IAB Sharps

[MONGO-AZ]

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Well, I took my IAB Sharps 45-70 out over the weekend for a test shoot. Using 300gr lead bullets over 37 gr. of 5744, I was ringing the steel at both 100 and 300 yrds. After I load up some 405 gr bullets, I’ll try to improve my groups on paper. Yes, I know what your thinking – it’s not a Shiloh – and I agree – no it’s not, but for my purposes of shooting paper at 100 yrds and steel at 300, it plenty works just fine – and my wife and daughters get the money that I didn’t spend on the Shiloh – and everyone’s happy. 


Quick question – I’ve been shooting with flat blade sights for years – but using semi buckhorn sights is something I’m still trying to get used to. Does anyone know of a good website that shows a good sight picture for buckhorn sights?

[Steel Horse Bailey]

"Mongo only pawn in game of life."

Howdy!

You and I should get together and form a club called "The Cheapo Big-Bore Single Rifle" Club.  I have one of those Cheapo Taylor's Sharps, so you and I are at the bottom of the Big-Bore food chain.  Sometimes I can actually feel  the sneer    from them who think that to have accurate fun you have to have a Shiloh, a C.Sharps or a Pedersoli !  Granted, my rifle doesn't have the quality of the above named guns, but it shoots better than me.     Like most guns, but ESPECIALLY with rifles that will be used to shoot distances greater than 100 yds., you must  find the bullet-powder-primer-case combination that shoots best from each individual rifle.  When I got mine I bought the 3 boxes of factory Rem. ammo that the dealer had so I could:  A) shoot it immediately and B) be able to have cases to reload, as I planned to shoot it using Black Powder.  All 60 rounds went into a 6" circle at 100 meters - which isn't bad ... for me.  Some were benched very crudely using my range bag as a rest and 20-25 were offhand.  I then got some quality Meister 405 gr bullets and I entered into a steep, sometimes frustrating (but fun) learning session .. the biggest lesson of which is now my 11th commandment; "Thou shalt NOT use hard-cast projectiles, even if they're lubed with SPG, and Black Powder in the same load!!!!!

If your Buckhorn is the full type, some sight the gun in so the tip of the front blade is centered in the (nearly full) circle of the "horns" as if it were a peep sight.  I don't, however, think this is a good thing on a gun fired over 100 yds - if THAT far.  What I would recommend is to put the tip of the front sight so it is right in the little notch of the rear sight - as you would on a flat blade.  Then you can decide whether you want to have it at the six-o'clock position or point-of-aim.  I believe that a lot of target shooters use the 6-o'clock method, but I prefer the point-of-aim style.  I'm still learning myself - I've done a fair amount of long-range shooting, but not until recently with a gun using the big bullets and BP with a trajectory more like that of an artillery round! 

Take care and "Keep yer powder dry!"

SHB

[Delmonico]

Hey, remember the late Jeff Cooper said something to the effect that a good shooter with lesser equipment will do better than a poor shooter with the best equipment.  I don't think that there are many on this board who will look down at you and any over nasty snobbishness will be deleted by the moderator with out warning unless they have pictures of a room full of trophies they have won at long range (over 500 yards) 

[Four-Eyed Buck]

No asperagus from me! I've only got a Wesson&Harrington The owner of my favorite shop( now retired and closed) did extremely well with a Taylor's, to the point of not being able to keep a gun longer than one season because people would bug the heck out of him to sell it to them at the end of the season. As long as everythings in order, with the right load bullet combo, any of them will shoot well with practice...........Buck

[Dick Dastardly]

I tried the cheep route.  Didn't work.

I got an original Remington Rolling Block for FREE.  Now, that's cheep.  Took it to a good gunsmith and had it rebuilt.  The barrel and stock were absolute junk.  He was able to "save" the action.  $1600 later, I had a fine 45-70.  Nope, cheep didn't work for me at all.  I tried, but I kept on finding fancier wood, german silver end caps and butt plates and the like.  When it was done, it was a real piece to look on.  Shoots great.  Then, I went and spent a bunch of silver on new Soule and globe sights.  I'll bet my "free" gun ended up costing me around $2000 by the time I got it to the fireing line.

Then, I got a new press, new dies, new brass, a couple of bullet molds, some bullet boxes and now, I need a good spotting scope.  There goes another $800. . .

Next time I go cheep, I'm goin' to this wire first.  I'm thinkn' I'll save a bunch.

DD-DLoS

[Little Al]

Dick,

Tha sounds like the old joke:

"I don't need no new ax...best one I ever got was free.  I've replaced the handle three times and the head twice and it still cuts great!"

I too have an IAB sharps and it still shoots better than I can...If i get better and deeper into it, I can always move up.

[MONGO-AZ]

Steel Horse..

“Mongo like IAB.”

Thanks – and let me know when you start that Cheapo club. Glad to know someone else doesn’t mind being at the “bottom end” of the Sharps scale, according to some shooters – ah well.

It’s funny – CAS reminds me of when I used to train Arabian Show Horses. Invariably, we always had a few riders that were determined to win 1st place – and they had DEEP, DEEP pockets – so they had the most expensive equipment, high-dollar blooded gelding or mare, fanciest dress, etc – yet they could’nt manage to sit a horse unless you sewd Velcro to their backside. CAS is something of the same I think – you can spend 6-8k$ on them fancy guns, action jobs, short-stroke kits, cylinder polishes – etc etc – but if you don’t get out to the range and practice practice practice – you’ll never get there. A poor shooter with top end equipment will never shoot like a top shooter with good equipment. I’m no means a top shooter – even a medium one – but I usually hit what I aim at. So, I’ll keep my IAB and think – and have a lot of fun playing with loads and ranges over the years to improve myself.

I’m reminded of the Clint Eastwood movie “Heartbreak Ridge” where the Marines are on the 200m line – one complains there must be something wrong with his rifle – and ol’ Clint picks it up and pops three rounds in the 10x ring.

[Will Ketchum]

Steel Horse..

“Mongo like IAB.”
I’m reminded of the Clint Eastwood movie “Heartbreak Ridge” where the Marines are on the 200m line – one complains there must be something wrong with his rifle – and ol’ Clint picks it up and pops three rounds in the 10x ring.

I actually saw that happen during our pre-qual week at the old MCRD Camp Matthews Range.  Only thing was we were at the 500 yard line where you shoot prone. One of my fellow recruits complained about his rifle.  The coach grabbed his M-14 and snapped off a round off hand.  When the marked the target it was a pin wheel in the X-ring.

Will Ketchum

[Delmonico]

In 1990 they added 300 yard Benchrest to the states games, some smart aleck to a 99 Savage with a 1X3.5 scope out to see how he could place against 20 some bolt guns in the light-weight class.  Nothing elses had less than 9 power on the top end.  Still have that bronze medal, never finshed less than in the top 1/4th the next several years I shot.   Made a couple guys with guns with Hart barrels upset.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Mongo said:
quote
“Mongo like IAB.”

Thanks – and let me know when you start that Cheapo club. Glad to know someone else doesn’t mind being at the “bottom end” of the Sharps scale, according to some shooters – ah well.

It’s funny – CAS reminds me of when I used to train Arabian Show Horses. Invariably, we always had a few riders that were determined to win 1st place – and they had DEEP, DEEP pockets – so they had the most expensive equipment, high-dollar blooded gelding or mare, fanciest dress, etc – yet they could’nt manage to sit a horse unless you sewd Velcro to their backside. CAS is something of the same I think – you can spend 6-8k$ on them fancy guns, action jobs, short-stroke kits, cylinder polishes – etc etc – but if you don’t get out to the range and practice practice practice – you’ll never get there. A poor shooter with top end equipment will never shoot like a top shooter with good equipment. I’m no means a top shooter – even a medium one – but I usually hit what I aim at. So, I’ll keep my IAB and think – and have a lot of fun playing with loads and ranges over the years to improve myself.

I’m reminded of the Clint Eastwood movie “Heartbreak Ridge” where the Marines are on the 200m line – one complains there must be something wrong with his rifle – and ol’ Clint picks it up and pops three rounds in the 10x ring.     end quote



Yep!  And I. Will and Del, I LOVE instances like that.  Without trying to brag, when I ran the qualification ranges for our tankers and they had to qualify with the 1911A1s, this happened to me a LOT.  Everybody KNOWS that you can't hit the broad side of a barn with an issued 45 ACP bullet launcher - right?  Yeah, right.  Fully 99% of the mechanical malfunctions were magazine related.  That fix is no problem.  I always carried a footlocker full of parts, mostly spare mags.  In the entire time I ran the small arms ranges (part of my Master Gunner duties) I only ran into ONE instance that was truly  the gun's inaccuracy problem when I  shot the pistol (or rifle) after being told (usually in a whining tone-of-voice) "This piece-of-$hi .. crap won't hit the target (@ 25 yds), Sgt. Bailey!"  The ONE instance turned out to be, when I inspected the pistol, was a ding on the muzzle where the piece looked like it had been dropped and landed right on the muzzle.  Again - it was about a 1 minute fix.

Adios!

(SHB)

[Delmonico]

Besides that is is fun to beat folks who have more expesive and maybe, mabe not better equipment.  It shows who the real shooters are.  I remember one time someone I knew had a brand new 270, scope big enough to see the rings of Saturn and a couple boxes of factory ammo.  When he got done "sighting" it in at 100 yards I tokk my old Nylon 66 shot a couple of rounds to the side of the target to see the dirt and get the range, then put the rest in a tigher group than his new wonder weapon with the iron sights.

[Sgt. Eli]

My first one was an IAB from Taylors. It had Lee Shaver Soule sight and I got it $450 including dies and 100 pcs of brass. I won a long range event at a regional match with it hitting 8 out 10 at 675 yards. Target looked like this . Out shot several high dollar rifles. I also got a good buy on an IAB cavalry sharps carbine. It would ring a 15" steel plate at 100 and 200 yards like nobodys business. $400. I now shoot a H&R trapdoor carbine. It also smacks the steel around at 100 (never miss) and 200 yards, and the 3 years I shot it in a State match side event it put every round on the 400 yard target. This gun had never been fired and I have $275 tied up in it.

[Evil Vaquero]

Well, I'll be danged!.....I have one also, and I love it!   It's one of those older ones with the rounded forend.  It shoots better than I can see. so that's good enough for me.

[Ransom Gaer]

Steel Horse Bailey,

Let me know when you decide to start "The Cheapo Big-Bore Single Rifle Club."  I'd join.  I have a Taylor's 1874 Sharps.  I haven't shot it much unfortunately.  Time basically.  But I have started to get it dialed in.  I think it is time to join the Colorado Rifle Club.  It has a rifle range that goes out to 1000 yards and so I could work up some long range loads for that Sharps.  Like DD said, I need to get a spotting scope.

Ransom Gaer

[Grapeshot]

"Mongo only pawn in game of life."

Howdy!

You and I should get together and form a club called "The Cheapo Big-Bore Single Rifle" Club.  I have one of those Cheapo Taylor's Sharps, so you and I are at the bottom of the Big-Bore food chain.  SHB

You accepting applications.  I picked up a .45-70 Armi Sport Infantry Rifle from Taylor's a few years ago and am in the process of getting it ready to shoot so I can iron out the bugs.  It won't shoot  worth a hoot, but Delmonico suggested that I try shooting it with out the forestock and see where it hits.

Might need to bed the forestock to get some consistancy.  I'll find out this summer.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Howdy again!

Sounds like the Cheapo club already has members!  I doubt I'll ever "officially" start such an UN-official club, but y'all sound like a great bunch of pards to have as friends!

Adios!

SHB

[Forty Rod]

This all reminds me of when my wife's step-dad had a very high ticket .22 short Scheutzen that had belonged to his son, who had set out to be an Olympic shooter before he lost interest.  He wanted me to try to sell it, so I brought it down here to California and trolled it around Prado Tiro and some other places...never could sell it.

I got to playing around with it, more of a shooting system than a rifle (three points each front and rear to attach a sling, adjustable pistol grip, four different front hand holds, a butt that adjusted more directions than a Recarro car seat, three rear sights and two front sights, 32 front sight inserts, and two complete trigger mechanisms), and decided I had to try it out. 

I bought a brick of expensive target ammo and set the gun up so everything was just right.  I couldn't possibly miss. 

I was doing quite respectably when some old guy and his grandson showed up and unlimbered an old Stevens #44 Ideal and the kid proceeded to shoot circles around me, with off the shelf .22 lr ammo.  I gave him a box of my super-duper deluxe target shorts and he really settled in to embarrassing me.

Here's a thirteen year old kid with Grandpa's 85+ year old rifle using stock sights, shooting circles around my half ton mechanical marvel.

Just proves it ain't the bow and arrow, it's the injun.

[Ransom Gaer]

I was out at the range the weekend before last with my "cheapo" Sharps trying to use up some loads I had done using Pyrodex RS so I can start working up some loads using real BP.  Based on the results I believe my "cheapo" Sharps has some potential.  It was shooting decent groups and I was using an  ammunition box as a benchrest, so it wasn't the most stable. It'll be interesting  to see what this thing can do.

Ransom Gaer

[fender57vneck]

Thanks to Mongo, and all of you guys, I just ordered an IAB Sharps. My friends that swear by Shiloh and Pedersoli probably will not shoot with me no more. OH WELL!

[fender57vneck]

I e-mailed IAB for information on their rifles expecting no reply. To my surprize, I recieved a prompt response from Mr. Mauro Pedretti in Italy. Mr. Pedretti informed me about the processes involved in the manufacture of his product, and after this, invited me to purchase one of his rifles, shoot it, and give him feed-back. He told me, he was confident I would be pleased with the quality of his Sharps. According to Mr. Pedretti, the barrels are broach rifled, lapped and polished, the finish is up to par or better than other Italian makers, and the parts are heat treated. Considering his reply to show class and profesionalism, I purchased one from Tri Star. IMO, fit and finish is up to par with Pedersoli. Rifling looks very well done, and has a twist of 1:18. Action feels very sturdy. Shot many boxes of ammo through it without any problems, and proved quite accurate at 100 yds. Let off after setting the trigger was very light. So far, I am very pleased, and I look forward to work up some BP loads for it.

[Pedro]

C'mon let's go to sign down member of this particular CLUB...I'm signing down!

[Delmonico]

We need a cute name, any ideas, we have member #1 and member #2 spoke for already, come up with a name we all like and you can be #3.

[Pedro]

CHEAPO BBSR Inc.
sound's good?

[Delmonico]

Naw, needs to spell out somthing like the RATS or STORM or BOSS and include the rollers and trapdoors.

[Pedro]

As ever you are right CHIEF !