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FlyboyFlem

'Shiloh Rifles'.....push themselves!

I was 70 years old when I fired these 10 rounds through my 50 2 1/2 so surely you younger guys shouldn't be howling about recoil!! This one is 1-22" ROT and it loves 700+ grain bullets! Listen to Sharpsguy...he knows about which he speaks!


10shots by Sharps45 2 7/8, on Flickr

The guy I bought my loaded ammo from had some black powder loaded 450 grainers but had sold out right before I got there. If he was around here, I'd buy from him, but the dude's from Flordia and as best I can tell, only does the two big gunshows in Tulsa every year. I'll probably load my cases with black when I get a few more. He had some 625 grainers loaded with black, but I didn't want that big a bullet.

I've still got some 50-70's I loaded up with black for a real Sharps I used to have.

I'm not howling about recoil, I just don't see the attraction. If you want to shoot bullets that weigh half again as much as the original ones, go for it. Likewise if you have a need of them. My own thought is that 450-500 grains of lead will do for anything I'm likely to shoot, including a Buff. All things equal, I'm saving a lot of lead by shooting lighter bullets. If my rifle won't shoot with lighter stuff, then I'll have to go heavy, but I'm not convinced it won't yet.

Cole, your rifle will shoot with 450 grain bullets and smokeless. How well it will shoot is what is in question. If your are satisfied with 3-4" groups, or bigger, at 100 yards, that fast twist barrel and 450 grain bullets with smokeless will work fine. If you want to shoot better than that, re-read the advice on this thread. Good Luck.

Cole, one more thing. If you want to stay traditional, and the rifle you have has a fast twist barrel, an option would be to sell it and use the proceeds to order a new rifle-and specify a slow twist .50 barrel. Order a shotgun butt plate, that will help the recoil. Some guys have done that and it is working out very well for them. Again, search the Shiloh forum and you can see the proof. Good Luck.

The results shown are just with the loaded ammo I bought for the brass. I have no inclination to sell or trade the gun whatsoever. The recoil is not bad at all. It recoils less than my .257 Roy.

ColeYounger

"I just don't see the attraction"

The 'ATTRACTION' for me at any rate....is the evidence within my posted photo! This rifle is set up with a ROT designed to put a heavy bullet spot on at long range using a higher BC rather than a lighter/shorter bullet such as a 473 gr. concave base PP bullet which works well with a 1-36" ROT. I ain't worried about the weight of the bullet I send down range; only the fact that it goes where I call it to be!

MERRY CHRISTMAS to ya!

Sharpsman,

That is some FINE shooting! I don't care HOW old you are. Or perhaps I should say, in spite of how old you are!

Ed

Then IOW, just like I said, you really have no need for the heavier projectile and it's a waste of lead. With lead as expensive as it is, all things being equal, why not have just as much accuracy and save about 250 grains, per shot? My gosh, that's equivalent to a 35 Whelen just in waste.

Again, whatever you wish to do, but there it is.

Merry Christmas to you as well.

Actually Cole, it ain't sech a bad idea to HAVE a heavy bullet available with a developed loading. It ain't like you HAVE to use it all the time. Those old Big 50's mebbe would have hung on longer if they DID use a heavy bullet for very long range. It sure don't hurt to have the capability.

Cole you would do well to heed the advice freely given you here.
Manny,magnumman,sharpsman, and Kurt 71 all have shilohs in 50 caliber. They know of what they speak, and I know from being there that Kurt 71's big 50 will deliver groups at 800 yds about the size of the one on the cardboard box you posted on the other thread.. Manny has used his 50 in Africa...
As to your ammo maker seems if he can commercially produce and sell ammo , you ought to be able to get ahold of him and have a few boxes shipped..

Cole.

I'm the last guy to tell you what to use for loads. If your happy with what your getting with a 400 some grain bullet in your Shiloh I have no problem with it, just dont say that the rifle dont shoot for hill of beans when you get discouraged.

I have several blk powder cartridge rifles in 6 different calibers the .50-2.5 Shiloh out shoots them all if you load it right.
This is what a .50-2.5 Shiloh with a 1/22 ROT is capable of shooting at 200 yards with a proper load and proper hold and break of the trigger.
Here a couple 10 shot groups from the 200 yard line.
I used the MVA scope to work up this load and didn't have enough rounds to see if the third elevation adjustment would put it in the center.

ColeYounger

"you really have no need for the heavier projectile"

It's really difficult to try to overcome the laws of physics concerning momentum and inertia and IMO the heavier bullets give me more of an advantage concerning fighting the issue of wind drift basically because the longer/heavier bullets have a better BC. By comparison it's kinda like shoving a Volkswagen off at 50 mph and letting off the gas to check for how far it will roll vs a freight train at 50 mph and doing the same thing! My money is on the freight train for rolling further down the track!! Cole...if ya want to shoot the lighter bullets in your .50..say the 473 gr. PP bullets....they'll work fine and with a 1-36" ROT...it's a proven performer! In the long run of it...all depends on what you want to do with your rifle and your own expectations!

Take care!

Kurt

+1 on that!

If a guy doesn't cast his own and is not willing to spend enough time load testing with any BPCR....whomever may as well be out behind the barn 'choking his chicken'!!


Rickrifles by Sharps45 2 7/8, on Flickr

I guess you missed the pics I posted the other day on a different thread.



Dead Zuchinni was being used to weight the target down.



Next eight shots after elevation adjustment-two on the side of the target. Target blew over so I just shot the center out of the bottom. Bottom shot was final adjustment. Last five shots were the group.



Dead punkin. It was already wounded, but the dead-center shot by the 50-90 kilt it. About 125 paces.

Doesn't compare particularly well against the the 10 shot 200 yard groups posted above.

Hmmm....I think I'll just mosey on outa here! If I may quote a good friend..."This is kinda like casting pearls before swine!"

I got one of those Shiloh sharps long Range express rifles in the "BIGGER" 50 , 50x3 1/4" my wife had it custom made for my birthday back in 91. It took over a year to get it, and then when i got it it wouldnt eject the empty case !!!!! the case expanding just a bit wouldnt let the rim fit back down the tunnel in the receiver !!!!! needless to say Shiloh never test fired it !!1 i called Wolfgang and told him ,and he said every rifle was test fired before they were sent out, Basically B.S. then he finally admitted they didn't test fire it because they didn't have any 50 x3 1/4 " ammo. So i had to send the rifle back with some of my ammo , 6 months later i got the rifle back, Same problem !!!!!! the fired cases wouldnt come back thru the tunnel!!! i finally took a dremmel with a sanding cylinder and where the rim was dragging removed just enough metal so the cases would eject!!!!!! needless ti say i wasn't very happy with mister Droege !! the quality of the work on the rifle was great,but he got upset when i said "I REALIZE THIS IS A SINGLE SHOT RIFLE !!!!!! BUT THIS IS RIDICULOUS !!!!!!! Don

Well that was Wolfgang

So Loggah, how does it shoot these days? 50-3.25" brass was all over the map dimension wise. Bell at .657" ,Eldorado at.661",Garretts at .650",C Sharps at .659" and Bertram at .660" rim diameters. Never had much problem that way with mine. guess I would have investigated turning down the rim diameters a little first though. How much freebore was in the chamber? were you loading it with smokeless or BP? Using paper patch bullets or greasers? Still got it? Details man, details Magnum Man