50-70 Shiloh Sharps Military Rifle

[Eric Johanen]

Just returned from the range using this rifle and It shot pretty well. Using Bertram and old stock Dixie brass. Brass sized with old stock RCBS die and it puts a definite neck on the case mouth. It will hold a .501 paper patched bullet snuggly finger seated. Used Winchester LR standard primer in the Dixie brass and CCI LR Benchrest primer in the Bertram brass. 70.0 grains of Swiss 1.5fg, .005 thin card wad compressed, 1/8th inch SPG lube wad with a .030 vegi fiber wad. Compressed to .225 inch and a BACO .492/500 grain paper patched bullet at 20/1 Mold # JIM 492500 Patched to .501 and a BACO .492/500 grain pure lead swaged paper patched bullet #PPB492500, also patched to .501. Composite group at 4 inches with the cast bullets dropping just a bit lower than the swaged bullets. Group is at the front sight at 100 yards so good for deer hunting. I was able to chamber 5 rounds without blow tube or wiping Cleaned the bore every 5 rounds. Bertram brass was fine with just a hint of a lube ring at the case mouth. Dixie brass left a paper ring on some of the brass so I am going to anneal the brass before I load again. The rifle shot low at 100 yards with all loads tested so far. I removed some stock from the sides of the front sight block and squared up the blade. I can see it well and I do not want to lower the blade anymore and leave a nub. I switched to the semi buckhorn sight replacing the Lawrence sight it came with and I opened the semi buckhorn notch a bit with a thin file and have put a 1/6" shim between the base of the sight saddle and the rear sight leaf. This has worked very well. Will test these loads again and load the BACO .511/500 grain FN bullet #JIM511500 cast at 20/1 and Accurate Molds #51-465s also at 20/1 as these have shot well in the past. Great rifle and cartridge for hunting! Enjoying a great cigar and cleaning the rifle now. Will get after the brass later. I do like this hunting rifle!!

[Mike]

Eric, Some doin's! I am a real fan of the .50/70 so keep pouring in the details. Shoot sharp, Mike

[Eric Johanen]

Eric, Some doin's! I am a real fan of the .50/70 so keep pouring in the details. Shoot sharp, Mike

The 50-70 is really one of my favorites. Had 5 original guns in this caliber. Sharps 63 carbine conversion that shot really well and 3 Springfield rifles (65.66 &a 69) Also a State of New York Remington Rollingblock. These all shot well with a .515 bullet. Now the modern rifles take a .510-.511 bullet so I have a few molds to sell off. Sold them off because of their value and am replacing them with Shiloh rifles. ( next one may be a Hartford sporter). Love the 50-70 for a hunting cartridge!

[Mike]

Eric, I have one .50/70, a 30" round barreled '74 Sporting Rifle by C. Sharps Arms and I have another one on order from the same maker with a 26" half-octagon barrel. For a grease-groove bullet I like the Lyman-Ideal 515141 and I just got an older "Ideal" marked mold that has the square lube grooves. I'll give that bullet a real workout soon, powered with 65 grains of Olde Eynsford 2F. My thought is that the square lube grooves will carry more lube, probably not necessary. And for a paper patched bullet I like #50-470T by Accurate Molds. With 16-1 alloy that bullet weighs very close to 473 grains, the weight of the old original for both the 50/70 and the .50/90. With the paper patched bullet I use 70 grains of Olde Eynsford 1 1/2F and I do hope to hunt with that load this fall.

[Eric Johanen]

Eric, I have one .50/70, a 30" round barreled '74 Sporting Rifle by C. Sharps Arms and I have another one on order from the same maker with a 26" half-octagon barrel. For a grease-groove bullet I like the Lyman-Ideal 515141 and I just got an older "Ideal" marked mold that has the square lube grooves. I'll give that bullet a real workout soon, powered with 65 grains of Olde Eynsford 2F. My thought is that the square lube grooves will carry more lube, probably not necessary. And for a paper patched bullet I like #50-470T by Accurate Molds. With 16-1 alloy that bullet weighs very close to 473 grains, the weight of the old original for both the 50/70 and the .50/90. With the paper patched bullet I use 70 grains of Olde Eynsford 1 1/2F and I do hope to hunt with that load this fall.

Saw that Accurate tapered mold and it look's like it would work nicely. Using the Lyman 515141 I noticed some recovered bullets exhibited lead finning around the base When sizing down to .512 I filled the lube grooves with lube and still got distortion on the bands. This is when I went to the .510-.511 bullets. They are shooting nicely in my Shiloh barrel. Have 60 cases to anneal and reload for further testing. Will get out again later this week and drag the 45-70 Roughrider along too.

[bobw]

Naturally do what works or what you want to. I'd damn sure test much softer alloys than you are using for some expansion on game BTDT. bobw

[Mike]

I'm sizing my greasers to .512" and performance was lacking until I began using harder alloys. Now I like the 20-1 (from John Walters) when used with a veggie fiber wad beneath the bullet. With the paper patch bullets I've already mentioned that I favor 16-1 alloy.

[Don McDowell]

With a 50 I don't think expansion plays much of a roll,when shooting game

[bobw]

When your entrance and exit holes are the same size you have no expansion and the wound channel is the same size 1/2" with my 50-140. The 1 st doe antelope covered almost 100 yds shot broadside thru the lungs and the 2nd was not much shorter same gun same 1 to 20 alloy. Both mule deer I shot same alloy no expansion the buck 35-40 yds bled out. The doe 65 yds and needed a finisher. the 1 st antelope with my 45-110 was hit with a 540 gr ppb cast at 1 in 40 hit hard and went down on the spot. .45 cal in and 3/4" to 1" exit holes. Holes ? yep I hit him hard on the run and broke his spine at the back of the ribcage and the 2nd hit lower and forward of that. Target bullet alloys for targets and softer alloys for meat,worked a 140 years a go and still works today. If your rifle will handle a softer alloy without a accuracy loss inside of 200 yds then use the softer alloy the better. I have an original style chamber in my 45-110 it handles soft alloys just fine and at the price of tin that's not just fine but F'ng GREAT. bobw

[Mike]

I agree that the softer bullets are certainly better for hunting. In the early 1980s I took a medium sized black bear with a soft paper patched bullet in my .50/90 Gemmer at rather close range. That bullet left an exit hole I could stick my fist into. The bear didn't travel at all after being hit. The energy transfer must have been tremendous. For hunting loads I will try softer bullets in the .50/70 and maybe I'll have better luck after the harder alloys have shown me the way.