Home Forums Hunting & Shooting BPCR Gunner500 and Sharpsguy

10-4 MM, and you are 100% correct on the toughness of [bison] buffalo, I couldn't believe the amount of pain that bull soaked up with seemingly ease, I did however notice that the 200 yard shot through both shoulders definitely got his attention, I was able to see the bullet impact and it literally knocked him sideways a bit, he FELT that one and went down shortly thereafter.

I have great respect for these animals and want to continue to put them down hard and as fast as possible.

Now you know why the term "Buffalo Rifle" really means something!

The guy whose outfit I hunted at has seen over 300 buffalo shot in the last 13 yrs. He believes big lead slugs out of bpcr guns at bp velocities are more effective than newer smokeless cartridge guns of today. He also totally believes in the heart shot placement of those bullets. I am the 1 st to have used a 3.25" 50 cal there, he liked it and what it does. He has also shot it enuf to know it would not be an advantage for most shooters. Most are well served by a 45 cal in a Sharps,rb or trapdoor. Some folks get strange idea's about buffalo, but his are all based on experience and goldmine of info for a guy like me. Magnum Man

Sho-nuff Big Jim.

Bon Apetit' !

let the feasting begin !

GTC

45/120 and 50/140 were NEVER chambered by Sharps and were too late to be Buffler guns". I'm sure a straggler here and there may have been taken out by them, but I like to stay with the buffler rifles and calibers that WERE. 45/110 and 44/90 sbn are my calibers.

Hate to disappoint, but the 45-110 and the 44-90 were both target cartridges that made it into the waning days of the buffalo slaughter. The true buffalo cartridges were the 44-77,50-70, and a smattering of 40-70 and 40-90 bottle neck.
As far as the 3 1/4 inch cartridges,,,, there are a few original sharps rifles around with those chambers.

44/90 started as a buffler cartridge and made it to comp by the back door. The 45/110 was NEVER a match round. THAT was the 45 2.6'. tHE 44/77 never loaded by Sharps with 77 gr of powder.It was the 44/75 by Sharps. The The 44/90 hit the bricks in 1873 and the 45/110 in 1876. The 50/70 gave way to the 50/90 in 1873. The big guns became the guns of choice when the buff got skittish and the ranges increased.

44-90 came about after efforts to make the 44 2 1/4 case competitive in the longrange matches.
Up until 1876 the 44 2 1/4 as the number one chamber in Sharps rifles.
While they hinted at the 2 7/8 inch case in 1876 it wasn't shipped until 1877 and was rolled out in the 1877 rifle.
The 50-90 was only chambered for about 3 years..
The buffalo were always skittish and the ranges were seldom ever short.

The 44 came out just after the 40/90. Same case length. Comp loading was 44-105-520. Two hunting loads were 44-90-450 and 44-90-500. I have seen some reprints of old invoices and the 44/90 was a HUGE seller.

What was the chamber designation on those invoices?
44-90 was a big seller probably more so than the 45 2 7/8 and quite possibly the 45 2.4

Thanks Cross, getting my buffalo meat tomorrow.

"Sharps Firearms" by Frank Sellers is considered the most definitive book on Sharps Firearms. It's a great resource book and any Sharps enthusiast should have a copy. In Chapter 22 on Sharps Cartridges page 337 2nd column, 2nd paragraph Sellers says that Sharps chambered a 1878 Borchardt with a 3 1/4 chamber for AC Hobbs of UMC company for experimental cartridges. Only 1 but in fact they did do it. Sharps production ended in late 1880 and they went out of business in 1881. This proves that 3 1/4 idea and cases were to some extent available before the end of the northern herd buffalo hunt in 1883. No I don't believe 3 1/4" cases were in wide spread use other than British varieties of Express rds. From the reading I've done early cartridges like the 44-77,44-90, 40-90, and some 50 2.5" were still being used as well as the 45-2 7/8" on the northern herd hunt. After the commercial hunt ended there still were buffalo roaming around and occ shot. Too many shipping documents from Sharps to western sutlers exist for reference to be ignored on what was being used. The 45-2.6 and 45-2.4 were strictly target cartridges and not loaded by Sharps with a lube wad for field use.(or greasers either)
I don't think I made the claim that the 50-3 1/4 was an original buffalo cartridge and wouldn't but it would surprise me if in fact a few were used on the remenants of the great herd as WW and UMC had those cases commercially available in 1884. 140 years later I used mine on a buffalo and so it is, no matter who don't like it. My 45-2 7/8 Loomer chambered Business rifle has also been baptized in buffalo blood. Placement of the shot is still more important than what you use. Magnum Man

MM, you didn't infer the 50 3 1/4 was a buffler gun cartridge. Sorry if I came across that way. I did say that it was likely a straggler buff or three got hammered by both the 45 and 50 looong case rounds. My 45/110 is an original and my 44/90 is a Shiloh. So I said I stick with the old guns.

Maggie man, there is a museum not far from you and on your route to some of the shindigs to the west. If they have not stirred things around since the old curator/director left, you will see a 74 Sharps with a heavy barrel, chambered in 45-120, the 3 1/4 version, and they also have some vintage ammunition for it, and couple of cases that were picked up out in the hinterland someplace that are in bad condition, the one that is in the worst condition , you can see the bullet shank and base,,,, and if it was ever a patched bullet, it'll be the only version of original stuff to be seen with 3 grooves..

Also you know ol Doc, well his granddad owned Old Man Fraker's sharps from Johnson county war fame... it was and still is 45 caliber with a 3 1/4 inch chamber..

Interesting facts about the old rifles and what they were used for and when gents, for me I'm very happy with:

45-70 530 grs at 1230 fps
50-90 750 grs at 1320 fps

These two should cover anything I'll ever point a Sharps rifle at, and I hope they are at least historically correct hunting and war chamberings, although I do have a hard eye on a sexy little 40-70 Straight.

A quantity of Sharps were re-chambered for the 3 1/4 in the mid- 1880's. The one Sharps you mention sounds like a Meachem. There were quite a few of those around. The old timey version of "AI" if you like.

Well enough ET, last bonafide 45-2 7/8 bull barreled original Sharps I had in my hands that was documented and lettered to Ft Griffin during the southern hunt was valued at 40,000 dollars by it's owner. He'd like to shoot it so I might make him some ammo that will work in it ,period correct of course.

Ranch ,you talking about that place in Ekalaka?

Gunner, the biggest problem with a Shiloh is after handling and shooting them awhile you allways want another. Lays potatoe chips got nothing on them. I still need another 40 and 2 44 Sharps yet and well hell I don't even have a 45-70 yet. Magnum Man

Yup.