yds is about max around here to much bush about.

 

[outdoors]

If you go to the Shiloh rifle forum there should be lot`s of load info for your .50-70. How many grooves to the rifling. My understanding is that when they were converted to cartridge (.50-70) some had a liner fitted and some were left with the origional Sharps barrel. The liners were tighter in diameter and had less grooves. Yours may have even have had a new production barrel fitted during the refurbish. I would suggest slugging the bore as the diameters varied quite a bit. The modern standard bore diamter is .510. I have always wanted a .50-70 carbine as well. The hunter`s carbines from Shiloh or C.Sharps would be perfect but I just haven`t bit the bullet yet. I think that I still have some 450 grain cast bullets that are about .515 diameter somewhere. Let me know if you want a few to try. Starline makes brass which is supposed to be good. Give us some feeback once you try her out.

 

[mooncoon]

Nice gun, lucky bugger :>) :>) My sharps has a 50 70 remington rolling block barrel used as a liner and uses the original chamber. I found that a Loverin style bullet is far more accurate in it than the official government shape. The Remington throats appear to be overly long and it is possible the same is true of your gun. If the official government slug is not accurate, try the Loverin ones. I will try to ferry some up when our favourite monger comes to Duncan in two weeks.

cheers mooncoon

 

[dingus]

Its the orignal barrel but i dont know if its lined or the percussion one.
Supose to have and Ex bore thats why i bought it no wall hangers in my place

I will look carefully into the bore Dia when i get it and check the load data as well.

 

[mooncoon]

mine has an original bore and chamber but from a remington rifle and it is the chamber which is the problem.

cheers mooncoon

 

[dingus]

mine has an original bore and chamber but from a remington rifle and it is the chamber which is the problem.

cheers mooncoon

Why cant you get a more orignal sharps type barrel for it doug.
Arnt the barrels just screwed into the action?
isnt there nice replacement or repo barrels available new ones?
You could antique a new barrel to look the same as your action.
Or is yours some rare Sharps that used Remy barrels.

 

[mooncoon]

Why cant you get a more orignal sharps type barrel for it doug.
Arnt the barrels just screwed into the action?
isnt there nice replacement or repo barrels available new ones?
You could antique a new barrel to look the same as your action.
Or is yours some rare Sharps that used Remy barrels.

I think you misunderstand what I said; I bored out the original barrel then sleeved a liner into it. The liner was made from an orignal remington rolling block 50-70 barrel turned down to a thin tube and is held in place with a thick green loktite used for securing bearings.
Bottom line is that for $10 I have the original barrel on the gun combined with a shootable bore (not perfect but reasonably good). I have a shilo barrel although I have not decided what to use it on yet. They use a different thread than the orignal Sharps rifles do.
I once had a rolling block with a perfect bore in 50-70 but traded it off because I could not get it to shoot accurately. I now realize that was almost certainly because of the chamber and throat configuration which gives excessive bullet jump with the government style slugs.

cheers Doug

 

[dingus]

Oh ok i understand now what you did thats a big job turning down and entire barrel yikes!
Once i get my rifle i might need to ask you some stuff about chambers ect but will wait till i have it slug the bore see just what ive got.
I hope it shoots decent tho.

 

[Road King]

Oh ok i understand now what you did thats a big job turning down and entire barrel yikes!
Once i get my rifle i might need to ask you some stuff about chambers ect but will wait till i have it slug the bore see just what ive got.
I hope it shoots decent tho.

Dingus, congrats on finding a nice Sharps Carbine, being that you are using this gun as a shooter, having it refinished is for personal tastes. As for shooting your Sharps, a few years ago I had a new model 1863 and used the falling load with good success.

Bullet:Lyman #515141 -450 Grains sized to .512"
Powder: 62 Grains FFg Black Powder, GOEX
Cases; Dixie Gun Works
Full Length sized, Belled .510" Expander
Primer: CCI Large Rifle Primer
Wad: OX-YOKE , Wonder Wads 1000Plus, center lubed, #5000
Bullet Lube: Lyman Bullet Lube, Item # 2857277

I was getting about 2" to 3" groups at 100yards.

By the way I believe your Sharps may be a New Model 1863. The quick way to Identify the difference between an 1859 and the 1863 was that the 59 has the patch box and 63 does not, but the butt plate still had the cut out for the patch box, which yours has. The 1859 was a paper cartridge gun using a percussion cap.
The pictures below are of an 1859 in original unaltered condition that is SPF that I have.

Good luck with shooting your Sharps and keep us posted.
Road King

 

[dingus]

Very nice looking orignal Sharps.
The orignal finish ones in the USA were to Expensive for me thats why i bought the one you see, i got it for less than most guys pay for repo ones in Canada .

It was redone along time ago the guy i bought it off had it 12 Years.
Your probebly right the model could be a 1863 as thats the only writeing buffed off is the barrel markings its buffed off or very faint.
The rest of the markings are readable pretty much.
Im just glad its got and ex bore and tight action that was my main concern.
I have a Remington 1871 Pistol in 50 70 as well so they will make a nice set.
Tho i only load Rd ball in the pistol.