BPCR rifles, so many choices.

[gmsharps]

I knew the big guns would chime in on this. Depending on how soon you are wanting to start shooting really look at the Browning BPCR ,TexasMac should have an idea on availability of these guys. They are ready out of the box and have decent enough sights already installed to be competitive. This can give you the time to get another rifle ordered and then the wait begins. In the meantime you are shooting. This also gives you a backup rifle in the event some unkown issues come up. just a thought.

gmsharps

[Don McDowell]

If a hiwall is on your list, don't overlook the Winchester bpcr model, just a remake of the Browning but readily available. Having 2 rolling blocks still hanging around I would not want to be in the awkward postion of trying to get a round to chamber by reaching across or trying to use the off hand to push that breechblock shut.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I started with one '74 Sharps and they kept breeding until the Hiwall came along

[kokomokid]

Get a list of what is used at the nationals. Don't think it shows bbl length but anything over 30 inches makes chickens tougher. LB

[Silver Jack Hammer]

Forgive me for stating the obvious, but when lubing boolits for black powder, use SPG.

Mike Ventrino has a book on shooting black powder which was helpful for me. These folks at cast boolits are an invaluable resource.

[Don McDowell]

Forgive me for stating the obvious, but when lubing boolits for black powder, use SPG.

Mike Ventrino has a book on shooting black powder which was helpful for me. These folks at cast boolits are an invaluable resource.

As good of a lube as SPG is, and as nice of a fella as SPG is, don't get into a rut on that stuff, there are a handful of other lubes that will/do work better, and are readily available from a variety of vendors.

[Doc Highwall]

I would also take time to think how far you will really have to travel for shooting long distance 600 yards or more as to getting a 45-70 or 45-90 for target shooting. The trend for shooting silhouettes is going more towards 40-65 and 38-55 or similar cartridges for less recoil that will help your shooting while using less powder and lead.

[PTS]

“Shooting Buffalo Rifles of the Old West” Mike Venturino

I read this book like a bible and it helped me when I couldn’t decide what to buy and it helps me now with reloading, strategy, tips, etc. I bought an 1874 Pedersoli .45-70 and am very happy with it. You don’t have to cast for it; I will soon but I bought from Buffalo Arms and Montana Precision Swaging 20:1 bullets that work fine. Venturinos best advice was to learn one thing at a time and casting will come nearer the end. He says that .45-70 is the starting caliber for a new bpcr as they are easier than the others for reloading. Pedersolis are a fine quality gun, parts are available from many places, and the guns are much more economical than American made. I can own two Pedersolis ( I own 7 counting flints/percs) for the price of one Shilo; when I realized that, thats what did it for me. Talk about more bang for your buck.

[kokomokid]

Agree with Doc that my 40-65 is more pleasant to shoot than a 45-70 but I and my shooting partner have left several rams rung in the last few matches. We had center mass hits on them and wind from 12:00. LB

[hickstick_10]

You gotta have a little bit of "stomp" to fully enjoy the gun.

[kokomokid]

From my 2012 equip list at Raton, Action- high wall (42) all makes, Shiloh sharps (27) CPA stevens (17) Caliber 45-70 (56) 40-65 (28) 45-90 (13) Sights rear MVA(52) Baldwin(27) front MVA(41) Baldwin(36) Lube DGL(31) SPG(30)

['74 sharps]

As good of a lube as SPG is, and as nice of a fella as SPG is, don't get into a rut on that stuff, there are a handful of other lubes that will/do work better, and are readily available from a variety of vendors.

+1 It's easy to make a quality lube yourself and not be dependent on other suppliers and enjoy a great cost reduction. Making your own gives you the opportunity to make adjustments based on hot or cold weather shooting conditions. Beeswax for a base, Crisco, and a touch of olive oil works superbly at a lot less cost than commercially made lubes.

[freedom475]

This has got to be the most fun you can have!!!! Picking a BPCR. I have shot and owned several...but in the actual "game" of BPCR I see the trend of the winners is that they win!!
It seems that they don't win because of powder choice, lube choice...bullet moulds...gun makers...caliber choice....action choice,,,,etc, etc, etc,..Winners win because they outshoot everyone else! Period

Look at the equipment list all you want...the lists tell us "what the winners chose to shoot"... the 45-? with x lube and ___powder and a Baco mould won because "that" is what the "winner" chose to shoot.

One thing that I have noticed is that most matches are won on the "Off Hand" targets.


My choice/thoughts for a BPCR are as follows:

Shiloh...Best there is!!!... But you will pay Twice as much $ for this "attention to detail" ... ... They are Not for those that acutally want to shoot in a match this year...Just because you own a Shiloh doesn't mean that you will shoot well. (but you will sure look good missing)

Pedersoli...The Only import" "production rifle" worth buying!!!!!!!!!!! The Pedersoli 74 Sharps will win every shoot it attends (as long as a "Winner" chooses to shoot it)

The C Sharps are great rifles and can be in your hand in very little time...and if a "Winner" choose to shoot one...the C Sharps will win,

My personal gun... Pedersoli 1874 action... in 45-70 caliber. My barrel is a 32" John King (fast twist 1:16.8 ) and any heavy weight, 45 cal Buffalo Arms bullet mould(BACO)
And the MVA soule sight...(don;t wast your money on anything else!!@!!!!!!!) I have the Axtel, and "parts Unknown and have used the Kelly and Pedersoli, and one more that I can't remember the name....the MVA really shines above the rest.

Here is a great reference link to the equiment list used at Raton over the years.

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~jessi...%20Results.htm

[Hering]

I have high walls, rolling blocks, and a Shiloh Sharps in the safe............. That said, my competition rifle is a Browning BPCR,...

Hi Longhorn
I'm looking at a Winchester BPCR, like you Browning, so was interested in you comment that you choose it as your competition rifle? Do you find it a disadvantage not having a set trigger?
Cheers
Hering

[CanoeRoller]

I currently own two Shiloh Sharps and two Remington Rolling Blocks. I have had quite a bit of experience with High Wall's as well. All of them, if well made, will shoot very well.

What your will be most happy with depends on you. What are your standards of accuracy? How good a shot are you? What is your goal with this, having some fun, or do you want to be a national champion? Nearly all the manufacturers make a rifle that will out perform its owner.

A high wall is very easy to use, drop the lever, load, close and shoot. They have never been quite the 'right' long arm for me though.
A rolling block is also simple to use, it takes only a few moments to figure out what you are doing with them, a good rolling block also has a great feel, when you run the action. They are very simple, very little can go wrong or break. They are the weakest of the three actions.
A sharps has a couple of extra steps you need to learn, but also has a very beautiful feel in your hands when you work the action. I like the fact that I need to manually cock the hammer back to make it ready to fire.

Buy top grade sights. Even if you buy an import or a used firearm in good shape, you will be spending some serious cash for it. Don't spoil the fun by turning your sights into the weak link in your shooting. A good rule of thumb is to think that you will spend at least half as much on the sights as you spent on the rifle. I would buy a long range sight, so that if you decide to shoot longer ranges than you expect, you can. The small increase is cost is worth it, so that you have the option to go long should you ever want to do so. Personally, I like MVA sights.

If you are starting out. I would recommend a 45-70. There are lots of components available. You can play with brass, moulds, and powder charges. There are a great many folks who can help you develop a load. If you are recoil sensitive, my next choice would be a 40-65. You will have to look a little harder to find all the stuff you may want, but the recoil is quite a bit less, and the cost per shot is less as well. I personally do no much care for 38-55's. I find they are the minimum cartridge you can use on silhouettes. It can be frustrating enough when you are starting out that you may want to avoid rockin' rams and spinnin' turkeys with an underpowered rifle.

The barrel length of choice for most shooters is 28-32 inches. Less than that, and you will not be getting the most out of your BP loads, and with iron sights, the sight radius matters. Much longer than 32 inches, and you will find yourself fighting the tendency of the rifle to roll forward from your grip, making the chickens a mighty tough target.

[bigted]

wont even advise ... except to say that this bit of advise is worthy a second look and then a third;

whatever your wallet says you can afford ... stretch it to the breaking point when looking at a rifle that is going to be a part of your mind losing addiction and then add to your "package" as you can afford to. the rifle is your most expensive cost and also what you will fondle many hours at a time with that stupid smile on yer face. so here is the best advise i can give ... pay till you wanna cry for a rifle that will stay in your affection for many years to come ... then add to the cost a bit for the stuff you really WANT on a once inna lifetime purchase.

my first purchase is still in my possession and i get it out from time to time as it is the first and firsts are always ALWAYS special.

have fun with this purchase ... dont shortcut the process ... enjoy all the "help" and "suggestions" given ... then take a bit to go handle your dream before you buy ... the extra time taken will only enhance your experience.

[Lead Fred]

Been making my lube for years. Never have bought any. Bee's wax, lard & Cornola oil.

I had my heart set on a Sharp's for may years. Fell into a trade for a H&R Buffalo Classic. Mounted a flip up latter sight on it.
Bangs the 550 yard gong, all day long. Shoots holy black OR smokeless, and I save 2 grand.
Dont look fancy, but neither does the wife, and she works real well too

[Silver Jack Hammer]

Mike Ventrino says good things about the Pedersoli and he says they win matches too. I bought the Shiloh because I wanted a checkered stock, pistol grip and an extra inch length of pull in the 30" 45-70. I'm in the gunshops and on the web shopping all the time, in 2 years waiting for my Shiloh I have never seen a Pedersoli with those features as I wanted.

As far as recoil, I do not detect any recoil with my heavy barrel .45-70. Mike Ventrino says hits at long range with 40-65 is sometimes hard to detect, Mike Ventrino recommends the .45-70 especially for the first time buyer. I'm very happy with mine. I've seen the 38-55 shot at ranges with Winchesters and just don't have much confidence in that round at 600 yards. Although I've never owned a 38-55 and have never tried one at 600 yards.

Casting for me, my own boolits is real important. I've shot other peoples fodder and personally am only interesting in shooting my own cast boolits.

Off hand shooting, Ya Really! I got my Shiloh dialed in at certain ranges benchresting pretty quick and have been shooting it off hand primarily ever since. What a sport! When it comes to all the factors, rifle brand, caliber, boolit, lube, the single biggest issue and the biggest cause of a miss is me. Shooting off hand is 80 percent of my shooting. I don't have a long range firing facility, my 200 yard range is a 20 minute drive, I live the land of homes, trees and hills so I don't have a 1,000 yard range readily accessible. The 200 yard range is closed for 600 yard shooting once a month.

This is my first black powder rifle, I've owned it for about 6 months. I really appreciated all the help Lucinda at Shiloh gave me in selecting which model and which sights. For a first time buyer her advise was money well spent my me.

[longhorn]

Hi Longhorn
I'm looking at a Winchester BPCR, like you Browning, so was interested in you comment that you choose it as your competition rifle? Do you find it a disadvantage not having a set trigger?
Cheers
Hering

My Browning has the "Shaver trigger job" although done by me, not by Lee Shaver! It breaks cleanly at 2 1/2 lbs. I'm rather a fanatic about clean, light triggers, and this one satisfies me; a set trigger at 1/2 lb or so would be wonderful--but I'm no threat for winning any matches, anyway (beginning cataracts in both eyes, and low physical tolerance for prone). I didn't set out to buy the Browning as a match rifle, sort of wanted to try BPCR and happened across the rifle at a gunshow.

[texasmac]

You can't go wrong with a Browning or one of the more recent Winchester BPCRs (same as the Browning), but I sell them and have written a book on them so I'm biased.

BTW, I have a like new left-hand Steve Baldwin Long Range rear soule sight that I'll make someone a good price on. And check out the Browning and Winchester I have on Gunbroker under my "Itchingtodeal" handle. Since the Winchester does not come with sights, the Baldwin sight could be added for a very nice left-hand rifle. I also have a nice used Browning front sight I could install on the Winchester.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=381194228

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=381198279

Wayne