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Buffalo rife....the good bad and ugly Took the plunge and traded for an Armi Sport 45/90 Taylors import


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My first one was a Uberti Sharps, it shot great but was a B- in quality. Ultimately went and ordered one fom Shiloh Sharps in Big Timber MT, highy recommend! Worth the wait and worth the cost.

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If your gonna buy American take a look at C. Sharps....;)

They build as equal a rifle as the Shiloh type.

 

http://www.csharpsarms.com/

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

 

but if an import is what you would like - Pedersoli makes a great 1874 model. Not as 'pretty' as a Shiloh or C Sharps, but I hear they are competent shooters.

 

Interested to see what others folks say (as if it hadn;t been said before :lol:)

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I had an IAC Sharps that was not pretty but shot a whole lot better than I could. No quarrel at all with the accuracy.

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Had a Pedersolli and it's a great shooter.Sold it because I didn't shoot it that often and my left arm isn't what it used to be and holding that to shoot it off hand wasn't working out.Guy I sold it to loves it.

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Looking for a rolling bloc or maybe sharps

* What's your price range?

* What is your preference? Rolling Block or '74 Sharps?

* What is the maximum distance you plan to shoot it?

* How often will you shoot it in a given year?

* What kind of sights do you want on it? Standard open sights or vernier rear and globe foresight?

* What caliber is in the back of your mind?

Answer these questions and you will receive better answers

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I have a Pedersoli/Navy Arms Rolling Block in 50-140, shooting 720 grain bullets. That cartridge is 4 inches long. I'd like to take that on a buffalo hunt someday.

Horace

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As others have said, if you want a Sharps, get a Shiloh or C. Sharps. If you want a roller, get a Lone Star. I have Shiloh Long Range Express in .45/90 and I am anxiously awaiting a call from Lone Star telling me my new custom roller in .45/90 is complete. I'll post pix here when I get it.

 

Gunstock Smith

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Pedersoli and Uberti are both made by Pedersoli. I have a Shiloh .45-70, a Uberti .45-70 and a Uberti .45-120. Although my Shiloh shoots like you would expect a Shiloh to shoot, I have never been able to get it to shoot quite as well as its Uberti counterpart. On a cool, calm day, the Uberti will quite consistently shoot sub-8" groups at 500 yards with a 530 grain Postell, Swiss 1 1/2, Lee Shaver front & rear, and I had a lucky 500 yard group last year that measured a scant 3 3/8", center to center. The Shiloh is much better fitted & finished and has a beautiful select grade of wood, but the Uberti shoots better. :blush:

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Uberti Highwall !!!!

 

 

 

Enough said ....

 

 

 

Jabez Cowboy

 

Well maybe ,,,,,,,,, .40-65 !!!!!

 

I'm a Highwall man myself...Winchester 45-70, 4-90, and 45-120...Browning in 45-70 and 45-90...They all shot better than me today but tomorrow I hoping to be just as good...They might not be the prettest but theys get the job...Waaaay out there...

 

Texas Lizard

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As to the "ugly"...An Original 1873 Springfield Trapdoor Rifle in 45-70 Gov't caliber is no slouch, not to mention a hoot to shoot.

It'll reach out there just fine.

 

I've seen 'em beat out the fancy Sharps & Hi-wall's at long ranges when shot by a feller knows his rifle and knows

how to load for it.

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I just acquired a H&R Buffalo Classic in 45-70. It is...uh...decent in the looks department. I just need to get a different rear sight, but you can get them for very little money (comparatively) and although I haven't shot this one, there are many folks who shot very well with them. They have a very simple mechanism to operate....almost boring compared to the C Sharps I have (in 50-140 caliber :D )

 

http://www.hr1871.co...les/buffalo.asp

 

John Boy makes sense with his questions, but if'n you just lookin' to get a rifle to 'reach out and touch some(thing)'...the H&R might be something to consider.

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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I have a Tristar Sharps, made by IAB.

I had heard all the jokes about how the initials stood for "It's Always Broken" but it's never let me down. Solidly built and highly accurate. When I got it, it was around $700 and I don't think the prices have gone up much since then.

 

I also used to have one of the H&R rifles. Don't know if mine was a Monday Morning Gun, but it was awful.

 

Threw every shot about 3 feet left at 100 yards. I recrowned the barrel thinking that was part of the problem to no avail. I ran out of adjustment on the sights, and finally ended up using a hydraulic pipe bender to true the barrel. The latching mechanism wouldn't hold closed either. Would pop open after each shot. Had to chalk the contact surfaces on the latch & wedge to find the high spots and file them down before it would stay closed. Decided to cut my losses and got rid of it before it did something else cantankerous.

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I have a Tristar Sharps, made by IAB.

I had heard all the jokes about how the initials stood for "It's Always Broken" but it's never let me down. Solidly built and highly accurate. When I got it, it was around $700 and I don't think the prices have gone up much since then.

I had the majority experience with an IAB sharps. Soft metal inside and couldn't get it to shoot. Also, couldn't get the set trigger adjusted -- it would go off if you just looked at it wrong! Sold it and bought a C. Sharps. Now I have one that will shoot 1" groups at 100 yrds.

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I have a Tristar Sharps, made by IAB.

I had heard all the jokes about how the initials stood for "It's Always Broken" but it's never let me down. Solidly built and highly accurate. When I got it, it was around $700 and I don't think the prices have gone up much since then.

 

I also used to have one of the H&R rifles. Don't know if mine was a Monday Morning Gun, but it was awful.

 

Threw every shot about 3 feet left at 100 yards. I recrowned the barrel thinking that was part of the problem to no avail. I ran out of adjustment on the sights, and finally ended up using a hydraulic pipe bender to true the barrel. The latching mechanism wouldn't hold closed either. Would pop open after each shot. Had to chalk the contact surfaces on the latch & wedge to find the high spots and file them down before it would stay closed. Decided to cut my losses and got rid of it before it did something else cantankerous.

 

 

Hmmm - The H&R I got seems pretty solid and the latch locks up rather tight. The 32" barrel looks straight inside and out. Again, I haven't shot it, but feel pretty good about it holding up just fine. Will report once I get up and running.

 

Here's a CAS City report on it:

 

http://www.cascity.com/article0899-2.htm

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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Hello the fire!

Have a H&R 1871 in 38-55 (dont think they offer that cal anymore--too bad). Had some real accuracy problems till I slugged the barrel and found the .376 commercial ammo was being pushed through a .380 barrel. Well, got some .381 lead for hand loads-couldn't chamber rounds (some days :angry: ). A fellow shooter who had a 38-55 with same problems rented a hand reamer from Midway. Hand reamed out both rifle throats. Shoots like a dream, very accurate, chamber problems gone, all for about $400 bucks. I love it when a plan comes together!! :D

Keep your flint trimmed and your powder dry!! S.G.

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Not sure if this is the same 'John Boy' that frequents here, but this 'John Boy' likes his H&R Buffalo Classic - at 1000 yards :D

 

http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/index.php/topic,119506.0.html

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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Gunner - same H&R BC - same Homer @ Ridgway RC and same John Boy

Don't know about the new NEF barrels, but the old H&R's were made by Green Mountain who did a fine job boring them.

I've got Rolling Blocks - '74 Sharps - HiWalls and have not been able to duplicate a 600yd group that I did with the H&R. Was a 5 shot measuring 2.25" x 7" with 3 holes one could cover with a Silver Dollar. Two club members witnessed this group and Me - Without a Camera!

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Gunner - same H&R BC - same Homer @ Ridgway RC and same John Boy

Don't know about the new NEF barrels, but the old H&R's were made by Green Mountain who did a fine job boring them.

I've got Rolling Blocks - '74 Sharps - HiWalls and have not been able to duplicate a 600yd group that I did with the H&R. Was a 5 shot measuring 2.25" x 7" with 3 holes one could cover with a Silver Dollar. Two club members witnessed this group and Me - Without a Camera!

 

Cool John Boy! The rifle I have seems on the 'older' side. .....would I be able to tell the barrel by serial#?

 

Thanks again for all your info!

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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I like my Shiloh Sharps. I have had an IAB and had problems with soft trigger components.

 

If I have anything else to add it is that sights are the heart of a long range rifle and the best rifle will shoot no better than the capabilities of the sights.

 

By that I mean a rifle with a 2 MOA barrel and 1/2 MOA sights will shoot about 2 1/2 MOA groups and a rifle with a 1/2 MOA barrel and the same sight will shoot a 1 MOA group, but a rifle with a 1/2 MOA barrel and 2 MOA sights will shoot no better than the 1st rifle in this example. (There is much more to a rifle's accuracy ability than the barrel, I just used these terms for simplification)

 

Pedersoli makes a very accurate sharps replica when fitted with premium sights and the gun will shoot with the Shiloh and the C. Sharps guns all day long in a competition, but will never look as pretty. I like a well made quality gun and with the economy making Italian guns more expensive a used C. Sharps or Shiloh is a better investment. New guns from either company will have long wait times.

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If you've a requirement for being historically correct then the Highwall is pretty much out of the picture as a true buffler gun. Came along too late.

 

I beg to differ sir. John Browning first offered the Hiwall back in 1875. Though not as prolific as Sharps they were producing and selling them as "Browning Brothers, Ogden, Utah" stamped on the barrel. Winchester didn't get involved until some times in 1883. By 1885 they were selling them.

 

With any of the single shots available today the barrel quality is everything if you plan to shoot long. For years the only Italian maker to be competitive in the long range BP games were the Pedersoli's.

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I beg to differ sir. John Browning first offered the Hiwall back in 1875. Though not as prolific as Sharps they were producing and selling them as "Browning Brothers, Ogden, Utah" stamped on the barrel. Winchester didn't get involved until some times in 1883. By 1885 they were selling them.

 

With any of the single shots available today the barrel quality is everything if you plan to shoot long. For years the only Italian maker to be competitive in the long range BP games were the Pedersoli's.

 

Like I said Nate: "Pretty much out of the picture!" ;)

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I believe one of my books claims that the biggest dent was put in the buffalo population by muzzle loaders? I have a Cimmaron Billy Dixon Pedersoli that is about ten years old and never fired. I understand that the boys over in Columbia, SC are shooting these on a monthly basis now, perhaps I need to try and get involved.

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Gunner - same H&R BC - same Homer @ Ridgway RC and same John Boy

Don't know about the new NEF barrels, but the old H&R's were made by Green Mountain who did a fine job boring them.

I've got Rolling Blocks - '74 Sharps - HiWalls and have not been able to duplicate a 600yd group that I did with the H&R. Was a 5 shot measuring 2.25" x 7" with 3 holes one could cover with a Silver Dollar. Two club members witnessed this group and Me - Without a Camera!

The new NEF will wear a Remington-made barrel.

 

To the general question, the single shot game boils down to barrel and sights. The rest just supports those. Of course a decent trigger is a must, but can be achieved on about any of em. BUT, when yer spending the kind of dough it takes to compete in long range, folks follow their heart and get the rifle that pleases them, be it a sharps, roller, whatever. Just don't go gaga over looks at the expense of the barrel and sights, and yer gonna have a decent chance if ya do the load work and practice.......

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I believe one of my books claims that the biggest dent was put in the buffalo population by muzzle loaders?snip

 

Its my understanding that during the hide hunting period, while a lot of people tried their hand at Buffalo hunting most gave up pretty quickly. There were only a small number of really successful hunters, though their techniques, because they were the most successful, are what are remembered today. There were a lot of factors that led to the demise of the bison during the 19th century, improved hunting techniques by Indians, climate change, disease and the final nail in the coffin; the hide hunters.

 

As to buffalo rifles I'm partial to the Sharps. While IAB made a pretty decent percussion carbine that was popular with reenactors as it was rather inexpensive, their cartridge guns, as already mentioned, leave a bit to be desired. The Pedersolis are nice guns, while their actions are a little beefier then originals, they shoot very well. Shilohs and C. Sharps are about as close to the originals as you can get and the price difference between them and the Perdersoli is not as great as it once was. If you are just starting with buffalo/long range single shot rifles, my best advice would be to avoid the temptation of large rounds like .45-120 and .50-140. Start out with a .45-70 and you won't regret it. BTW, both the .45-120 and 50-140 were late comers to the single shot era and were not buffalo cartridges.

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