Home Forums Hunting & Shooting BPCR Newbie just bought a C. Sharps

Totally new to BPCR, never loaded anything black powder. I do reload smokeless rifle, pistol and shotgun ammo, a lot of it. I shoot Cowboy Action and a group around here has started a cowboy long range match once a month and I wanted to get involved. I have shot a 45-70 in the past in a trap door and while it was ok, it wasn't really pleasurable to shoot. I have wanted a Sharps for a while but was just casually looking. A C. Sharps popped up on the SASS wire forum over the weekend in 38-55 in really nice shape and it came with dies, brass, bullets and bullet mold. If you want to see the rifle there are pics on the listing in the SASS wire classified section.
So now where do I start? How difficult is it to clean the rifle after shooting? What is the cleaning process? What do I use to clean it? The previous owner never shot it with black powder, just smokeless. What powder should I use? What grain weight bullet?
Sorry for all the questions but they are probably just the tip of the iceberg. Thanks for the help.

You will most likely have a bigger problem right now to get the fouling out from the previous shooter if he used smokeless and jacketed bullets in it.

Don't get caught up in reading the concoctions some use cleaning a rifle shot with black powder, real black powder, They most likely don't have one to shoot from what I seen posted.

Just plain water on a cotton flannel patch, it usually only takes 3-4 damp followed with 3 dry. If the dry patch comes out with gray smear get back at it to get the lead cleaned out.

No hot water or vinegar or other witches brews is needed to get the black powder fouling out.

I know Ernie Stallman personally. He used to own Badger Barrels in Bristol, WI. Have also had the privilege, and fun, of shooting all kinds of his stuff. Pretty much, all I ever see him use is original formula Windex. Little on a patch, repeat, until it comes out clean.

I find black powder easier to clean than smokeless. I use Mike Venturino’s solution of 1/2 water and 1/2 Windex with vinegar. A few patches cleans it quickly. If you don’t have it I highly recommend Mike’s book “Shooting Buffalo Rifles Of The Old West”

Have a .38-55 that I’ve never shot smokeless in. MOS mould that casts 300 gr with 30:1 alloy. Some that know better than I have suggested that 20:1 is a better mix, I dunno. Never shot it from a rest, but offhand at 100 yds it will put 10 in a 8” bull. The “-55” is a hint for BP. Ballpark 55 gr. I’ve used 3fg and 1.5 fg with little discernible difference in performance.

SPG lube works for me. Damp patch between shots, clean with a mix of water/Windex(ammonia free), dry patch then oil patch before putting it away. BP cleans easy, but if your patch has any dark stain you aren’t done.

I have a CPA repo of the Steven's 44 1/2 in 38-55 that I shoot schuetzen with. Have used nothing but black powder. As others have stated clean up is easy!! NO hazardous chemicals involved! Water and ammonia free Windex works
just peachy. I've used bullets from 250-320 grs. Had a nose pour mold that did 270gr. bullets that shot best in my rifle. However the 250 shot as well offhand, I shot them as well. Seemed like most of the loads ended up at 43-46 grs.
of Swiss 1 1/2Fg. Lubes can be a rabbit hole! SPG works as well as any and better than most. I have about 5000 rnds. down the barrel and it shoots as well as it ever has. Enjoy the sacred black!

Head over to the Shiloh forum for sound advice.

If you are serious about trying black powder, there are a couple things you are going to need.
Some are obvious.

1 Black Powder.
...not to be the best time to be picky s
o you may have to use what you can find. Swiss 2 F preferable

2 Wads
...you came make your own from milk cartons, ice cream bucket lids, tablet backing, or just buy some from Buffalo Arms.

3. Lube.
Get some that is for Black Powder. SPG and DGL are the most common. Again Buffalo Arms carries it.

4. Compression Die
....of proper diameter.


5. Drop tube


Once you get those and figure out what each is for you can continue.

I rounded up everything today except the drop tube and a bullet mold. I looked everywhere and no one has anything over 250 grains in stock. The gun is coming with a mold that throw about a 265 grain bullet. I was looking for a 300 plus. I have mike's book he did with steve garbe and am reading it now. Anyone have an extra mold? Is there anywhere I can get bullets already molded until I can find a mold?

Buffalo arms also has 2 different types 320 grain cast bullets in stock of the proper alloy you would want.

Windex with vinegar, diluted with distilled water.

Make sure you don't use Windex with ammonia. Reason should be obvious.

Buffalo Arms seldom has moulds in stock , but if you call them and order the mould you're interested in it will most likely be delivered in about 2 weeks or so.

Measure the barrel twist, to see what it is, that way you won't end up with a bullet to long to stabilize. Any bullet over 300 grains is going to need a 12 twist to shoot reliably in the 38-55

Rifle is supposed to be here next week so first thing I will do is slug the barrel then go on a search for a bullet mold. Previous owner told me the twist is 1:15.

That 15 twist you'll have a bugger of a time keeping anything over 1.25 stable over 200 yards, and more so if you have a cross wind.

1.25? I don't understand what you mean.

Bullet length , keep the bullet length to 1.25 long, never mind the weight of the thing.

Shot the rifle for the first time yesterday. A friend loads 38-55 black powder cartridges so I was shooting his loads. Shot out to 300 yards and after dialing in the sight settings it would ring the steel every time. What a great shooting rifle. Now to figure out this whole loading black powder thing. My friend is going to show me how he does it.

Sounds like you're just about there. Enjoy!

We need pictures of your setup!!!