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Seeking period appropriate single shot rifle recommendations for .22 silhouette matches


Nostrum Damus SASS #110702

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Our club is going to start running .22 silhouette matches.  The targets are fairly small animal silhouette plates set at 25, 40 (why not 50 is a mystery to me), 75, and 100 yards.  If anyone has any recommendations on rifles that would at least give me a chance to be competitive, I'd be greatly appreciative.  I was thinking of a Winder Musket but the .22 Short bullet is so susceptible to crosswind at 100 yards that it would be very tricky, even with the Lyman 41 peep sight, I imagine.  I don't know anything about the accuracy or suitability of a  .22LR Stevens Favorite for this game, either.  Comments, ideas, suggestions?  Thanks in advance.

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I've been shooting 22 BPCRA for a few years now and Its a blast. My shooting partner and I shot our  first match at the nationals at the Wittington center and both did OK. We both ended up shooting in the  AAA category

Check out this website for the appropriate distances;

 http://www.22bpcra.com/

The Browning/ Winchester high walls are great guns. I shoot a CPA Stevens 44 1/2 and two of our other members (including my shooting partner)are using that rifle as well.

 

    Please feel free to contact me if I can answer any questions

                                          Jasper

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I was just bidding on a slightly used Miroku/Winchester Low Wall .22 LR a few days ago, but ended up 2nd - it went for $1470, shipped. A lot of scratch, but I've been looking for one for a long time, and now I regret not going higher. Oh well. There were 2400 of them made, there'll be another one eventually. :(

LowWall.jpg

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Yes, Three Foot Johnson, I saw that Miroku/Winchester rifle auction as well.  A very pretty gun and I'm sure it shoots pretty straight.  I'm thinking of something original, though, for the fun factor.  I will have the opportunity later today to buy a .22 Short Winchester Low Wall Winder Musket (Third Variation, in the last batch made) that its owner says has an excellent clean bore and deep rifling and is mechanically top notch (I have not seen it in person yet).  I'm just a bit concerned that I wouldn't really know where such a tiny little bullet is actually going to fly, even though the Winders were built for marksmanship training.  Am I being foolish with this concern?  (I'm not expanding my interests to black powder at this time, beyond my existing modern in-line BP hunting rifle.) 

 

ALSO, Jasper Agate, I just looked at the 22BPCRA rules, and I don't think a .22 Short Winchester 1885 Low Wall Winder Musket would be legal for that competition, were I so inclined to compete.  First, the rules say "Cartridges: 22 Long Rifle Only," which instantly rules out original Winder Muskets.  Second, the rules say "Rear sights will be of Vernier type ... peep... mounted on the tang or barrel."  The Third Variation Winder Musket was fitted with a receiver-mounted Lyman 41 Vernier peep sight.  So I guess if I have any intention to ever shoot in a 22BPCRA event, I should pass on the Winder Musket and keep looking.  But I'm not sure I have that intention, and my club will let me shoot pretty much whatever I want, as long as it is .22 caliber.

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10 hours ago, Tex Jones, SASS 2263 said:

Send John Boy a PM and talk with him.  He's an expert on single shot, period correct rifles.  Even makes his own 22 ammo. 

He makes 22 ammo!?!  I didn't know that was even possible except in an industrial/chemical plant.

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2 hours ago, Nostrum Damus SASS #110702 said:

He makes 22 ammo!?!  I didn't know that was even possible except in an industrial/chemical plant.

It's not that much more work than making your own primer.   If your reloading it the tricky part is hammering out the old hammer hits.

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Several shooters in our local silhouette matches are quite successful with the Stevens 44 1/2's They also get extras hits for way cool styling!!!

 

Bugler

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I started with a Remington Rolling Block Model 4 in 22 long. I had the barrel relined and chambered for 22LR.

I then went to the Winchester Low wall. Longer barrel = better accuracy.

Peep sites are no good as they have no markings on them . How many turns for 150 meters. Windage is anyones guess. And they are illegal for official BPCRA events.

As Jasper says we shoot 50/100/150/200 meter distances. We use vernier, traditional scopes and we throw in a modern class. Bolt action or Ruger 10-22's.

 

Knocking a Ram down at 200 meters builds your shooting ego.

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Well, the gun was in great shape, so I bit the bullet (so to speak) and bought a very pretty .22 Short Winchester 1885 Low Wall Winder Musket (Third Variation), made in about early 1920.  I'm sure I'll have fun with it, though if I really want to shoot in 22BPCRA matches, I'll just have to buy another rifle chambered in .22LR.  And that would be a terrible thing to have to do, no doubt.  ;)

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1 minute ago, irish ike, SASS #43615 said:

 

Peep sites are no good as they have no markings on them . How many turns for 150 meters. Windage is anyones guess. And they are illegal for official BPCRA events.

 

The Lyman 41 peep sight has graduated marks for both elevation and windage adjustments.

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If you have a .40 or .45 caliber single shot rifle, consider getting a Lee Shaver or Dave Crossno barrel liner.  Check Buffalo Arms.  They convert your rifle/sight package to .22 LR.  Will work in Sharps, Rolling Blocks, Highwalls, H & R Handi Rifles, etc.  Either are extremely accurate and an inexpensive way to get into .22 silhouette.  I used a Crossno in my 45-90 Highwall before I got my CPA 44 1/2.  

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On 12/19/2021 at 10:13 AM, Zeb Gray, #36839 said:

If you have a .40 or .45 caliber single shot rifle, consider getting a Lee Shaver or Dave Crossno barrel liner.  Check Buffalo Arms.  They convert your rifle/sight package to .22 LR.  Will work in Sharps, Rolling Blocks, Highwalls, H & R Handi Rifles, etc.  Either are extremely accurate and an inexpensive way to get into .22 silhouette.  I used a Crossno in my 45-90 Highwall before I got my CPA 44 1/2.  

Same here. Once I got the CPA I never looked back. Gave the liner to another cowboy. I have 4 barrels for my CPA now!!!!

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All the target peep sights from 40+ years ago have elevation and windage clicks marked.  Just gotta know how to run them.

 

good luck, GJ

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6 hours ago, Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L said:

You need to find out if it a sanctioned match and if so what the rules are for the rifles and sights allowed.

My club let's us use anything from rocks in slingshots to M101A1 howitzers.  It's all about having fun.  But BPCRA-sanctioned matches, no.  That's ok.  

4 hours ago, Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 said:

All the target peep sights from 40+ years ago have elevation and windage clicks marked.  Just gotta know how to run them.

 

good luck, GJ

practice practice practice

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If you can find one, Chiappa makes what's called a "Little Sharps" chambered in .22lr up to 38-55. It was originally built by Little Sharps Arms in Big Sandy, MT. It's a scaled down Sharps falling block action. Several years back a shooter at the Quigley match was shooting one in .22 at the 400+ yd. target and hitting regularly.

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1 hour ago, The Blarney Kid said:

If you can find one, Chiappa makes what's called a "Little Sharps" chambered in .22lr up to 38-55. It was originally built by Little Sharps Arms in Big Sandy, MT. It's a scaled down Sharps falling block action. Several years back a shooter at the Quigley match was shooting one in .22 at the 400+ yd. target and hitting regularly.

Randy, I found this Chiappa .22 w/3x Malcolm scope earlier this year down in your area - Ennis. It was also marketed by Lyman as the Ideal Model.

The Chiappa version has no relationship at all to the defunct Big Sandy Little Sharps company. Aaron and Ron sold the business to Dakota Arms, and they discontinued it. I have a shirttail familial relationship to Aaron - his brother Bill was married to one of my mother's sisters.

The only Big Sandy Sharps I've ever actually seen is the .38-55 Rusty Lawman and Montana Rox have. If you ever find one for sale, count on $3k or more.

 

My Chiappa compared to one of my full-size 1874's.

LittleSharpsHiRes.jpg

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  • 2 months later...

As a price confirmation - the only Big Sandy/Dakota Little Sharps I've seen for sale in several years is on GB right now for $3200... but it's a .17 HMR. :(

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