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I recently returned from a buffalo hunt on the Klaserie Nature Preserve, a free-range area adjacent to Kruger, and I couldn't be happier with the performance of the Turnbull 50-110. My first shot was around 40-50 yards with a 400 grain Cutting Edge lever gun safari solid and he dropped in his tracks. My PH and I swung around to the right and I put a follow up 450 grain A Frame and another 400 grain solid in him for insurance.

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Very similar to mine. I did a receiver sight, a mercury cylinder in the buttstock, added an S-hook to the action, and different cosmetics.
[Linked Image]

I've been messing with fairly similar load options - 535gr A-frames with the tips tapped on a sander down to about 520, and the 510gr Cutting Edge safari solid. Starline .50-110 cases for the solids, and .50AK cases for the softs. AR-COMP or H4895 for the powder.

Did your 400gr cutting edge solid exit the buffalo? If so I might switch to that rather than the 510gr.

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Very cool!

I always enjoy reading about big bore lever guns in action. I only have one, a Marlin 45/70, that I use here in Michigan on deer. Love seeing lever guns take big game!

What are the ballistics on your 400gr cutting edge?


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8Point, man what a deal, beautiful buffalo and rifle, i knew that 50-110 wouldn't leave you lacking, fine job Sir!


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Nice to hear it all worked out and you had a successful hunt. Well done.

Did you manage to recover any of the bullets you used ?

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Thanks for the comments guys, I'll try to answer a few of your questions.

I took an Alaskan moose last year with the 50 Alaskan shooting .510 lever gun safari solids from Cutting Edge Bullets. Those 400 grain CEB's were traveling a little over 2000 fps from the 20" barrel of my Marlin 1895. I shot the bull twice in his left shoulder and both bullets exited. The bull turned to face me and I shot him in his left shoulder again at a steep "quartering to" angle and that CEB penetrated about 8-9' of moose and lodged just under the hide of the bull's right hind quarter. The bullet was recovered and showed no signs of deformity other than rifling marks; it looked like it could be loaded and shot again. If you're interested in reading more about that hunt it is featured in the September-21 issue of GUNS magazine.

I received the 50-110 from Turnbull in February of this year. With the need to obtain pre-approved gun permits just a few months away, I had little time for load development before deciding on a load and practicing extensively in an effort to become proficient with my new rifle. Based on my experience with the 400 grain CEB solid in the 50 Alaskan, I felt confident in the bullet's ability to effectively take a cape buffalo if fired from similar velocities from the 50-110. I also wanted to try the 450 grain Swift A Frame based on my prior large animal experience shooting A Frames in the .348 Winchester, 454 Casull, and 44 Mag.

My 50-110 was built on a Miroku Browning 71 action and I felt that it could be loaded to higher pressures than the older antique rifles. However, I wasn't trying to push the envelope with the rifle / cartridge combination. My goal was to drive a 450 grain A Frame to 2000 FPS which would make it legal for dangerous game in African countries such as Zimbabwe. I did a google search on modern 50-110 loads since and I stumbled across an old post from gunner500 here on 24hourcampfire. I sent him a PM and he informed me that he had had great results with RL15 in his modern 50-110 conversion. I started with 75 grains of RL15 and worked my way up slowly until I was pushing the 450 grain A Frame to a little over 2000 FPS. Being a monolithic solid, the 400 grain CEB is actually significantly longer than the heavier A Frame and the same powder charge completely fills the case. Shooting both loads over the chronograph revealed that the heavier A Frame left the barrel about 30 FPS faster than the lighter CEB solid. I suspect that this has something to do with the fact that the A Frame is .509" and the CEB is .510? At any rate, both loads provided great accuracy and shot to the same point of impact so I was set.

My PH was unsure about the penetrating ability of the lever gun so he asked me to load up completely with solids; suggesting that we do a penetration test with the 450 grain A Frame "softs" post mortem. My first shot on the buffalo was at a steep "quartering to" angle with the 400 grain CEB. The bull collapsed at the shot, fell over on his right side and immediately started bellowing. The bullet broke the left shoulder, penetrated the lungs, stomach, and intestines, coming to rest just under the skin in front of his right hind quarter making a golf ball sized lump. That bullet was later recovered and (as expected) looked like it could have been loaded up and fired again.

After the first shot, I worked the lever and and my PH and I ran forward. He stopped and asked me to put a "soft" in the chamber so with trembling fingers I extracted the CEB load and somehow managed to get a 450 grain Swift load in the chamber. I shot him from the front hitting him high in the chest. That bullet penetrated the chest cavity and made it into the stomach / intestines where it was not recovered. With the bull still lying on his right side, we swung around to the bull's left and I put another solid low through the left leg, penetrating the heart, lungs, and lodging in the spine.

Hope this helps answer some of your questions, thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings. smile

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Man that's some good stuff 8Point, many congrats again Sir, i really need to take my 50-110 hunting, shooting 700 grain 12 to 1 alloy cast lead greasers over blackpowder right now, but, there was a day when that rifle fired 525gr Cast Performance hard cast gas check bullets to 2150 fps over RL-15, it was not much fun with the steel crescent butt plate.

Your idea, along with newer bullet technology using the mono solids and sawed off A-Frames puts it in the class on many other dangerous game cartridges.


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Turnbull and his crew are artisans as much as gunsmiths.

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Originally Posted by 8Point

Hope this helps answer some of your questions, thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings. smile

DJH

It does help. Thank you for the information.

I think I'm going to pursue loading the heavier weights. I believe 2000 ft/s with both the shortened 535 A-Frame and the 510gr CEB solid should be possible within the .348Win pressure envelope.

When I have information (either success or failure) I'll post here.

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Sounds good LB, I'm looking forward to your report. The nose to crimp groove measurement appears to be greater on the the 510 grain CEB solid than the 400 grain version so its good to know that that bullet will feed with no issues. I've got 1,000 400 grain CEB's and 500 450 grain A Frames on hand so I'm gonna stick with those. I do want to experiment with faster powders in the 50-110 with those bullets now that I've got some time. I use RL7 and IMR 4198 in the 50 Alaskan so will probably start with those.

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Based on both simulation and some experimentation, I believe the highest speeds for the lowest pressures will be in the 4895 burn rate. H4895 and AR-COMP are the temp stable powders in that neighborhood. It's hard to tell which will be better, but my money is on AR-COMP.

Due to crimp grooves being in the wrong places, I've been using a Lee FCD on everything, and .50 AK cases for the softs. Seems to work OK.

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Maybe those momafrickers on July 14, 1789 had a point. It is past time.

Lol...wrong thread.

Last edited by JoeBob; 08/13/21.
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I very much enjoyed reading through this thread. Cool guns and hunts. I have a Marlin 1895 SBL 45/70 and have killed 5 Whitetail does with it when I was living in Michigan. Where I was hunting I had to shorten the case back to a maximum of 1.8" so I had a local machine shop shorten my sizing die accordingly and I bought a custom Lee Factory Crimp Die. I used 48 grains of H4198 and the 325 FTX Hornady bullet seated out to 2.56" so no real powder capacity loss. I was getting 1900 fps. Obviously much more than I needed for those deer but that is what I had to use. I did use my 45 Colt Ruger Bisley on a Whitetail doe my first year in Michigan before I realized I could use the 45/70 as long as I shortened the brass.

I hope to take a Roosevelt elk and/or black bear with it now that I live in Roseburg Oregon. I will likely use full length cases and the Cast Performance 405 grain bullet though. I have a Leupold 2-7x scope with additional aim points below the reticle which helps for shots at 150 and 200 yards.

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Congratulations on the buff and that rifle is beautiful.


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I just came across this excellent old post/thread. Well done to all!

and I want to tell you that I too have had great success with my 50-110 in my TC Encore on three Cape buffalo. ( Mine is necked down to a true .500 caliber so I could use the CEB 410 grain Raptor bullet at 1,950fps.) All three buffalo were standing broadside and each bullet was placed in the centre of the shoulder. The result was three one shot, DRT, kills. I will load them to 2,100 fps muzzle velocity next time I use it on Cape buffalo.

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A couple years ago I got a quote from Turnbull to redo a new Miroku 45-70. I wanted the rebounding hammer gone, the octagon barrel and the action refinished. I didn’t do it. Think I might now. I am selling my rifles but keeping a few. A Turnbull 1886 would be one that I’d keep.


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A few years go, I researched the big bore rifle market carefully and settled on a new Winchester 1886 45-90 as all I would need to shoot both 45-70 and 45-90 ammo. I had concluded that a .458 big bore would be as big as I would ever need for both the US and African game. In the years following, that conclusion as proved to be correct. With the taking of a bull Ele, several Cape buffalo, leopard and such with the 45-90 and lots of American game with the 45-70, I am very pleased with my choice.


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I agree with crshelton. When I get through testing some bullets in .500, on cape buffalo, I am going to try some CEB Raptors in my 45-70 TC Encore barrel. (I should ream it out to 45-90 actually) I think that the 45-70 loaded to safe maximum will out perform the 450-400. on cape buffalo.

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Originally Posted by Llama_Bob
Very similar to mine. I did a receiver sight, a mercury cylinder in the buttstock, added an S-hook to the action, and different cosmetics.
[Linked Image]

I've been messing with fairly similar load options - 535gr A-frames with the tips tapped on a sander down to about 520, and the 510gr Cutting Edge safari solid. Starline .50-110 cases for the solids, and .50AK cases for the softs. AR-COMP or H4895 for the powder.

Did your 400gr cutting edge solid exit the buffalo? If so I might switch to that rather than the 510gr.


Could you explain the "S Hook" ,added to the action ? Thanks.

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