Period correct '74 Sharps Buffalo Rifles?

[Gunner500]

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

10-4 Kurt, I'll chrono em and see, to me 1250 fps kills hard in any Sharps rifle cartridge, accuracy, less fouling and recoil are always welcomed instead of chasing the very last fps in velocity.

[Lumpy Grits]

Hey Gunner500
May I suggest you talk to Kirk at Shiloh. He hunts with a Shiloh, and might be able to give you some additional guidance.
Gary

[Gunner500]

Thanks Gary, I'll try to get him on the phone when I send in a couple brass cases to make sure they'll fit my build.

Thank You,
Jerry

[Gunner500]

Bills are paid, orders placed, and now the looooong waiting begins............................................

[Don McDowell]

The wait is horrible. I'm waiting for the pay up or die letter on my 77...

[Gunner500]

LOL, and yessir, I did use Bill Goodman, he said I should have the rifle in my hands in four months, if that happens, I'll have test ammo loaded and ready to go.

Have been dang lucky with four Sharps rifles so far, none have given me fits on what they like, hopefully this one will be the same, I will remember to use enough powder, and never compress below the neck.

44 cal 30 thou wads and a 44 cal template are on the way too.

[Don McDowell]

Get some of the muzzle loader original dry lubed felt wads 44 caliber, and a bottle of jojoba oil. OE 1 1/2 and rp 9 1/2 primers, and some seth Cole 55w paper, while you're waiting.
The template will be to wide, but the angle is good, you'll want to cut your patch strips to 7/8 inches wide.

[Gunner500]

Thanks for the load tips and patch width Don, here's what I had in mind for the first load test.

470-480 gr parallel sided paper patch base pour bullet with a 200 thou meplat.
77 grs OE2F

Compress powder 250 thou
one 30 thou Walters wad
230 thou grease cookie from RDNCKS home made lube
another 30 thou Walters wad
insert patched bullet by hand, just enough taper crimp to keep the bullets from falling out of the cases while hunting with them in my belt, on off horses, in and out of a pickup etc, also need to be able to unload from a fouled barrel without leaving the bullet stuck in the bore like some damn e d it!

[Don McDowell]

If you use the .030 fiber wad , one of the dry lubed felt wads and wipe the exposed patch with jojoba oil, you can shoot that all day long with just blowing down the breech on occasion. Forget the taper crimp, it's an accuracy killer with patched bullets. Much better find a size die that will give you enough neck tension that when you seat the bullet it will snap/pop into place. This is where wet patching the bullet is a big help, when the patch drys it's pretty well got the base of the bullet sealed, dry patches won't let you run that much neck tension.
What diameter did you get on the bullet mould?

[Gunner500]

I've ran and hunted my rifles around several buds in the States, PH's, landowners, trackers, skinners etc in Africa, I haven't given any of you men a black eye yet, I just believe if a guy is going to use one of these rifles he needs to do his best to learn how to use it and use it right, that includes 'hitting' what you point it at.

Modern naysayer buds I hunt with are waiting in the wings to give me a ration of crap if I stumble, meanwhile [Thank God] I'll keep hitting what I'm aiming at, killing more deer than them, and also shooting completely through deer and pigs at any angle, the BS sessions at the field dressing spot down at the low water bridge sure has been a lot of fun for me watching them wonder silently amongst themselves how another one of my smoke belchers out penetrated their 300 mags, AGAIN! ;]