45-70 vs 45-90 in sharps rifle

[mooncoon]

No, although I think it's a pretty cool cartridge.

Due to brass availability and cost here in Canada, I've stuck with the various .45 cases, although I do use a .40-65 for silhouette and it's a pretty sweet cartridge.

Chris.

I have an original Sharps in 44-77. Being too frugal (some might say cheap) to buy basic brass, I used a shortened and necked down 45-70 cases in it. The base balloons a bit but if you only neck size the shells, that should not be a problem with black powder loads.

cheers mooncoon

 

[Sharps '74]

Can't speak to the Pedersoli, but I've read back in the day 45-70 would be fired out of a 45-90 if the 90 dried up. These reports I read were based on buffalo hunters of the period. How it effected accuracy is anyone's guess. But I suspect it didn't get better. For simplicity of sourcing ammo or reloading components, I'd suggest like the others, to go with 45-70.

Years ago I borrowed an original Sharps 'Business Rifle' in 45-90 for a BP match. 45-90 brass was unheard of then, so I shot loads made with 45-70 brass, seating the bullets out, by how much, I don't recall. Nor do I recall what the charge was.

What I do recall was that I won against big bore Hawkins rifles out to 300 yds.

 

[Sharps '74]

I have an original Sharps in 44-77. Being too frugal (some might say cheap) to buy basic brass, I used a shortened and necked down 45-70 cases in it. The base balloons a bit but if you only neck size the shells, that should not be a problem with black powder loads.

cheers mooncoon

44-77 brass is currently readily available from Graf & Sons and other suppliers.

 

[chasseur]

Another thing to consider when choosing your gun concerning recoil is the type of butt on the rifle.The shotgun style butt is normally easier on the shoulder than the crescent style butt plate and if I was buying the 45/90 I would want a gun with the shotgun style butt

 

[coyoteshooter]

petersoli recommends a pressure level of loads not to exceed 22.500 cpu if my memory serves me correctly for what its worth

 

[Sharps '74]

Another thing to consider when choosing your gun concerning recoil is the type of butt on the rifle.The shotgun style butt is normally easier on the shoulder than the crescent style butt plate and if I was buying the 45/90 I would want a gun with the shotgun style butt

I have both shotgun butt and crescent butt Sharps rifles. If the rifle has a crescent butt AND a heavy barrel, you're OK. If not, a 'sissy pad' is an option. A shotgun butt on a light barreled rifle is likewise uncomfortable.

My Shiloh 'Business Rifle' has a crescent butt and a heavy barrel. Comfy to shoot prone. My Shiloh #1 Sporter has a lighter barrel with a crescent butt. I wear a 'sissy pad'.

It depends on your level of recoil tolerance. I've met people that actually ''enjoy" (so they say) their 45-110s, but the rifles have a heavy barrel and they wear 'sissy pads'.

 

[chasseur]

I had at one time a shiloh business rifle in 45/120 (though I had ordered 45/70 I was sent a 45/120 by mistake) with the crescent buttplate.Firing full loads with this rifle from a bench was not pleasant after about 10 rounds or so but fired offhand it wasn t too bad.I have a nice shiloh 74 military rifle in 45/70 done up for hunting as recommended by Mike Venterino with the shotgun butt,double set triggers etc and it does make a nice handy hunting rifle

 

[DANCESWITHEMPTIES]

Years ago I borrowed an original Sharps 'Business Rifle' in 45-90 for a BP match. 45-90 brass was unheard of then, so I shot loads made with 45-70 brass, seating the bullets out, by how much, I don't recall. Nor do I recall what the charge was.

What I do recall was that I won against big bore Hawkins rifles out to 300 yds.

Well there you go... I knew some guys out west who played with all sorts of b.p. cartridges, but I remember a 45-120 reaching it's target 1500 yard away! From the time of report to target, you had time to drink a coffee... LOL!

 

[Sharps '74]

One of my pals took on the job of working out a load for an original 45-100 '74. It had a tapered octagonal barrel that was too light for the calibre and a crescent butt.

To '0' it, he had a 25 lb bag of shot suspended from the barrel so he could shoot it from the bench. He still had to wear a 'sissy pad' and by the time he was finished, he had developed a world class flinch.

The owner wanted it for BPCR sil matches, but I'll bet he kept it as a hunting rifle.

 

[Sharps '74]

Well there you go... I knew some guys out west who played with all sorts of b.p. cartridges, but I remember a 45-120 reaching it's target 1500 yard away! From the time of report to target, you had time to drink a coffee... LOL!

We were shooting off hand and the target was a 36" saw blade, so it was no great feat of marksmanship. Sort of "minute of buffalo" with the barrel sights.

 

[slowfire]

Back in the day's when we had access to that 980yd range . We had a big steel buffalo target set up and kind of where the heart should be was a another gong in the shape of a valentine about 8 or 9 inches wide. more than once I saw guys shoot straight black out of 45-90's put 8 of 10 on to that small gong, sitting with sticks. That target was a couple of hundred yards into the next 1/4 section which put in in the next county. It was always a bit of a laugh when we shot the buffalo so far away it was in the next county.