45-70 IAB Sharps.

L.Parratt

L.Parratt

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
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Location
Edmonton Alberta.
Picked up this lovely rifle from a CGN User a few months ago now and I've never owned a gun I've had this much enjoyment with.

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So far accuracy has been extremely pleasing with generic reloads.

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I'm using 325gr with a 4.3cc Lee scoop. I'm excited to push this out to 300m+

 
Sharps rifles are a ton of fun. A good quality rifle with a really nicely tuned black powder load can also be incredibly accurate. There is so much history with these rifles and very few shooting experiences are as satisfying as accurate black powder cartridge shooting. Looks like you are well on your way!

What brand of powder and bullet are you using? Have you tried heavier 405 to 550gr bullets? What sort of lube are you using?

For my Pedersoli Sharps I find 68gr of FFG Goex black powder dropped with a drop tube beneath a 405gr bullet lubed with SPG a good combination. I also have a veggie fiber wad between powder and bullet
 
Elwood Epps recently had one of the IAB /Sile percussion 54 sporting rifles for sale but it is now sold but the pics of it are still on their website.I had one of their percussion carbines when they first came out and it was ok but not in the same league as the Shiloh percussion guns
 
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ArtyMan said:
Sharps rifles are a ton of fun. A good quality rifle with a really nicely tuned black powder load can also be incredibly accurate. There is so much history with these rifles and very few shooting experiences are as satisfying as accurate black powder cartridge shooting. Looks like you are well on your way!

What brand of powder and bullet are you using? Have you tried heavier 405 to 550gr bullets? What sort of lube are you using?

For my Pedersoli Sharps I find 68gr of FFG Goex black powder dropped with a drop tube beneath a 405gr bullet lubed with SPG a good combination. I also have a veggie fiber wad between powder and bullet
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I'm using some Cast and Gas checked 325gr I bought on CGN. I do plan on trying 405 and 500+ gr to see what it likes. I have Oxo Wads on the way aswell.

I'll be building a powder drop, instead of using just the Lee scoop into the brass.
 
L.Parratt said:
I'm using some Cast and Gas checked 325gr I bought on CGN. I do plan on trying 405 and 500+ gr to see what it likes. I have Oxo Wads on the way aswell.

I'll be building a powder drop, instead of using just the Lee scoop into the brass.
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Right on - you'll have a lot of fun with this rifle. I know at first I had quite a frustrating time with my Pedersoli as it was my first foray into black powder, and I made a lot of mistakes such as using bullets lubed for smokless powder, using the bullet to compress the powder and failing to control fouling. The more I got wrong, the more I learned. Luckily I ended up getting some instruction from a few members at my local range who had a ton of experience with black powder, and the results are now literally night and day. Now I find BP cartridge shooting to me some of the most enjoyable and rewarding.

For a powder drop tube, I simply picked up a piece of copper pipe from home depot and nailed it into the side of my reloading bench using little clamps. I then made a funnel for the top of the tube and it just seems to work.
 
Some of the earlier repros had a slower twist, about 1/20, that couldn't handle bullets over 405 grains, which is the common factory load.
If you're twist is 1/18, you're good for the heavier bullets.
 
Muzzle loading and BPCR totally rejuvenated my interest in shooting. I shoot way more than I ever did before at 70 as opposed to my late 20's .If you get a chance to try some longer range shooting at steel targets it will send your senses for a loop ! When shooting at stationary steel targets where you can't readily see a hit at say at 500 m you can decide you have already missed the target as it will be almost 2 1/2 seconds after the bang before you hear the bullet impact. Likewise you would see a silhouette target fall approximately 1.3 seconds after the bang and about the same time to hear the hit providing my math is close.....In Trudeau's campaign to deter responsible gun owners I am surprised he hasn't formed the Fun Gun Police to try tax us on having fun...I would be broke shooting my Sharps !!!!!!
 
ArtyMan said:
Right on - you'll have a lot of fun with this rifle. I know at first I had quite a frustrating time with my Pedersoli as it was my first foray into black powder, and I made a lot of mistakes such as using bullets lubed for smokless powder, using the bullet to compress the powder and failing to control fouling. The more I got wrong, the more I learned. Luckily I ended up getting some instruction from a few members at my local range who had a ton of experience with black powder, and the results are now literally night and day. Now I find BP cartridge shooting to me some of the most enjoyable and rewarding.

For a powder drop tube, I simply picked up a piece of copper pipe from home depot and nailed it into the side of my reloading bench using little clamps. I then made a funnel for the top of the tube and it just seems to work.
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I think most of us have learned a lot the hard way....I did all of the above myself as well !!!!! Read as much as you can ...if you go the black powder route there are a lot of basics to follow but the enjoyment is immeasurable .After watching your video a friendly hint ...try to remember to set your hammer at half #### before dropping the lever as it will be easier on the firing pin as it protrudes and will drag on opening. I keep spare parts now just in case having had 2 firing pins break,1 transfer bar and 1 lever spring break on my Pedersoli so far......[I have sent over 2000 rounds down the tube]
 
L.Parratt said:
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Installed a new Pedorsoli Soule 3" and a Lyman 17A front sight!
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Looking Good ! I'm sure that sight will make your shooting more enjoyable .I started out with a lower end mid range sight with the windage adjustments on the eyecup.[Out grew that sight very quickly] I found it hard to use with my aging eyesight .I have always found the Pedersoli elevation easier to read with the minutes noted on the slider. For what it's worth on the advice of other shooters I have also added a newspaper wad between my veggie wad and bullet base. If any wad were to stick to the bullet base newsprint is thought to effect it less. ENJOY !!!!!
 
First range trip with the sight and new reloads (405gr) was okay. Took a while to get sighted in. Was able to ring a 6" Gong at 100m and 200m with a bit of trouble. I believe the issue is some wobble in my pedorsoli sight. I'll upload a video showing for those curious. But fixed with a Aluminum shim.

Otherwise I'd love to lighten the trigger pull a little. But unsure how to approach it with this style of firearm

 
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L.Parratt said:
First range trip with the sight and new reloads (405gr) was okay. Took a while to get sighted in. Was able to ring a 6" Gong at 100m and 200m with a bit of trouble. I believe the issue is some wobble in my pedorsoli sight. I'll upload a video showing for those curious. But fixed with a Aluminum shim.

Otherwise I'd love to lighten the trigger pull a little. But unsure how to approach it with this style of firearm

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I don't know anything about adjusting the trigger pull on your rifle, I have set triggers and there is a screw in the trigger plate for adjusting. [I wouldn't venture giving any advice on this myself other than find out for sure from someone who knows] I have had some go arounds getting my sights set up, learning the hard way of course .Getting the wobble out of the mast is a must do first off .Making sure the mast is 90 degrees to the barrel using two levels is another. I have a straight combed stock as well and I found I inherently canted the rifle. I removed the rear barrel sight and installed a barrel level for about $60.00.I had a "fuzzy" sight picture which was cured by adjusting the mast perpendicular the barrel plane when locked in the upright position..[My MVA sight is adjustable for this with a slotted hole] I also have a Hadley eye cup for adjustable apertures which is great for lower light shooting. [as long as you remember to use it]. ! Pedersoli does offer a Hadley eyecup about $135.00 out of the US more locally $165.00 CDN. not what I would call cheap. So if you could do it wrong I probably did it !!! It is a real journey learning about these rifles. But worth the trip !!!!
 
L.Parratt said:
Oh I'll definitely look into that adjustable cup.

How did you figure if you were 90 degrees onto the barrel?
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IMG_8192.jpgIMG_8191.jpg I hope the photos show you basically how I checked it. You may have to shim things to get it on....If sighting through your aperture it seems "blurry" move the mast forward or back till it is clear. Essentially if it is not straight up and down to how " YOU " look through it you are looking through an oval
 

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bandanaman said:
View attachment 685566View attachment 685567 I hope the photos show you basically how I checked it. You may have to shim things to get it on....If sighting through your aperture it seems "blurry" move the mast forward or back till it is clear. Essentially if it is not straight up and down to how " YOU " look through it you are looking through an oval
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When I mentioned moving the mast forward or back I meant tilting it till it looks clear. Not physically moving the sight .If there is no adjustment for this on your sight I guess you would have to get into some fancy shim work.....It should "click" in to the detent and look clear to you.
 
L.Parratt said:
Ah in currently lucky as things do look very clear for me. Especially with a thin circle fron aperture!


That shooting box seems to be a very nice piece of kit! Info on it?
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That is something I threw together 5 years ago so I could clean between relays. Made it out of dunnage plywood figuring once I worked the bugs out I'd maybe make a pretty one out of oak .A slot here a notch there" it's coming along" .Like I said 5 years ago......Having a lid or way to close the top would be nice. I did get " kinky " with the shooters tray with flip up line blocks for scoring rounds. Some guys can get by with a block of wood and a blow tube but I need reading glasses for sight adjustments ,place to carry a timer, sight cards notes ,sight inserts [found myself on the line one time and my front insert had fallen out] like I said if there is a mistake to make I can generally make it. It is definitely handy to keep your stuff together , cleaning solutions patches, elbow pads ,recoil pad, decapper, bottles for spent cases, spare parts ,screwdriver kit, I'll attach another shot and later take some of the tray when I get a minute.....A lot of guys have some really neat ideas so you kind of pick what works for you and run with it....IMG_80141.jpg
 

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