Home Forums Hunting & Shooting BPCR Any last minute advice before I try this?

That is a beautiful rifle!

I'm also a newbie when it comes to BPCR, all the fault of Jim (EvilTwin) who first whispered the siren song on these pages, then Greg (Crossfireoops) who led me the rest of the way down the Dark Path by letting me shoot his competition Sharps.

Instantly addicted, I wound up with a Shiloh Hartford Model of my own.

Having been a handloader for over 40 years, I, too, started loading for this rifle using the same tools and techniques I had been using for smokeless powder cartridges. I'm here to tell you that BPCR is another, completely different, critter.

For years I wondered why all the knowledge and skills of the "Old Dead Guys" wasn't being realized and the amazing feats of accuracy could not be replicated. Then I discovered the truth, it can't be done using the techniques we use for smokeless. Voila! (French for "lookit this sheit!") Do it the way the ODG's did it and impress yourself and everyone around you.

There are folks here on this forum, too modest to boast, who will also help with a nudge here, a comment there, an tip, or just tell you flat out you're doing it wrong.

Listen carefully to these guys, they know of what they speak. I could not be anywhere near where I am now without their assistance.

Best wishes on your journey. As E.T. says, "You're doomed!"

Ed

Thanks Ed.

I have to confess, a leetle grin did appear on my mug with each lift of the hammer and squeeze of the set trigger.....all in anticipation of the next poof.

The brass is now cleaned (inside and out) deprimed, and ready for more. I'm certainly ready to listen to Greg, Jim, and others'advice....cept for the heroin part...think I'll stick to BP..

This next round will not get resized. I have not trimmed the brass....nor will I.

Only have ten boolits left.....more need to be ordered.

The PP thing may come in the future....but I need to start at the start.

M1919

Next time out, use a 2 1/2 in flannel patch dampened with a solution of 7 parts water to 1 part Napa water soluble cutting oil. Push that patch thru the bore on a jag or a brush, wipe the chamber dry with a 410 bore mop.
If you're going to try and blowtube, you need to get a piece of half inch vinyl tubing. Be well hydrated and blow at least 4 deep slow breaths from way down deep in you lungs, if you don't see moisture in the tube, you're not hydrated enough.
If shooting off a bench get the rests up high enough that you are sitting nearly erect. Watch your grip on the wrist and be sure to rest the rifle in the same place every time.
Lastly you might want to find a forum populated with folks that are serious about shooting bpcr, and do some serious reading.

Thank you for the pointers Ranch.

I have some tubing per your reccomendation and I'll make up a solution.

What is your suggestion on the number of rounds between each cleaning cycle? Any forums you reccomended I follow besides this one?

M1919

ADDED advisory,...re: Blow Tube,...

Per Ranch :
* Maintain CRITICAL hour to hour ( or in the Summer 15 minute to 15 minute hydration HYDRATION levels) so you're exhaling very moist air.

Per Crossfire:

* Think about the process for a moment,...and ask yourself whether your trying to humidify the entire firing line,...or just establish a very damp cell of confined humid air, that being the interior of a long .45 cal. barrel. Forget "Blowing",....it's just going to disrupt your pulse rate.
*BREATHE instead, slow normal breaths....intake through nose, exhale through yer' yawp into your blow tube.
*Do NOT maintain conversation with your spotter or spectators,...you'll lose track and inhale through the tube, after making a decent shot,...and completely screw up the potential for a follow up repeat performance.

I've shot 60 rounds of heavy .45 caliber BP ammo (550 gr Greasers / 100 gr Goex) in cooler weather, ...my powder and bullet lube combination a good one and well matched, and not cleaned my barrel once.

Hotter weather's a different ball of wax entirely,...the BT goes into the box, and one leans towards DAMP patching after EVERY shot. I use a solution of 90% Isopropyl Alky,and Murphy's Oil Soap on an Arsenal patch. There's a vid of me cursing a too tight flex rod on here somewhere, I'd forgotten my loose fitting one,...

Now , a question for you, Sir.

Did you know anything about history and etiology of the caliber you were buying, when you first set out to get behind a Sharps ?
I'm looking across the room at a large box of Norma 45-120 as I type , and harkening back to my first BPCR,....same chambering.
That rifle taught me a LOT.

GTC

Ya need to keep something in mind here and that is that Ranch and Cross shoot competition. Me,FlyboyFlem and Ed too-many-letters just like to shoot and hunt. The old dead guys managed to do some great long range shooting and kill a schidtload of buffler and other critters without magic wands. Keep that in mind. The big 45's are pure killing machines. some of the bestest that ever hit the bricks.

Those ODG's kids knew enough to keep fouling under control even while hunting. That's why places like Homer Fishers sold take down cleaning rods, and "pull thru" cleaners.
44's rule, 45 drool...

You need to keep in you recoil obsessive and addled mind that I LIVED on wild meat for years, North of the Medicine Line, for MANY years, and was letting air into moose, elk and deer with my .43 Mauser, and my re-barreled (Hoke) original Ballard Pacific in 45-120 in the 1970s and 1980s.

The OP is asking about ACCURACY, and a path thereto is being provided for him, Jim.

GTC

You asked how many shots before cleaning. Note that there is a difference between cleaning, and wiping for fouling control between shots. Both involve pushing damp patches through the bore, but cleaning is just that, removing all fouling from the bore. Wiping for fouling control is not for removing fouling, although some is pushed out in the process, but for introducing moisture to keep the fouling moist and as uniform as possible. Major differences are a looser fitting patch/jag combo for wiping, and fewer passes.

I am also a competitor, not a hunter these days. I have no experience with loads that lend themselves to repeated shots without blow tubing or wiping. Mine are too tight or close fitted for that.

I know nothing about managing a .45-120. It would be about my last choice if advising on a first BPCR, but you have taken on the challenge and I wish you well.

Paul

Yup this competition match ended up Antelope ) me 1,, I won again..

Are all those empty loops about how many shots it took before getting a hit ?

bwa-ha

GTC

Knowing Don, I seriously doubt it.

Crossfire

When I set out to buy this gun I knew a little about the history of the cartridge....but not much.....

My reading led me to understand that:

1. It was developed somewhere between 1878-1879
2. It was not of much use on the buffalo herds as they were all but gone by then
3. The question of who chambered it first stirs up some controversy
4. It can be a challenge to load and shoot accurately

Like i said, not much.

So why did I go this route? Simple. I became fascinated by the rifle ever since I saw my first one at a young age. This one came up for sale at a time when I had the funds to buy it.

Full cartridge belts look really cool when all you're doing is standing around playing circle jerk with your cool guys at the "club", but when you're out there walking the hills carrying a 12b rifle,,, a full belt gets a wee bit heavy, so instead of carrying a lifetime supply, a 10-15 year supply is much easier on the ol bod..

That 3 1/4 case actually came about probably in 1880 or maybe just a touch later. There are a very few rifles out there that were factory chambered for it, but they are extremely scarce.
The thing came about when the big heavy single shot rifles were rapidly becoming obsolete, even Sharps was marketing a bolt action rifle when the closed shop.
But with all that said we have them to deal with today. Looks as tho you're off to a decent start, but fouling control is something that has always been practiced, but something very few of the internet experts today share much info about when some one new comes along asking how to make Ol smoke pole work....
When running over 100 grs of powder I seriously doubt maintaining accuracy without wiping is going to happen. Take another page out of history,, and even the mighty 2 7/8 case was factory loaded with 90 grs of powder for sporting purposes, they knew that shooting more than that without wiping was a disaster waiting to happen. That's also a lot of the rational behind Freunds conversions on the 74 model Sharps.
Next time out be mindful of diligent fouling control and you'll likely see groups tighten and stay that way.

Since I know nothing I'll just pass along this info..When I began this journey I knew diddly squat about drop tubes or blow tubes but several here and you know who you are spent the time to adjust and re-calibrate my brain to the Dark Side SOP's... I'll always be grateful for that.

Really only had one thing going for me which was and I'm being vain here, a pretty darn good bullet caster with 50 years of experience.This was a great asset saving time and money in the long run.

Where am I today? Well started out shooting a 12" gong at 100yds,then replaced it with the 8" variety and now happily swinging a 6" with either the Sharps or '86 Win lever gun and presently making a 4" for this year...So have I changed loading techniques?..NO..Powders?..NO..bullets? YES.. and in many configurations.

My success has been getting familiar with both rifles and launching enough big lead to change the rotation of the earth a degree or two.. THIS has been MY game changer not allowing myself to become too overly anal about loading technique.

Kudos however to you guys who shoot and have shot competition just isn't an interest of mine and never will.

The new little guy to hopefully slap around..

Not quite sure how this went from helping some one figure out how to get some accuracy from his 45-120, to some being all butt hurt about target shooting v hunting...
Accuracy and hunting should go together.

Wanted to say thanks again for all the tips and suggestions. Not sure when I will be able to get out again, but I am looking forward to applying my newly acquired knowledge from the kind folks here.

M1919

I'm fairly new to it myself. I have been working with a couple of .45-90's - one a High Wall carbine, the other a Shiloh #1. Compared to smokeless powder reloading there is an even greater # of variables to manage.

I've tried several recipes and techniques in the Shiloh. Last time out it put three in 2" at 200 yards. I suspect it might do even better with a bit more practice & fine tuning.

Really,....WTF, Over ?

Is this BPCR forum breaking down into goddam FACTIONS, or something ?

"Hunters" v. "Target Shooters?"



Amen,....if you can't hit it, it doesn't MATTER how hard it's kicking you, does it ?

Just kidding about the empty loops, hope the Momma Cow herd move went well, and that calving will be a never sweat and prosperous.

GTC