Any one shoot or own a sharps or any rifle in 50-140? I want to know what it was like with black powder. I have a sharps in it, but haven't shot it yet. I need to finish the stock and forearm, and get a bullet mold for it. My gun has an 19 pound barrel to soak up some of the recoil, and should be a real kick to shoot, if I can hold the pig up for more than 5 seconds before my arm gives out.
50-140 sharps, who's shot one?
- Thread starter sharpsguy
- Start date
sharpsguy said:
I would think the recoil for you will be more equivalent to a 45-70 black powder load, with that weight of barrel. I would strongly suggest getting Paul Mathews book, The Paper Jacket, if you do not have it already. It will eliminate a lot of headaches.
cheers mooncoon
i bought a #3 sporter 74 shiloh same gun as doug was telling you about 45-120 , mine was 50-140 i fired it three times , thats three cartridges , that was enough of that , recoil was about like a full load .375 hh , i have a guide gun in .450 marlin and its mild compared to the 50-140, good luck if you buy one, i rebarreled mine to 45/70 ,wade
50-140
I have a 50/70 Ballard #4 Perfection with dss I use 2f total weight approx 12lbs she kicks a little but with that weight of your barrel you should be fine
I would love to see a picture of your gun .. is this one a old one or repro
I have a 50/70 Ballard #4 Perfection with dss I use 2f total weight approx 12lbs she kicks a little but with that weight of your barrel you should be fine
I would love to see a picture of your gun .. is this one a old one or repro
Actually, it's not a reproduction or an original, I hand built the action in the early ninetys, when the only thing available was a Shilo with a long long waiting list. Needles to say it's a long term project. I built it out of 4140 pre hardened steel and some case hardened mild steel parts. The barrel came out of Montana, has hand cut rifling, and is an inch and five eights across the flats. I had the chamber reamer custom made by clymer and it cost me way to much. The stock is field grade english walnut, and is almost done. I gotta get more brass, I have 40 rounds of bertram 50 140, and about 40 rounds I hand turned from solid stock. Back then this stuff was pretty rare, and I paid 300 bucks just for rcbs dies( holy crap!)I dinked around making buggy whip springs and losts of parts for a double set trigger, but I was never satisisfied. so I settled on a single trigger. I'll post some pics soon.
Sharpsguy out......
Sharpsguy out......
- Location
- West coast of Vancouver Island
Can't wait to see the pics.
SW
SW
- Location
- pallisers triangle
ive been useing the rcbs 515 mould, seems to work pritty good in mine.
130 grains of FF one leather wad, grease, one felt wad.
shoots very well.
i was hopeing to hear what some of you other fellows are shooting here.
mine is a long range express, made in the early 70s
130 grains of FF one leather wad, grease, one felt wad.
shoots very well.
i was hopeing to hear what some of you other fellows are shooting here.
mine is a long range express, made in the early 70s
The closest I ever came to 50-140 is an 1868 50-70 trapdoor. I ran it with all the FFg I could stuff in the case( about 65 gr.) and a 450 grain cast FP. It didn't hurt to fire it but it definitely rang my bell. I shot it out 1100 yards for a shooting test about the Custer battle. The results and research paper were published in Custer Battle symposium booklet in 1992
At a BP match in Big Stone AB, there were a couple of guys running a 50-140 Sharps. They had 6 rounds between them. While one was shooting the other would reload the empties at the line. One fellow was a little guy about 120 lbs soaking wet. After shooting a 5 round string he could have clapped with his shoulder blades. It was painful just to watch.
At a BP match in Big Stone AB, there were a couple of guys running a 50-140 Sharps. They had 6 rounds between them. While one was shooting the other would reload the empties at the line. One fellow was a little guy about 120 lbs soaking wet. After shooting a 5 round string he could have clapped with his shoulder blades. It was painful just to watch.
I have the Ruger #1 Bullcoon was talking about in .50/140. This is the second rifle I have owned in this caliber. It weighs only 9lbs. so recoil is pretty heavy. But it's also loaded more as a .500 NE than an original .50/140. I have had 570 grainers at 2335fps. and 650s at 2250fps. These kick but they sure knock the hell out of game. This is nowhere near the top end of what the cartridge is capable of either, but it's as heavy as I care to shoot in this light rifle. I would make the next one twice as heavy. Brass and bullets are common these days. Bulletsmith on the CGN board makes bullets and cases cost about $2.50/r now. Not nearly as hard to find as they were 10 years ago when I started shooting these. The other gun was a Parker cape gun with a second barrel in 12ga. Best grouse gun while keeping an eye out for grizzlies.
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