Period correct '74 Sharps Buffalo Rifles?

[Gunner500]

Don, 10-4 on the thickness, I called the guy this morning and had him mic the rims, they measures 0.76", the cases are marked 44-77 Shiloh, I ordered 100 pieces and will send a couple up to Shiloh to keep with my order number.

Have a set of reloading dies, shellholder and trim die on the way this morning too.

Rifle was ordered with a 7 degree leade for paper patch or grease groove shooting.

Kurt, Thanks for the tips on "making it fit" this s going to be a fun project, I'll call Brooks in a bit and get a mould in the works.

[Gunner500]

Been trying to call Shiloh this morning to ask, does anyone know the bore and groove of Shiloh 44 cal barrels?

[Kurt]

It's too bad you don't live closer so you could handle and shoot my .44-77 rifle. It was build especially for hunting with a standard light weight barrel 30" long and with a crescent butt plate mainly like the looks and feel when I bring it to my shoulder, it just fits. Also I wanted the single trigger so I can feel it with gloves on. Hunting season it's cold, where I hunt it is anyway and it breaks at a very crisp at 2.5# and it weighs in at 10# 3oz with out the scope.
Mounting the scope was the only mistake I made with this rifle. I used it once for the hunt and cussed it. I wish I never had the holes bored for the scope blocks.
The crescent buttplate is not a problem for me. I shot it at the Q one year and emptied all my cases and the ladder sight hit all the irons with out a problem and no sore shoulder That bucket is all the empty cases from the .44-77 and the .44-90bn I brought home.
I would not hesitate using it for a match as it is.
       

The bore/groove is .438/.446

[J.B.]

Been trying to call Shiloh this morning to ask, does anyone know the bore and groove of Shiloh 44 cal barrels?

446 groove & .438 bore. Think you'll like the cartridge. If those rims are indeed .076" then you should be spot on . The 7 degree transition certainly makes things easier.

J.B.

[Don McDowell]

The Shiloh folks have a wedding this weekend, so you may not be able to raise anybody until Monday.
You'll get the gun quicker if you order thru Goodman.

[Gunner500]

.438.,446 Got it, Thanks Kurt and JB, closer would indeed be fun Kurt, that's a fine looking rifle, and 10lbs is very nice to hunt, my #3 Sporter 45-70 weighs exactly that, great to carry and hunt with.

Thanks Don, got the numbers and have a call in to Brooks for a paper patch mould.

JB, yes, I'll love this rifle, after smacking a cape buffalo and zebra with my 45-70 and an eland and sable bull with my 50-90 I need to find some heavy game to try this new 44 out on.

Going with a 1.327" length paper patch bullet with a 200 thou flat meplat for hunting.

[Don McDowell]

Gunner you can go to 1.35 and keep good accuracy to 600, after that it's a crap shoot.

[Kurt]

That will do a fine job behind 75 gr of 2F OE or 73 gr of 3F OE
both of those loads keep 5 shots under three inches at 200 yards using the ladder sights and Stephen's Hartford cloned front sight. At 130 yards you can cover the 5 holes with a 1/2 dollar using the barrel sights.
Some day I might put a tang sight on this rifle so I have windage adjustment and use it for silhouettes.
The bullet below is what Steve made for me from a bullet I turned down on a lathe that I copies from a original and he hit it on the head. But later I made a flat base plug for the mould.
With that .485 gr bullet in the picture and the 75 gr load of 2F that bullet will drop between 12" and 13" between 130 and 200 yards.
   

[Gunner500]

Thanks Don, 1.327 should be plenty good for me as a hunting bullet, it should weigh 460-470 grains, that weight spun up good and tight should help it penetrate straight, I'm putting all my faith in You, Kurt and all the old buffalo hunters with the 44-77 SBN, don't think I'll be left lacking.

Kurt, good deal and Thanks, I have a case of OE2F, what would be the guesstimated velocities from 75 grs OE2F under a 460-470 gr bullet, 1350 fps?

The good flat trajectories will put the sight correlation marks a bit close together, but, I'll bet I can manage that just fine.

[Kurt]

I have no idea Gunner. Never ran it over one but I don't think it will make that with 2F OE.