We have come a long way!

[Eric Johanen]

With the results shown from my rifles and loads this season, I was thinking about when I started shooting these rifles back around 1978. We have really good bullet smiths now days with well thought out designs and bullets that are a result of great empirical testing all the way beyond 1000 yards. Thank's to Swiss, KIK and GOEX our powders are very good now. Back then the choices were Lyman and RCBS or rather worn original molds for bullet molds, Old formula GOEX and some Curtis& Harvey imported form England, Bullet lubes that left a lot to be desired. One could get things to work and with a lot of putzing around a good load good be found. Today, it's much easier to get a great load with the improvements and the information exchange via forums dedicated to these rifles and this sport. Knowledge was almost non-existent and one had to go back to old source material to see what the Old Dead Guy's were doing and try to come close to duplicating their results. I am reflecting on just how easy it was to get really good shooting loads with my Shiloh 50 70 and the C. Sharps 50 90. Now I believe it's easier to get a good greaser load worked up than a paper patched one, but with some research, experimentation and careful loading technique paper patch loads are also possible with what we now have available. While all have been important, the most helpful thing as been the ease of exchanging information. For 25 years I was the only one in my area that was shooting these rifles with black powder. A few guy's had the rifles but were strictly smokeless powder shooter's. I was alway's a bit odd but now they do not look at me quite so funny when they see how well these rifles and loads are performing. I have even got a few others to start shooting them the way they were intended and all are having a great time. So we really have come a long way. Now I have to write up a "How to" journal for my Nephew so he can have a reference to make life easier when my time comes to toe the line on the eternal rifle range. He is interested and has watched me perform many of the individual tasks but nothing can take the place of a clear set of instructions to make things easier. When his career and family path is more settled, he will take to these rifles like a duck to water. Just some random thoughts expressed.