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View Full Version : The safe queens released!



Hackleback
09-02-2006, 11:01 AM
I have (had) several rifles that sat in my gun safe that I had never shot. While working up some loads for the new Ranch dog 45-70 moulds I decided that these queens should go for a ride to the range as well. First up was a Tikka White tail hunter LH in 22-250. this rife I have had for almost a year and was new unfired. I had found a Leopold 7.5 X fixed power scope used at a local gun show. First 3 round group EVER from this gun was coverd by a quarter with room to spare. The next two were an inch to 1.5" (the large groups were me). I think I have a keeper!!

Next up is a Mauser 3000L in 7mm Rem Mag, used with a cheep Tasco 3X9 scope. The dust covers for the elevation and windage were soo tight that I could not move then. A friend (Two Fingers) was ableto get the elevation cover off, but the windage base/body came off with the cover. Well we put the scope back together (the scope will be replaced) and we shot it for groups. First and only three shot group was about 1.75" or so. I though it was good for a rifle with a *** scope. I think I have a used gun that has good potential. As others have said, Mauser 3000 rifles have very smooth actions!

The third rifle if the dayis not a safe queen but a Sharps reproduction 45-70 by the deaded IAB of Gardone Italy and imported by American Arms of North Kansas City. This rifle has never been a tack driver but I do have one J load (Rem 405 and 50 gr of H4895) that will do Minute of deer to say 200 yards. I was hoping that the rather fat Ranch dog bullets would be the key, but such luck. I do need to slug the bore on this rifle and see what I am working with.
Any insight on these IAB rifle from others?

All in all a productive and satisfing day at the range.

windwalker
09-05-2006, 05:32 AM
Hackleback iab tend to have chocked muzzels in outher words if the bore in front of the chamber is .452 and grove .459 at the muzzel they tend to go .450 .457 so if you shoot a .460 bullet as it goes down the barrel and bumps up and gets to the muzzel it tends to sqosh it down to much. i found that if you start with a bullet around .457-.458 and with the bullet bummping up they shoot real good they are designed to shoot a cast fairly soft bullet around a 20 to 1 lead tin mix. i have seen pedersolis that had chocked muzzels a friend of mine has one and could not get it to shoot .but when we sluged the bore and found that it was chocked muzzel and cast to suit it is now a tack driver. hope this helps.
bernie:-D

Buckshot
09-06-2006, 02:51 AM
...............My IAB Sharps is a pure D tackdriver! That is, after I had it re-chambered to 45-90 :-). It had a rather longish chamber and throat and wouldn't shoot. I did a chamber cast and VOILA! The problem appeared. The 45-90 reamer cleaned it all up and it became a totally different rifle. I've fired some pretty intrepid handloads out of it without a squeak.

Never had any other issues with it at all. I bought it back in the early 90's from EMF and they have an on-site gunsmith who checked each one. The major and most common complaint was that the double set triggers were soft and would get out of adjustment. Mine was either taken care of before I got it, or it never had the problem in the first place.

.................Buckshot

SharpsShooter
09-06-2006, 09:14 AM
I had a IAB 74 sharps. It was awful. Barrel was full of chatter marks and the triggers did not last 100 shots before breaking internally. Surprisingly , it would shoot fairly well, but all the other problems turned it into trade goods rather quickly.


SS

Hackleback
09-08-2006, 08:38 PM
:castmine: Thanks for the info on the IAB.

Most of the cast bullets I have shot through it were on the hard side. Maybe I will have to mess around with some softer alloy. It would be nice to find a cast slug that it would like. I will keep you posted.