Pedersoli Sharps

[161]

Been having a ball shooting the Sharps with 12 gr. Unique and 405 cast. Everything from 50 to 500 yards. It chronographs 1110 fps out of the 32 inch barrel. Touches holes at 50 yards. Going to get a Lee .459-500-3R mold. Anybody shoot this boolit?

[doubs43]

Sounds like a good time and the Pedrsoli Sharps is a well made rifle. I sure like mine!

OTOH, Unique is rather fast burning and you'd get full velocity in a much shorter barrel. But, if it does what you want and is accurate, that's what counts. Have fun.

[Tom-ADC]

I just shoot 10 grs in mine, zero recoil and a tack driver...

[NickSS]

I have a couple of Pedersoli Sharps rifles and they both shoot well. I mostly shoot black powder out of them and those loads kick a bit more than your Unique load for some reason though velocities are not much higher. I think it has something to do with the weight of the powder and the rocket effect or the gas coming out of the bore. Both my rifles have only 30 inch barrels but I do have a 34 inch one on my Shiloh Sharps rifle that I use for long range matches.

[6.5 mike]

+ 1 for pedersoli sharps, one of my favorite rifles to shoot, best part SWMBO gave it to me for x-mas 2 years ago.

[161]

The first time I let someone else shoot it with that load all I heard was a paaa-thump. thought I forgot the powder. Just fun to shoot. Plus you have plenty of time to call your shot before it gets there at 500 yards. Thump low left

[NSB]

Do you need to put a filler on top of the powder? If so, what do you use and how much?

[myfriendis410]

I've got the "Billy Dixon" and it was given to me as a 50th Birthday present by my best friend, who also drove it out to California from Colorado to present it to me (surprise!). It's my favorite plinking gun. I just wish we had more than 100 yards to work with here.

I cast a Lyman 520 grain round nose plain base using ww+tin, lubed with my own recipe in the Star at .4580". The best load I've found for that bullet is 27.5 gr. I4198, R-P case, Fed 210M. I get average groups in the 1.2" range. I'm always amazed at how much precision you can get from a peep sight.

[KCSO]

As to the boolit you mentioned I do have that mould and my friend is using it right now to work up his long range load. So far at 300 yards he is getting 4-5" groups with B/P from his shiloh sharps. But the real hoot is another fellow who got outshot with a pedersoli sharps and it made his Shiloh look bad. He came home with a long face for sure that Pedersoli shot a group at 100 yards with 3 shots clustered together almost touching.

[Baja_Traveler]

My Pedersoli is the most beautiful gun I own - its a Navy Arms import with the upgraded wood. I also shoot the Lyman 520 grain - when I show friends the slug they cannot believe the size. That's a 44 mag with a 240 grain boolit, and a 45acp with a 200 grain for comparison...

[montana_charlie]

Going to get a Lee .459-500-3R mold. Anybody shoot this boolit?

I considered buying that mould as my 'first try' in finding the right bullet for my rifle. I read a ton of opinions on bullets (of all types) and found very few who tried that Lee bullet.

Of those who did use it, there were more who were disappointed than satisfied.

The main complaint (if I recall) was that it was prone to go haywire beyond 500 yards (or something like that).

If you want a heavy bullet for a Pedersoli Sharps, the PGT bullet is the natural 'first try' because it was designed for the Pedersoli chamber and throat dimensions.

If you have a favorite mould maker, he can use this drawing ...
http://bpcr.net/site_docs-results_sc...enk_bullet.htm

It's 'official' name is the 460-550 Pedersoli-Gunn-Trenk bullet.
But, Paul Jones offers it as a stock item, and calls it the Pedersoli Chamber.
CM

[161]

Do you need to put a filler on top of the powder? If so, what do you use and how much?

NSB
I had never even heard of using filler until I came to this board. So somebody with more experience needs to answer that.

[myfriendis410]

I considered buying that mould as my 'first try' in finding the right bullet for my rifle. I read a ton of opinions on bullets (of all types) and found very few who tried that Lee bullet.

Of those who did use it, there were more who were disappointed than satisfied.

The main complaint (if I recall) was that it was prone to go haywire beyond 500 yards (or something like that).

If you want a heavy bullet for a Pedersoli Sharps, the PGT bullet is the natural 'first try' because it was designed for the Pedersoli chamber and throat dimensions.

If you have a favorite mould maker, he can use this drawing ...
http://bpcr.net/site_docs-results_sc...enk_bullet.htm

It's 'official' name is the 460-550 Pedersoli-Gunn-Trenk bullet.
But, Paul Jones offers it as a stock item, and calls it the Pedersoli Chamber.
CM

And, how would one get in contact with Paul Jones to have one made? What, in your opinion, would you size for a Pedersoli? .460?

[Baja_Traveler]

HERE is the link to Paul Jones' Pedersoli mold. Hit the Home button for contact info - He's in the Los Angeles area. I'm told that if you slug your barrel he can cut it to shoot as cast, so no sizing required.

It's on my "To Get" list when I have the $220 to spend.

[montana_charlie]

And, how would one get in contact with Paul Jones to have one made? What, in your opinion, would you size for a Pedersoli? .460?

His website is http://www.pauljonesmoulds.com
Click on Bullet Moulds ... click on .45 cal. Moulds Page 2
It is #45021

If the mould casts at .460" I would not size at all because I shoot fireformed cases without sizing them down. A .460" bullet will thumb seat in my case mouths.
If the as-cast dimension proves to be too large for your rifle/brass combination, size the least amount necessary to chamber easily.

This diagram is a true-to-scale representation of the PGT bullet in a Pedersoli 45/70 chamber



CM

[AKGrouch]

I recently got one of the Uberti long range Sharps rifles with the 34" barrel. It's really made by Pedersoli and first class. I've been reading and accumulating the necessary pieces parts to load it on the dark side and finally shot it this weekend for the first time and fell in love with it. Damn that thing is fun to shoot. I shot several different loads and found one that the gun really likes. It's one of Venturino's loads. 60.0 grs. of Goex Cartridge through a 20" drop tube, with a .060 vegetable fiber spacer behind the Lyman 457125 bullet at 520 grs. I'm using the Federal 215 primers just like Venturino recommended and WW brass. My best group was really a string of 5 shots that constantly touched as they climbed up the center of the target....about a total of 3/4" wide by 1 1/4" tall making one ragged hole that you could see was really 5 rounds.....That told me that the rifle will shoot better than my old eyes can see. I was using a circular insert in the front site and a C Sharps tang sight as the tang sight that comes with the rifle leaves a bit to be desired IMHO. Had to load some more rounds up for the Cantankerous Cowboy class for the SASS shoot on Saturday....looking forward to it.

[bigted]

akgrouch,,,i also have the very same rifle you describe and my loads also go verticle with little horozontal for the string. i recently 'learned' about the vibration affect with these long heavy barrels and i for one am looking forward to trying it out with this rifle and my browning hiwall as well. it goes something like this;

hold the rifle by the action with one hand and tap with the other hand [or a small plastic hammer like i have...an inertia style bullet puller would work as well] along the barrel length to find where the vibration is the least.[ my rifles have a dead spot that has no vibration at all]. this is the spot where the barrel should be rested for the best accuracy out of a rifle/barrel.

makes sense as mine all seem to climb or drop in the verticle string that blows my great groups with all 6 of my 45-70's. some are scoped and some have the tang sites and the browning and uberti have the longrange 'soul' type sights. i use the post front sight insert in both mine but have that teardrop looking front peep insert for them as well.

thought id pass along what im learning to all.

[bigted]

deleted a double here

[5.7 MAN]

I just picked up a used Pedersoli Sharps that was originally a 50-70, the previous owner reamed it to 50-90, it has a 34" barrel and pistol grip stock. I haven't had a chance to shoot it with BP yet but I put 20 or so rounds last week using a 425 Grn 50-70 bullet and AA5744 powder and It did pretty well, 2 3/4" group. I didn't have a good front sight insert but I will have one this week so I'll give it another go.

[AKGrouch]

akgrouch,,,i also have the very same rifle you describe and my loads also go verticle with little horozontal for the string. i recently 'learned' about the vibration affect with these long heavy barrels and i for one am looking forward to trying it out with this rifle and my browning hiwall as well. it goes something like this;

hold the rifle by the action with one hand and tap with the other hand [or a small plastic hammer like i have...an inertia style bullet puller would work as well] along the barrel length to find where the vibration is the least.[ my rifles have a dead spot that has no vibration at all]. this is the spot where the barrel should be rested for the best accuracy out of a rifle/barrel.

makes sense as mine all seem to climb or drop in the verticle string that blows my great groups with all 6 of my 45-70's. some are scoped and some have the tang sites and the browning and uberti have the longrange 'soul' type sights. i use the post front sight insert in both mine but have that teardrop looking front peep insert for them as well.

thought id pass along what im learning to all.

Now that is both interesting and makes sense. I'll have to try that. Thanks Ted - Central Alaska huh.....must not be too far apart since I'm in Anchorage.