Home Forums Hunting & Shooting BPCR .50-90 Shiloh

Yes.......I do need one.


That is a given!

That's the spirit Slim Jim!

Same here too pacecars, it is a natural progression, but, 36 twist and shooting 473gr shirt button bullets is regression, 22/24/26 twist and 650 to 800 grain bullets is where it's at.

I think a .50-70 with a 26” standard 1/2 round barrel in a Saddle Rifle with the 36 twist would make a hell of a Deer thumper for hunting in the swamps of Florida. I went .50-90 first because I have bigger plans for it I hope plus the nostalgia and damn it your postings!

I used to shoot my 50-90 weekly. 700r PP and BP. I dove in deep.
Then for whatever reason, things changed and I shot it less. Now I can't recall the last time I shot it. Many years. There are times I wish I'd bought a 50-70, then I could cobble up some simple smokeless loads and at least shoot it now and again with no fuss. Times I think about selling it, but think I'd really take a beating on on it. Other times I wish I hadn't bought it at all. (because I sold a pile of guns to pay for it)



Yeah... my eyes won't allow me to shoot groups like that with buckhorn sights now. Just another reason it sits.

Funny, all the years I've had it, it's by far one of the prettiest firearms I own, but I've never taken a good picture of it.

Thank you

Nice gun!

Sure, 475grs for deer and pigs at 200 yards or less in a 50-70 would be fun, but same bullet in a 50-90, no way for me, I know they killed buffalo with em, but I wont, there are a few Men here that can tell us all firsthand what 50 cal and 700-800 grains will/have done in another world and time.

cas6969, beautiful rifle Sir! that things a knockout!

^^^^^^^^^Big Jim^^^^^^^^^^^^cas6969 has your rifle! ; ]

Oh my goodness!


Look at that beauty!

That's what you call a "Beautiful Hammer" Big Jim.

pacecars, I have a report on some "Real" "Big Medicine"

I unscrewed the mate to the 50 cal KAL adjustable mold I sent you, the bullet is 1.655" long, 780 grains at 16 to 1 alloy, drops at .494 inch dia, with 130 grains of Swiss 1FG it crosses the chrono at 1302 fps, had a Bud math the bullet numbers for me, he came up with a b.c. of .751.

I ran a stability calculator on that bullet with a 22 twist barrel, got a 1.92 stability factor number, "your bullet is flying with full stability, you can expect good groups and your BC is optimized, your bullet is achieving it's max BC, your twist rate is optimized for this bullet"

My rifle weighs 15 pounds on a canning scale my Wife bought for me, recoil is not bad at all considering what you're sending downrange, ran the numbers on this load compared to my old load with a 1.5 inch long 705 grain bullet at the same velocity, this load gives 6 inches LESS drift at 700 yards in a full value 10 mph wind, and 2.5 inches LESS drop at the same yardage, those are substantial numbers to me, if my rifle likes the load it'll be all I shoot from that 15lb bull barrel 50-90 Sharps.

What a Hammer, the Big 50 has a lot to offer if a man is 'able' to shoot and utilize that level of ""available"" power and performance.

That is definitely a serious hammer! What paper are you using? How much compression to get 130grs of powder in it?

It's a piece of cake, paper is 8lb onion skin and patches up to 500-501 average, drop tube 130gr Swiss 1FG in full length sized cases that have had the mouths belled previously enough to seat a patched bullet by hand, Starline brass has plenty of capacity, set 30 thou Walters card wad on top, compress 500 thou, add 220 thou grease cookie, set another 30 thou Walters wad on top, with light pressure press wad stack to bottom wad with compression die.

Insert the patched bullet and press it down, then taper crimp case mouth closed to 524 thou, that leaves the bullet 250 thou down in the case.

All that said, I was "able," but it wasn't fun, in my zeal to run those long bullets adrenaline had me pumped pretty good sitting on the shop slab chronoing a few rounds, I can say after 30 rounds at the bench yesterday I had a come to jesus moment, the load shot great, I tore up the gongs out to 700 yards, the 200 yard gong was nearly knocked off the s hooks, it would have removed the 100 yard gong, but didn't shoot it.

Shooting this level of power is simply too much work and very taxing on a mans framework, what a BLAST it is indeed, I saved one of my old 1.5 inch bullets, I'm going to place it back in the mould and adjust the mold base to touch and lock it back down.

With 1.5 inch bullets at 1300 fps like Kurt71 said is a very comfortable, and very accurate load to shoot considering it's still 50 cal and north of 700 grains, with it I save substantial recoil, lead, powder and equal accuracy, I can twist a bit more elevation and windage, those are free!

Can’t wait to touch off a few. I don’t think mine will be quite as “pleasant” with the heavy loads as yours though! It looks like the end of July now with the forced break Shiloh had to take.

Good deal, Congrats! you know the old saying, "too much of a good thing?" well, I found it. ; ]

1.505" long 715gr bullets left at 1309 fps over 120gr Swiss 1FG, 6 rounds splatted on the 700 yard gong in 9.5 inches from my 15lb bull barrel 50-90, that's a bit over MOA, the Big 50 is ready to bring you some "good," when you get yours pacecars!

I can’t wait!

Hello Big Jim, above is one reason, the other reasons are many, I was told:

You don't need a 50-90...........it's always nice when others tell you what you do and do not need.
The same set of others don't want you to like what they don't like.
Others don't like a rifle they cant shoot well.
Went on to hear, the 50-90.......
Has crap brass
Uses to much lead and powder.
You cant shoot it accurately due to recoil and torque.
The 50-90 wont penetrate.
Others with deeper pockets than you have tried to get a 50-90 to work well and have failed miserably, then sold their rifles.

Well, you see, I took all that as a challenge "quote"

I been hearing the same retarded crap for the last 29 years since I bought my Shiloh LRE in 50-140 and don't pay anymore attention to it now as I did back then. You know when it goes off. MB

Hope the crop is good this year.

Need me a 50!