Which loads CAN'T be safely fired from a 45-70 Pedersoli Sharps?

I keep hearing that Pedersoli Sharps can handle SAAMI pressures, but Hodgdon publishes a lot of reloading data that seems to be much hotter. Some of these loads are listed as producing up to 50,000 CUP of pressure. Buffalo Bore claims that their .45-70 ammo, which is very very hot, is safe to use in Pedersoli Sharps. The energy produced by Buffalo Bore loads is equal to or greater than most of the published reloading data I've seen, but obviously we can't determine pressure based on ballistics alone. So what should I do if I load powder from another company, such as Alliant Reloder 7, when they don't publish pressures in their data?

Not sure but I myself load only lever action pressure in my Shiloh and I know it will take more but I will not, I am getting old and brittle. Another question is "Why" when a 500gr boolit at 1400fps will go clear through a buffalo long ways!

I load my Uberti Hiwall to 1350 with the 500 grain government bullet. This is the sweet spot it seems for the rifle. I use 31 grains of IMR 4198. I am actually glad that the rifle likes that load, as it is really as much recoil that I want to handle . The rifle will handle more as will the Sharps. This is not my assumption. This is right out of the mouths of two very fine fellas that I know that have handled and worked on these particular type of firearms for years. One of them is quite well known in the area for restoration and custom rifle work in the area. One old Hiwall he has, he rebarrelled into a 222 Zipper. If you look at the design of these falling blocks, you will see that they are not much different than the Ruger #1's and #3's. If you take into consideration that Uberti and probably other manufacturers chamber the Hiwall in the 30-40 Krag, what does that tell you. That cartridge itself is listed with a SAAMI maximum of 40,000 cup. With the modern metals used, I don't think a we have regressed in what pressures these rifles will handle.
Jack

Mines says do not exceed 29,000 cup & I don't

Read this and you'll have it from the source.

http://www.bpcr.net/index-a.htm

Edir: sorry, I just realized you need to go a little deeper in the site :-). Go to the Technical section, and then scroll down to "Pedersoli Proof Test Rules and Allowable Limits".

Chris.

Pedersoli rates there sharps and proof tests it for a max operating pressure of 28,000 PSI. It probably will stand more than that but Why do you want to go higher? 28000 psi will give you velocities around 1500 fps with a 500 gr slug. I shot a bull elk a number of years ago in the rear end and the slug came out the chest and was still going until it hit the hill the elk was on. The load was 38gr of IMR 3031

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jumbopanda

So what should I do if I load powder from another company, such as Alliant Reloder 7, when they don't publish pressures in their data?

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The Lyman manuals list pressure for a lot of their .45-70 loads. Before I discovered BP, I shot a lot of smokeless loads in my Pedersoli. I used loads from the Trapdoor section of the Lyman manuals. My rifle worked well with a 535gr Postell bullet and IMR-3031. Never had good luck with Reloder7 accuracy wise.

Beware of the Reloder7 charges listed in the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook. They used Hercules Re7, not the newer Alliant Re7 which is somewhat different. For 45-70, max charges are several grains less with the newer powder. Lymans 48th and49th lists charges with the newer powder.

Chris.

I own and shoot a Pedersoli Competition rifle in 1874 action style. It has seen nothing but BP since day one. I shoot one load that is 68 grs of Goex Cartridge with an over powder card and compression die use before the bullet is seated. The bullet is the Saeco 745 which is around 540 grs with lube. Why you would want to shoot anything stouter is beyond me.Enjoy the rifle for which it was made. If you want something stronger then go to the 45-120. I have seen where guys have fired the Pedersoli with loads that were in the 50,000 pressure range. To me that is like being the guy who climbs those tall buildings on the outside without a rope; he will find the limit but it will be a one time ordeal.

When I first got my Sharps (replica) 15 years ago I loaded some test loads with 405 cast boolits. I sent one through the crono at 1830 fps, didn't take long to pull the boolits back out of the rest. It didn't bother the rifle even a little bit but it sure beat hell out of me. I'm quite happy with 1100-1200 fps, does the job just fine.
Larry

I have found that trying to shoot the Lyman 457193 420gr cast from30-1 from a Pedersoli @ 45-90 levels
out of a 1-18 twist barrel that I could not keep the bullet on a 4' X 4' 1/2 sheet of
plywood, backing down to trapdoor level loads 27 gr AA5744 off of a rest you can hit 200m chickens all day, off hand well.
I guess pushing the 420 gr shorter bullet with the 1-18 twist the bullet is just spinning to fast for a short bullet and becomes unstable,a longer bullet or slower twist & I suspect it could be pushed harder.
You can push it as fast as you can within pressure limits but whats the use if you can't hit a thing with it.

Good used .458's seem to be a lot cheaper than used Pedersoli 1874's around here. Why push a black powder design?