50-90

[Skipper]

Anyone here shoot 50-90?

[Chill Wills]

Anyone here shoot 50-90?

Yes, all of us.

[MT Chambers]

My C. Sharps '74 in 50/90 is one of the 2 guns I go to for the big game we have here in Canada, I use Lyman's 515 gr. flat point , cast of pure lead and 101 grs. of Swiss 2f or the same load but with 10% 4759 duplexed. Just now I'm playing with some 630 grain paper patched and they show promise. I have tried a harder alloy but was not happy because of over penetration and lack of expansion on a large bull buf.

[GARD72977]

I was working and daydreaming about a Shilo Sharps #3 Sporter. It's a couple guns down the list

[Chill Wills]

I have a 50cal 2-5/10ths for hunting - not target shooting.
It has barrel sights.
I built it on a military Remington Roller. I had Badger make a 30" blank #4 half Octagon for me. One in 26 twist. It finished it at 28" and with the big hole in it and half round, the rifle only weighs half a ton - unstead of a whole ton. It is good to have a heavy rifle on these windy mountain tops so you don't blow away
I had some rather straight grained Turkish Walnut - kinda plain wood but dense. It is contrasty with coffee and cream color.

I shoot a 600gr round nose GG bullet - looks something like the big 500 Round nose 1881 Springfield bullet.

I have hunted the rifle a number of times and it is, as you would expect, a good hunting round. The funny thing, or really not so funny thing is, I just have not gotten around to completing it!!!! Maybe I need to get it on the short list of things to do - right after I clean my office desk!

[Skipper]

Chill, check your PM

[Bad Ass Wallace]

Mine is a Pedersoli long range "Boss Gun" with 34"barrel and 1:26" twist. Standard load is 105gn Wano Fg with Paul Jones 650gn boolit.

[bignut]

I really needs one of those!

[Lead pot]

Yup, some of us shoot the big .50 and some of us just pull the trigger on the big .50 Good caliber.

Mt. Chambers.
Reading your statement, What do you mean over penetration?? just curious......Kurt

[MT Chambers]

Yup, some of us shoot the big .50 and some of us just pull the trigger on the big .50 Good caliber.

Mt. Chambers.
Reading your statement, What do you mean over penetration?? just curious......Kurt

2 bullets whistled through big buff's lungs, he kept feeding, then fell over after a couple of minutes. Holes on both sides were the same size, I missed the heart or it may have ended quicker. I am really liking the pure lead bullets for use on game.

[Jeff Houck]

The round nose is the worst hunting bullet because it will just punch a self sealing hole all the way through an animal from stem to stern. If you use a flat point bullet it will leave a wound channel approximately 1 1/2 times the meplat width. You'll also hear quite a CATHWOP when it hits. It transfers energy quit well.

I've hunted for 25+ years with a 45-110 using a 350 grain LBT long flat nose. It has always exited the animals shot, white tail (stem to stern), elk and buffalo (broad side). Impact velocity was 1500 ish fps. The holes through the livers were an 1 1/2" big.

[sharpsguy]

Jeff--What is the rate of twist in the barrel of that 45-110?

[Jeff Houck]

1/36 it's a "freshed out" Danish military barrel. My 75 ish year old little old gun smith mentor had a Marlin Ballard action and decided one day that he wanted to build a rifling machine. So he did and then proceeded to deepen the rifling in the old Danish barrel to test it out. So then he had this nice "new" barrel and needed to see how well it shot. So proceeded to build his version of a Montana Ballard out of it. And then of course he needed to see how well it would "hunt". So we shot a buffalo with it. It worked just fine of course and he invited SuperWife and me over for some gigantic T-bone stakes. When he died some years later later I bought it from his widow so she could use the money to buy a set of false teeth with the cash. That would have been about 1989. I hung up my 86 Winchester and have used Bill's rifle ever since. Never have taken a second shot on any animal with it.

It shoots a tight 3 shot clover leaf at 100 yds year in and year out from the bench using a 33 grs. of 5744. When I lived in North Idaho I lived in the back county and had a range in my own yard. Come deer/elk/etc season everyone came up to my house to sight in their guns. We were all Fish and Gamers from the anadromus fish hatchery. Scoped 300 mags were the most common calibers the guys used. The first year after everyone was done sighting their guns in and all the bragging ad jabbing each other in the ribs was done the manager noted that I hadn't shot yet. So I got my "OLD" gun out and they all thought it was sort of cool since the cartridge was so much bigger than theirs. Lots of pontifications about how it would shoot those old slow lead bullets. Well the manager already knew since we'd been friends forever. So he just sat back to watch the fun. I shot a tight touching 3 shot clover leaf group and you should have seen the looks on everyone's face. None of them had better than 1.5 to 2" with their modern scoped rifles. I continued to do this year after year after year to all of
their humiliations.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
Shoot an 86 chambered for the 50 2.1 when up north there. Well for the last summer as it was only finished this last summer.
First 5 rounds out of the tube were single shot loaded as the "lifter" was not yet opened for the brass. In this way the case could be stuffed with 91 grains of 3F under a cereal box wad and a 535 grain RNFP cast of range scrap. This was done to find the "accuracy standard" of this rifle for future smokeless loads.
If your still wondering what this cartridge official name is... "50 Alaskan". Yep it makes one fine lever action that will not cause the sale of the 2 wheeler to buy the rifle, dies, and brass. Sent our "jap" model 86 with the 26" octagon barrel to JES Reboring and he did the barrel work. For under 1K (bought the rifle new on close out) I was shooting. Off cross sticks it will shoot right at 1.5 inches at 100 yards if I can keep my wiggles under control.
The same bullet (with a GC) and 51 grains of H4198 it will shoot under two inches. Best is a 1.7" 5 shot group. As of yet have not found any smokeless load that can beat the 3F load. Having worked several summers with a repro 1876 in 50-95 I do not expect to.
Mike in Peru

[Jeff Houck]

A 50 Alaskan is one heck of a fine cartridge. What vel. does the 4198 load give you and what weight bullet do you use. Recoil is substantial for sure.

[missionary5155]

Howdy Jeff
Two cast so far.. . The one is a NOE 513450 RF PB. Shoots nicely cast of water dropped WW with 3F or most any powder up to 1400 fps. It is my plinker load. Although I am sure it would put the hurt on any critter in our half of the world.
The other is an 513 525 RNFP gc. This one gets a load of 51 grains H4198. That is the starting load Hodgdon lists. Have shot up to their hottest but 51 grains is by far the most accurate out of my rifle. Nice 5 shot groups under 2" at 100 of cross sticks. Hodgdon shows a 1724 fps. Plenty for me. The 55 grain load goes 1852.
So farH4198 is the best smokeless load in my 86. Have ordered the NOE 513 500 FNGC for next time up. Much shorter nose so it should load far easier as does the 400 grainer.
I have removed that nasty steel color bone crusher steel butt plate. Added a nice de-excelerator pad inside a flat leather cuff. Really makes it OK to shoot. I think a our Mossy 12 with 3" slugs out the rifled tube is a bit more brain numbing to shoot more than this caliber 50. Still is a heavy rifle but you best have it firm on the shoulder.
Mike in Peru