Smokeless powder in Pedersoli sharps?
- Thread starter J-DUB
- Start date
The Italian Sharps should be rated for approx. 28,000 psi and could use factory ammo(Smokeless) if it were a 45/70.....the 45/120 is one of the worst ones for trying to get an accurate, consistent load with smokeless. I have only seen published loads for it with AA5744, although I don't believe that Pedersoli would endorse them. This 3 1/4" case is best, safest, and most accurate with real Black Powder, as other(smokeless) powders don't begin to fill the case. If you want a replica Sharps to shoot smokeless, trade the 45/120 and buy a 45/70, and even then, I bet real BP will be most accurate!
With a case of that size you could get detination with smokeless then you move into the relm of fillers I use dacron pillow fill but this can be dangerous and needs to be done with great care and knowledge.Stick with black cleaning a single shot cartridge rifle is easy after shooting I just spray my cleaner home made moose milk down the bore from the chamber drop a pullthrough from the camber to muzzel end and pull all the crudd out the front repeat then dry and then oil.
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As Ben Hunchak and others point out, the 45-120 has a lot of capacity, which makes smokeless loads a problem. In general, a fellow should make sure that at least half the case is filled with powder once the bullet is seated, else you may experience highly erratic burning. Using IMR 3031 in a 45-90 load, with no filler, I got over 400 fps of extreme spread across my chronograph, for example. You can go with a real slow powder that will fill more of the case, but by the time you fill most of the 45-120 case, you may have a powder that burns so slow that you get poor burning, with a lot of trash left in the bore. You can also try to alleviate the problem by using a filler, but I would be very reluctant to try that in a 45-120 simply because it would be too much filler for me to guarantee that it would be safe. So, like the others recommend, the 45-120 is really a BP cartridge and I don't think a fellow should be messing around with smokeless in a BP cartridge with that much capacity. Smokeless in a 45-90 is bad enough (although I do have several smokeless loads that work well for the 45-90 if push comes to shove).
That should be a great BPCR. Load that sucker with some BP and let the thunder begin!
Like some of the others have said... that is a big case!
BP will clean up real easy too, with some of the recipes listed in the BP FAQ thread.
Like some of the others have said... that is a big case!
BP will clean up real easy too, with some of the recipes listed in the BP FAQ thread.
For the 45-120 straight. Hodgdon Reloading Manual lists 5 loads for the Lyman # 457122 350gr and 6 loads for the Lyman #457193 405gr and a further 6 loads for the 500gr Lyman #457125.
All the top (max) loads listed top out at 28500 cup . These were developed in a bell case 24 inch barrel 18 twist.
All the top (max) loads listed top out at 28500 cup . These were developed in a bell case 24 inch barrel 18 twist.
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