Shiloh Sharps Hartford model

[FarNorth45]

I am really close to buying my first Sharps , I already cast and play around with Blackpowder in 45colt and 45-70 (lever gun) . I've been reloading , shooting /benchrest for years . I have wanted a Sharps since i was a young kid and i think I'm about to finally buy one . Here in the latter part of my life i have started taking my interest back to old school ways , i mainly hunt with longbows and wood arrows anymore . I miss shooting long range like i used to all the time , and i got plenty of modern rifles/scopes but it's kinda lost its fun for me . So naturally I'm gravitating back to old school , Blackpowder shooting!!! �� .... I am a pretty impatient guy , when i finally decide im doing something i can't wait around ha!ha
Anyway looking on Shiloh website they have a HartFord model with a 32" barrel https://shilohrifle.com/gun-inventor...70-32-hvy-oct/ .
So what do you think of this rifle ? I know i also need good sights , Probably get the long range MVA soule but also curious if i go with the long range sights , will i still be able to shoot up at closer ranges ??? But i do want to take it out to 1,000yrds . Sharps are new to me and I live up in Alaska so its not like i can go to a shoot and check it all out ........ or even handle one for that matter Ha!ha. I will probably never compete, i don't think there is even any shoots here or probably would . But i will shoot long range and maybe hunt some Moose and Big Coastle Brown Bears ���� Anyway Thanks guys , i don't post a lot , but i have learned a ton from everyone and enjoy This Place
Oh yeah , i don't have cable or a antenna for the last 6yrs ....so yeah , i read a lot on here !!��

[FarNorth45]

At first i was having troubles understanding the difference in the models , but after lots of research and playing around with the order building .... think i figured some of it out Ha! But the big decision will be my sights . I know i want to go with a good long range sight like maybe a MVA LR Buffalo Soule and a good globe style front sight . I wish i could see them in person first , but that's probably not possible for me . I know a lot of this is just personal Preference, but i would like to hear what you would choose for long range mixed with some closer shooting also .
Any advice would be appreciated!

[smithnframe]

You can't go wrong with a Shiloh or a C. Sharps. I have a 30 inch C. Sharps and a Pedersoli 34 inch Long range Express, both in 45/70. I have a variety of vernier sights that fit both. MVA are an excellent choice.

[762 shooter]

What are the current wait times on Shilohs?

762

[Don McDowell]

That's a nice rifle with plenty of extras added on. If you really want it I would suggest you contact them today, make the payment and have them put on an MVA buffalo soul long range sight. Call Steve Baldwin and have him get you one of his front sights on the way to your post office.
The rifles on that inventory list don't usually stay very long until they're all snapped up and none will be available until the next month.

[Deadeye Bly]

That rifle looks like a Sharps should look. It will be a fine rifle. It has the steel shotgun butt plate which will reduce felt recoil over the military butt plate. The straight grip models have more drop at the heel than the pistol grip models and tend to rise more in recoil. A pistol grip stock will give you better control of torque upon firing. With sights it will go over weight for silhouette competition but not for black powder target competition. You can shoot closer distances with the long range sight, they only add length to the vertical staff. A mid range sight will get you to about 900 yards but come up short for 1000 yards. The 45/70 is hard to beat for an all around black powder cartridge. Components are easy to find and they are usually fairly easy to find a good shooting load.

[Gunlaker]

Don and Deadeye Bly's advice are spot on. My favorite front sight used to be the Distant Thunder but they are no longer made. The Baldwin ones are very similar and also excellent.

Chris.

[Lead pot]

I have a Shiloh Hartford but it's in the .44-77. It makes a fine hunting rifle and there are many used for long range also but like mentioned the buttstock is not ideal for long range. For me anyway it's not because of the drop and straight grip but that can be changed with a add on that will screw on the lower trigger bar.
For use for hunting in low light, brush or willows the barrel sights are my choice, but I would replace the full buckhorns rear sight to a Lawrence or semi buckhorn. The rear sight is right on the balance point or close by and the full buckhorns will dig in your hand in time carrying the rifle. The Lawrence has a few more set range distances (3) for quick references when hunting, but the buckhorns also have 5 range settings when you learn how to use a full buckhorn rear sight with the blade or post front sight.
For long range the MVA 101 or 102 MR Buffalo Soule is my choice for long range but I don't care for their front sight because of the flat spring holding the insert in. It tends on catching on brush or guncase and breaks.
These are my preferences for a hunting rifle.

[FarNorth45]

Thanks Everyone, im at work right now ... but looks like it will be next week before i have the money to order . Hopefully it will be there when the money shows up in my account, i called today to see if they would hold for a week if i put money down ........ That was a big fat NO !! Ha!ha cant blame them i guess . Fingers crossed it will be there when i can order , if not i guess it wasn't the one for me lol

[Lead pot]

Well don't despair if it's gone. There is always Bill.......http://www.shiloh-ballard.com/shiloh...s_for_sale.htm

[Gunlaker]

Keep an eye on their in-stock rifles, there will probably be another no too different coming up before too long.

Chris.

[FarNorth45]

Thanks Guys , lots of great information!!! I really appreciate the help . I will take a good look at the Baldwin front sight. I really do appreciate you guys taking the time to help with questions that you have probably answered a thousand times . Lots of good info on long range and hunting set-ups . And i will also take a look at Bills inventory!!
Oh yeah , i didn't ask how long the wait is right now ........ i know i am to inpatient to wait Haha!!

[MT Chambers]

If you plan on hunting the big stuff, and use real Black Powder, you might want to give some thought to the bigger cals. like the 45/90, 45/100, or 45/110, and although a bit big for long range target work, the 50/90 best hunting cal. of all the BP guns.

[FarNorth45]

A 45-90 , 45-100 or 110 for that matter is definitely not out of the equation. I will just have to see what pans out by this time next week . I just already have several hundred rounds of 45-70 brass , and i don't really have to hunt with it . I really prefer to hunt with longbows and get up close and personal...... my furthest shot on a bear so far has been 10yrds and thats spot and stalk . This year i will probably grab my Henry lever 45-70 , because i really need to get some meat in the freezer and can not really afford to pass up meat .
I was also looking at Steve Baldwins front sight , i really do like that site . His Long Range sight also looks Pretty nice , How does it compare with the MVA LR Buffalo? As a former Okie myself , i would not mind sending a little support his way either . From all i read Shiloh , MVA and Steve Baldwin are all good people to do buiness with .

[BrentD]

The barrel is too heavy, in my opinion.

Baldwin is an excellent sight, front or rear. I prefer MVA on the rear, and never a buffalo. But all of this is up to you and personal preference.

You might strongly consider two rear staffs. One short vernier for hunting and one long soule for targets. For several reasons, I do not find that target sights are the greatest thing for hunting and vice versa. But I use tang sights exclusively for both.

[Chill Wills]

So what do you think of this rifle ? I know i also need good sights , Probably get the long range MVA soule but also curious if i go with the long range sights , will i still be able to shoot up at closer ranges ??? But i do want to take it out to 1,000yrds . Sharps are new to me and I live up in Alaska so its not like i can go to a shoot and check it all out ........ or even handle one for that matter Ha!ha. I will probably never compete, i don't think there is even any shoots here or probably would . But i will shoot long range and maybe hunt some Moose and Big Coastle Brown Bears ���� Anyway Thanks guys , i don't post a lot , but i have learned a ton from everyone and enjoy This Place
Oh yeah , i don't have cable or a antenna for the last 6yrs ....so yeah , i read a lot on here !!��

It sounds like you will be mostly knocking around the woods and hunting with this rifle. You described little chance to lay on a target range with a heavy target rifle - just a few short steps from the vehicle.

You might want to consider the weight of the 12 pound sharps as too heavy. A lighter barrel will serve as well for 99% of what you describe. 30 inches for hunting is long and 28 inches might fit the tasks even better. You may be a bull moose of a woodsman now, but in the years to come the wise choice of a more weight friendly rifle to carry will pay off.

I have a lot of big heavy target rifles but when it came to hunting I built a 50-90 using a half round 28 inch barrel. Much lighter to pack around for days on end. You give up little in velocity or sight radius.

Half the fun is in the choosing.
Just my 2 cents worth.

[KCSO]

Think real hard as to what use the rifle will get, hunting, target or both and then comes the balancing act. A rifle heavy enough for a long range match will be hard to carry hunting but not much of a factor while hunting from a stand. By the same token the rifle light enough to tote all day will pound you in a long match with full loads.

This is either a problem or a good excuse to have two! My HUNTING rifle is a sharps with a round barrel 26 inches long and tapered for a gun weight of 8 1/2 pounds and my target gun went 12 1/2 pounds with sights.

[Rick B]

Very nice looking rifle. Especially like the Hartford collar. The shotgun butt is definitely a must with the 45 Calibers. in regards to straight grip and pistol grip Sharps the explanation that Deadeye Bly gives above is spot on. The vast majority of original 1874 Sharps Sporting Rifles were configured with straight grips.

PS
A surprising number of Shiloh Sharps were sold in Anchorage and Fairbanks over the years. Bought my first Shiloh in 1979 from Gun and Ammo at Turpin and DeBarr In Anchorage.. It was a 50-140 with a rifle buttstock. Really tough on the shoulder. Several years later I sold it and bought a Number 1 Sporter in 50-140 also, it had a shotgun butt and was a quite a bit more pleasant to shoot off a the bench. John W of Anchorage cut a custom 615 grain GC Mold that really shot well in that rifle. In the 1980’s a group of us used to gather at Bill Fuller’s Shop in Cooper Landing and shoot Sharps Buffalo Rifles. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday were busy. Saturday and Sunday afternoon’s especially. I recall one afternoon during this time, when I counted over 14 original 1874 Sharps Sporting Rifles and 7 Sharps Borschardt’s in Bills shop. About 5 Shilohs were present that day also. At the time I was campaigning a Octagon topped heavy barrel Sharps Borschardt Sporting Rifle in 45-110. Seeing these seven Borschardts together, I asked the owners if I could weight and measure their rifles. Bill had a 2’x2’x3’ tall metal cabinet with a wood top that stood by itself in between his workbench and loading bench. As I weighted and measured the barrel on each rifle, I opened the lever and placed it on its back on the cabinet mentioned above. This allowed us to see the serial numbers. I recall one of the other six rifles being within 10 numbers of mine. Here it was 107 years later and the two rifles were reunited. After 10 minutes in this configuration, I returned the rifles to the gun rack. What an afternoon!
Rick

[DocSavage]

I've a Shiloh Long Range Express 34 inch heavy barrel Malcolm scope very accurate but not the rifle for carrying around. Last time I had it to the
range drew a bit of a crowd,let the youngest of the group fire it got a big kick out it. Older gentleman was surprised on how clear and sharp the scope was. Just about any weight bullet/load combo is quite comfortable to shoot.

[Lead pot]

Attachment 265217

This is my idea of a hunting rifle and I would not change a thing, well maybe one thing, I would let them add sling swivels tapped to the barrel and buttstock.
The rifle comes in right at 10# with a 30" light weight octagon barrel as you see it and the light weight barrel does not take the back seat to the heavy for accuracy.
It's chambered in the .44-77 caliber and the second choice would be the .45-70. These two calibers will bring down any game on this Continent in fine shape.
I don't use it for match shooting other then busting rocks or bowling pins. For match that is what the other Sharps are used for.