evil dogooder Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 May have a line on a 74 sharps in 50-70. Whats your thoughts? How hard is it on the shoulder with mid range liads. Ammo availability? Id reload for it but can i find brass and bullets easily? Large rifle primers or small? Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adirondack Jack, SASS #53440 Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 .50-70 is a sweetie to load for. My "small for his age" 13 yr old shot my 1866 vintage rolling block (wide steel butt plate) with BP loads and 425 grain bullets, seated on a log, with no complaints about recoil. It is more a push than a smack. A .30-30 levergun kicks harder by far. Dave Higginbotham, (RIP) gave this sage advice on accurate .50-70 shooting in a letter sent in response to my question. "Use enough Swiss 1 1/2 so that when covered with a .030 Walters wad, drop-tubed, and compressed 1/16" into a flared case, your bullet will THUMB SEAT just deep enough to cover the grease grooves and no more. DO NOT CRIMP, and leave the flare, as it helps center the round in the chamber. Store ammo upright out of the sun if possible to avoid melting SPG lube (which he also advised). He said he cast out of Lyman #2 alloy bought pre-mixed, for consistency, but I did pretty durn good with 50-50 WW and pure lead. Lyman makes the dies as well as the original bullet mold to replicate factory fodder from back in the day. Any LR or even LP primer works. I never sized fired cases, just de-primed em and cleaned em, then belled the mouths enough to thumb seat bullets. To compress loads a 1/2" dowel 3" long, marked with 1/16 graduations, stuck in the case atop the charge and crunched against the press (stick a seater die too small for he dowel to enter into the hole and press against the mouth of the die) worked great. I used a bathroom sink 24" copper supply tube as a drop tube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Rider Rudy Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Starline makes brass, takes Large Rifle primers. Dixie gun works also has brass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Boy Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Dixie gun works also has brass. But - ...these drawn brass cases are produced in the US Basic length is 1.75” and can be trimmed and fire formed to fit many .50 caliber fire arms, specifically Spencers.56/50, trim to 1.156” and fire form using a .512 bullet. For the .56/56, trim to .875” and fire form with a .550 bullet to meet the neck expansion for the .56/56 Spencer caliber. This brass may also be used in some .50 caliber Remington Army and Navy rolling Block Pistols, but will require delicate length and rim trimming. OK, to respond to dogodder: A '74 Sharps with a 34" barrel weighs 15 lbs,`ergo less felt recoil. Starline is excellent brass, but current 50-70's are in backlog. Here's the broad brush that answers your final questions except for the exact powder charge`but it starts with the number after 6 and ends with the number after 9 ... Lee 515-450-F 457gr 0.220BC Bhn 5.7 Starline CCI Br2 KIK FFg grs X-Ray Paper 0.003 Seated Bottom Driving Band AV-1221 SD-12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Good place to ask is here. http://www.shilohrifle.com/forums/index.php Listen 'hard' to what John Boy tells you. ;)/>/> This is a black powder round, BTW. You will have to load your own...... LG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Coles SASS 1188 Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 50-70 is a great cartridge and a pleasure to shoot. Its not a real flat shooter, but its a great round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Boy Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Its not a real flat shooter, but its a great round. Doc, I'm not so sure about that. Was cold windy day at Ridgway Range. Sitting next to the 1000yd target I was shooting at was a hi-bore swinger. My Infamous Miss ...http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd220/Meadowmucker/Ridgway%20May%202009/IMGP0220.jpg Wish I could say I was aiming at that swinger! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Coles SASS 1188 Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Oh, it will go 1,000 yards, it just has a trajectory like a rainbow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Boy Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Oh, it will go 1,000 yards, it just has a trajectory like a rainbow. Your right, Doc. A 220 Swift it isn't! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasper Agate Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I shoot an old roller with a new barrel in 50/70. It's set up as a carbine and I wouldn't trade that rifle for love nor money! I use it for plainsman, cowboy “long range” and occasionally our club has a big bore optional match with targets out to about 40 yards that will take the punishment of big bore cartridges. I have other rifles in better cartridges for real long range. I cast a 480 grain Paul Jones bullet with a full case of either diamond back, kik or goex, what ever is cheapest! Even though the rifle is small and light it's a breeze to shoot!! Jasper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adirondack Jack, SASS #53440 Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Oh, it will go 1,000 yards, it just has a trajectory like a rainbow. We probably never would have heard of the .45-70 had the .50-70 been a little bit better at very long range. The Army's theoretical use of long distance volley fire on massed troops was the killer. The .45-70 beat it there, and only there. But for anything up to buffalo at ranges out to 3-400, whack em and stack em if ya know what yer doing. The late Dave Higginbotham told me he took seven bison in his time, all with .50-70, and never recovered a bullet, regardless of angle of presentation. They shot clean through, even quartering from behind or side to side through 3 feet of skull. He also said all were one shot kills. Now I will tell you that might not have been with 425 grain bullets. Dave used a variety, up to and including a bullet he designed, and NEI sells the mold for, in excess of 700 grains Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil dogooder Posted February 10, 2013 Author Share Posted February 10, 2013 I came across a very good deal on a 74 pedrosoli sp? Sharps 50-70. I have always wanted a Sharps. Even before Quigley came out. I was just a little concerned because I'm pretty new at reloading and I've never loaded black before. I have been seriously considering going to the dark side. I really want to try fcgf Anyway back to the topic at hand. This deal comes with dies ninety pieces of brass and some bullets of various sizes. Is there anything i should really worry about with this cartridge/rifle combination? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil dogooder Posted February 10, 2013 Author Share Posted February 10, 2013 Also what does it roughly cost to shoot those big bullet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Coles SASS 1188 Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I came across a very good deal on a 74 pedrosoli sp? Sharps 50-70. I have always wanted a Sharps. Even before Quigley came out. I was just a little concerned because I'm pretty new at reloading and I've never loaded black before. I have been seriously considering going to the dark side. I really want to try fcgf Anyway back to the topic at hand. This deal comes with dies ninety pieces of brass and some bullets of various sizes. Is there anything i should really worry about with this cartridge/rifle combination? There is nothing you really need to worry about here. I would plan to cast my own bullets, but it takes no more BP than a 45-70. Its not a picky load to make and its a pleasure to shoot. Its a good rifle in a good caliber, with dies and brass. If the price is good, I would jump on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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