Shiloh Business Rifle

[PJ Hardtack]

When I heard that the SS Rifle targets at a forthcoming SASS match will be at 300m, I realized that my Shiloh 50-70 wouldn't cut it with it's open sights. So, my safe queen Business Rifle in 45-70 saw the light of day. It has a C.Sharps mid-range tang and a globe front sight.

After finding my '0', I fired a three shot triangular group at 200m, the longest leg of which was 2-3/8", t'others 2". That'll do.

I asked a bench shooting pal to spot for me at 300m. Once I got that dialed in, my next shot centred on the 18" gong. He walked away shaking his head .....

Then I fired a five shot group on paper for confirmation. The group measured H 5-1/2", V 3"; two bullets overlapping. That'll do.
I attribute the horizontal spread to the wind.

All shooting was done from x-stix, my absolute most unfavourite shooting position. I feel awkward, no matter what I do.

Load was 62 grs Goex Cartridge and the Lyman 457125 RN, SPG lube. This batch of ammo was at least 5 years old as I quit shooting the rifle when I needed reading glasses to adjust the sight, taking them off to shoot, etc.

Now I have 'long range eyes' following cataract surgery, thanks to new glasses with both my reading and long range prescriptions.
Life is good .....

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

 

[PJ Hardtack]

Thanks, Sir Chuck, but all is not well in Mudville .....

The group I fired above was in the low left quadrant of the target, so I made a sight adjustment and fired another group. It was scattered and higher than necessary.
I attributed this to wind and/or bore fouling, even though I had been using a blow tube and wet swabbing after every 5-6 rds.
I decided to pack it in and return another day.

Cleaning the rifle at home, I noticed that the vernier rod was loose on the sight staff. Huh? Using an Allen key to tighten the two screws that secure it to the staff, I was shocked to get a couple of turns on each.

So now it's a question of do I have enough time to assemble more ammunition and re-zero before the event .... ? I have the brass and bullets on hand, but it's the loading time followed by another trip to the range.

Nobody said that life was easy and that rakenfratzen "Murphy" always seems to find me ......

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[Gabriel Law]

Am I to take it that you are off to Kamloops for the Sept. long weekend?  It's great to hear that your Shiloh BR has some promise!  I have a Shiloh Business rifle as well, but with a 28" round McGowan barrel in 50 x 2.1 (50 Alaskan).  Mine likes a BACo 600 gr. bullet over 90 gr. 1 1/2Fg Swiss.  Recoil is considerable, but not crazy.  I have Montana Vintage Arms Long Range Soule sight on the tang, and their spirit level front sight on the front.  My rifle is capable of MOA groups out to 500 meters, and that tickles me.  These are remarkable sights, PJ, and I highly recommend them.  Their repeat-ability is what really turns me on.
My rifle gets it's next test at the BC Rendezvous staring tomorrow at Heffley Ck.  They host a trail walk with 25 targets at off distances out to 625 yds.  It's all offhand except one (625 yds) and that is standing from a tall X sticks.  I'll let you know how it goes this year.  I won the event last year - missed only one target, a pine cone hanging from a string at ~ 30 yds.  The point was to cut the string, and though I made it dance, it did not fall, for a miss.  I shot the whole coarse without wiping, but the blow tube saw hard use.

Ain't shooting buffalo rifles great?

[PJ Hardtack]

My wagon is headed for the SASS Championships at Mission over the long weekend.

I have a NIB MVA mid-range tang sight I purchased for my 50-70 carbine. Nice piece of work. The carbine is so accurate without it, I decided not to fix what ain't broke.

I went on a loading blitz today, annealing 50 once fired cases, sizing , primer pocket cleaning, inside case scrubbing (on my RCBS case prep machine), priming, case mouth expanding, 'lectronic powder dispensing, the whole 9 yards.

Only bullets I had on hand were some passed on to me. The SPG was quite dry, so I used a lubed wad between a thin card and the bullet base. Then I blew it ....

I forgot that my Farmingdale Business Rifle likes the bullets seated with the front driving band inside the case mouth, then a taper crimp. I left the front driving band OUTSIDE the case mouth. As a result, most rounds are a very tight chamber fit. I may have to wipe the chamber between shots.

I may be gettin' older, but I sure ain't gettin' any smarter .... ;>) Now I need another trip to the range.

Next day .....

Went back to the range to shoot the ammo I loaded yesterday. By the time I got set up, it had begun to rain. Mox nix, the moisture will help with powder fouling, says I. Shot at 200m to reconfirm my zero then moved onto the 300m target. I was right in that my rds were a hard seat, necessitating a chamber swap between rds due to incorrecty seating my bullets with the front driving band above the case mouth.

Now it was RAINING! How much was it raining, you ask? I could not see .45 calibre bullets holes through my 45X spotting scope. I asked the kid beside me to have a look with his 60X Svaroski spotting scope and HE couldn't see any.  Called a ceasefire and went for a walk in the rain ....

Made a sight adjustment and carried on. To say the light was miserable would be an understatement. Once I achieved 'minute-of-steel-gong', I packed it in. Shooting for group was out of the question. I can fine tune before the match which will be at sea level and flat, so conditions will require some adjustment.

I already reloaded the 20 rds I fired today, this time using the correct recipe for my tight chambered rifle. Life is good - again!

[Gabriel Law]

Your story sounds like an echo of many that I have had too.  I guess it's just a part of shooting these old buffalo rifles.

My McGowan bbl'd Farmington Shiloh has a considerable free bore...so I seat my bullets two full grease grooves out of the case mouth.  As long as I blow between shots, I don't have any trouble seating a fresh cartridge.  The problem with that is that to get a bit of compression of the powder, I must stuff 90 gr. of 1 1/2 Fg Swiss in there.  Behind that BACo 600 gr. bullet, recoil is not un-noticed.

I've recently acquired 300 Starline cases for my rifle in proper 50 Alaskan head stamp and length, so I've loaded up a bunch.  I'm going to have to start over, I think, with the load development, because they do not shoot as accurately as my old .348 Winchester cases used to shoot.  Len McCrea beat me at the BC Rendezvous at Heffley Ck. this September, and he certainly deserved the win with some very fine shooting.  But I'm not laying down easily...back to the bench.

[PJ Hardtack]

My Farmer Shiloh BR does not seem to have an overly long throat. I'll play with seating a bullet out and see what it will accept.
Should have done that years ago .....