Cheap Sharps Club

[Blackpowder Burn]

Yep, she's a sweetheart.  I got lucky and bought her just at the point Browning discontinued manufacture, and everyone was clearing them out.  I can GUAR-AN-TEE she's never leaving my hands!  Between her and my Marlin in 38-55 I'm giving up on all this newfangled crap.

If you can't blow smoke, what's the use?

[dutchy]

Steel Horse


OK , I did it . There is no way I was letting you guys have all the fun. My application to the CSC is enclosed..

I have a H&R Officers Model 45-70 trapdoor which cost me $800.00 AND I just purchased a Chaparrel Arms Sharps 45-70 for $1035.00

NOTE all prices are in Canadian funds so I'm under the magic number!

The next thing I aam going to do is completely destroy all evidence of this post ..cause my sweetie ahs no idea that I bought another gun.

But as before Steel Horse Bailey told me 'to go for it'

So sign me up.
Yer going to need a Secretary soon!!

TaDa

Dutchy...

[Blackpowder Burn]

Congrats, Dutchy!

Now you get all the fun of load development for 2 rifles.  It don't get much better.

Isn't it amazing what we can convince ourselves to do and hide from the wives?  The thing is, this is an addition that I have no desire to give up!

[dutchy]

I know , it is like a great game . My wife is terrified of mice so I tell her my gun room in the basement is full of mice. Have a few traps set and all . Ever once in a while I snap a  trap ....keeps her away.

I guess I know she really is not that stupid , I guess she puts up with me and at least she always knows where I am . And when I speak of 'my girls' she knows it is one of the guns!!

Living the Dream

Dutchy

[Steel Horse Bailey]

 


Glad ta have ya, Dutchy!

I'd LOVE to have one of those Trapdoor Carbines from H&R.
TaDa!

[Ace Lungger]

Way to go Duthcy!!
 Let me know how that Chapprell Sharps shoots! I was told it is a Pedersoli! I have the Sharps I am going to live with! To many others guns I would like to own! And I will never have the cash to go buy the High Dollar rifles that I want! So i have to settle for what I got.
Later ACE

[dutchy]

Ace my pard

I know the feeling , but hay the way I figure it I'm a $10.00 shooter ...what in heck would I do with a $2000.00 gun!!

Take care

Dutchy

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Ace my pard

I know the feeling , but hay the way I figure it I'm a $10.00 shooter ...what in heck would I do with a $2000.00 gun!!

Take care

Dutchy

And that explains one of the underlying philosophies of the Cheapo Big-Bore Rifle Club!

 

Glad ya got sumthin' yer happy with ... and didn't break the bank!

What's up, Ace - haven't heard much from ya lately.  I still have that mould for ya - did you ever find a US stamp?

[Patrick Henry Brown]

Been meaning to join here for a while now. I traded an old Navy Arms 1866 Sporting Rifle that I had $600 in with a hundred bucks for a Pedersoli Deluxe Long Range Sharps in 45-90 with the Pedersoli Soule sights. GREAT rifle, but heavy. Need cross-sticks or a rest as it is unwieldy offhand -- but, man do I love it.

I also just bought an IAB 1866 Sharps Carbine in 45-70 off of an auction site. Hope to get it this week. Paid $550 or so for it, so I know it qualifies as well. I'm hoping it feels more like my old Shiloh 1863 that I sold back in the 90's when I had to drop out of NSSA. Shilohs are now out of my price range.

So I hope to have the best of two worlds - the Pedersoli for Longe Range Side Matches and the IAB Carbine for Plainsman matches.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

               Nice Rifles Preacher, I have a Pedersoli business rifle, in 45/70, haven't shot it yet, had shoulder surgery a while back, and now I'm having trouble finding primers for it, but as soon as things cool down, things will get better, you'll like the Pedersoli, and Ace Lunger has an IAB that he say does real well for him, and it's a beautiful rifle too.


                                                         tEN wOLVES 

[drcook]

Getting that Pedersoli was one super deal. You invested less into that rifle than you could
get an "in the white" action from C. Sharps and the Pedersoli action is every bit as good
as any of the other top-of-the line brands.

As you probably know , Pedersoli barrels are made from a special steel bought from Mauser Works
that was developed to resist movement as the barrel heats up. Plus (you probably already know)
there is a taper in that barrel. Pedersoli imparts a "choke" which really helps in the accuracy dept.
The one I have, has shot loads that were developed for other rifles quite well. The first time we
shot mine, my son had it on target and blasting a 200 yd plate with ease.

Break down and spend the money to buy the Hadley eye cup that goes with that sight. I
have one on a Ped. Long Range in 45-70, and it works quite well for dealing with varying
light conditions. Cabelas has them.

You will find that the 45-90 is good for very long range "side" matches. In fact, that rifle
will be quite competitive at 1000 yards.

You ought to try out one of the long range "gong" matches. The majority are run what you
brung and have no weight restrictions like NRA sanction BPCR matches do. The weight of
that rifle will make shooting long strings of shots enjoyable.

Did you get your brass yet ? If you bought Starline, you'll probably find it needs annealed to
deliver the best accuracy.

A 540 gr Paul Jones Creedmore, either from Paul Jones or Steve Brooks, will work quite well
in that rifle. There is also a mould design floating around that was developed expressly for
the Pedersoli chamber. I shoot a 540 gr PJC over a .060 LDPE wad (fiber would work just as well)
with a notebook paper in between the wad and the bullet. This is over 85 gr of Goex 2F.

you can get different bullets to try from www.buffaloarms.com or www.sageoutfitters.com

the Pedersoli rifle I have shoots just as well as the Shiloh in 45-70 that I have, so that one you got
should be just as accurate, and once you start banging targets with it in the 400-500 or more range,
the addiction will really set in.

dc



 

 

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Good job, Preacher C!

[sabre85rdj]

I just joined this forum tonight and I've already found out there a whole club of cheap Sharps owners just like me.  I'd really like to be a part of this club if I measure up to your high standards.  Last spring my daughter suggested we go to the Quigley shoot that happens every June. I didn't have a rifle so I started looking around and reading the forums about what too look for.  I read the only way to go was Shilo or C Sharps....everything else was a waste of metal.  The problem was that a Shilo would pay for 3 cars or 5 motorcycles the way I buy them.  There was no way my wife would agree to that kind of money for a rifle.  I bid on several used Pedersoli's but could find one in my price range before going to the Quigley shoot.  I finally settled on a ARMI sporter .45-70 and slapped on a set of Lee Shaver sights. The rifle had good fit and finish when it arrived and once I figured out what load the rifle liked to shoot, the rifle shoots pretty good. I hit the 783 yd buffalo 7 of 8 attempts after I figured out how to use windage adjustment and I routinely hit the steel chickens at 200 yds off-hand.  It's a shooter with the right load...so what more does a guy need in a rifle. Who do I need to bribe to be a part of the CSC?  ;o)

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Welcome, Sabrerdj!

Happy to have you in the club.

[Ranch 13]

. I hit the 783 yd buffalo 7 of 8 attempts after I figured out how to use windage adjustment and I routinely hit the steel chickens at 200 yds off-hand. 
[/quote

  Where did ya shoot the chickens? There aren't any chickens in the Quigley.

[sabre85rdj]

Ranch13, I was knocking over chickens at a local BPCF range as I was working up new loads after getting back from the Quigley.  You are right there ain't no chickens at Quigley every one there is armed!   

[Capt. Jack McQuesten]

I guess I can throw my hat into the Cheap Sharps Club too.....I have an IAB Sharps that I bought through Cape Outfitters many years ago. It has a 29" browned octagon barrel and double set triggers. A buddy of mine gave me a rear tang sight and a "Sharps" wagon box for it. As I recall, I paid either $550 or $575.00.....

I removed the rear sight off of the barrel as it was just a plain folding leaf style. I want to get a ladder style sight to replace it.

I am also in the process of picking up a web bandolier to round out my kit.....

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

            Very nice, you got a good deal.


                tEN wOLVES 

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Well, if anyone else has a Sharps that they would like to offer me entrance into the Cheap Sharps Club with, I would be very interested ... LOL

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Just out of curiosity, I have seen Sharps offered in .30-.30.

The .30-.30 was introduced prior to 1900, and obtaining ammo would certainly be easier.

Has anyone fired one of these? Comparing them to the .45-70 of .50-90, this would be just mouse farts ... but it would definitely be easier to find ammo with ....

Any thoughts?

[Johnny McCrae]

Here is my Armi-Sport 1874 Sharps. I bought it from Taylor's in October of 2007 for $965.

I do my own reloading and ended up making a Cartridge Belt and Butt Cover for it. I also stripped off the original factory finish and re-finished the wood.

It's a lot of fun to shoot

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Here is my Armi-Sport 1874 Sharps. I bought it from Taylor's in October of 2007 for $965.

I do my own reloading and ended up making a Cartridge Belt and Butt Cover for it. I also stripped off the original factory finish and re-finished the wood.

It's a lot of fun to shoot

Howdy, Big John!

I 'm pretty sure that's the exact rifle I have.  I too, stripped what little varnish was applied in Italy, and simply oiled the bare wood and love the rifle.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Well, Johnny M., after looking at your pictures, I've noticed that our rifles are different.  I didn't realize Taylor's offered other versions.  I don't think they DID ... back in2003 or 4 when I bought mine - but I didn't buy mine from Taylor's, either.  I got mine locally, but since it had gone from Tay's to my store, then to me ...  Anyhoo, I did look immediately to their website because I had to buy a missing part which is why the dealer sold it to me at a discount, even 'tho it was a new rifle.

The part I hate is this:  when I bought the rifle, the dealer had 3 boxes of Rem. factory ammo.  Two boxes of 405 gr JSP, the other with a 350 gr JHP.  I took it to Camp Atterbury and shot it on their 100 m range.  It shot great.  My plan was to shoot BP rounds only, so with those 60 cases I loaded up with Meister 405 gr (hard cast) RNFP, which I understand was designed with the 45-70 lever-guns available primarily, hence the flat point, and powered by a full case of Goex 2F .  At the next time I could shoot, we had 200, 300, & 400 yards available.  We started @ 200 yds and I hit about 12 of 20.  Not great, but for a new rifle shooting a new load, I let it go.  @ 300 yds, I hit around 7 of 20, and @ 400 yds I hit TWO.  Not at all good, even with a new gun and the optimism that goes with it.  Disgusted, I tried some smokeyless loads I had loaded before I got the BP  and hit 18 of 20!
   

My enthusiasm had dwindled a LOT with those results.  Since then I have tried combinations of bullet & weight, powder, cases, primers and lube & the lubing techniques.  None have gotten me hitting better that 40%.  I'm about out of patience.

Suuggestions, anyone?  As the original founder of the CBBRC (Cheap-o Big Bore Rifle Club)  I feel honour-bound to make it work, but I'm at wit's end ... save admitting that 100% of the problem is ME, of course.
 

[Yellowhouse Sam]

Too many variables involved to nail down just one.  The first thing I'd do is get some softer bullets in the 1:20 or 1:16 range lubed with SPG or equivalent.  You didn't say which Goex but at least try Goex Cartridge.

Sheesh all I know to to then is review the stuff on the forums and start sorting out possibles.  Make sure you slug the barrel, get a decent bullet then:

.060 over powder wad
210 Federal primer
maybe .2 compression
No crimp but with .001 neck tension
Goex cartridge at least....dropped charges
Blow tube or wipe bewteen shots.

Not saying the above will get you there but its a start.

[Ranch 13]

 First go in to that barrel and do some serious lead mining.
Then do a chamber cast, you may find that you also have a 45 2.3 If that's the case you'll need to cut down starline or the Baco stretched brass to about 2.25 for grease groove bullets, if you cut down the Norma basic brass it'll work real well for paper patch, but will need some neck reaming to use grease groove bullets.
 Yellowhouse gave good answer. Go with a 20-1 bullet lubed with a good bp lube and sized a .459. 70 grs of goex 2f or cartridge. Or as much Schuetzen powder as your bullet will seat on with out any compression.