40-50 Sharps Straight

[AlanF]

Would like to hear of the experiences of those who shoot a 40-50 Sharps Straight. It seems like it would make a mild-mannered Eastern woods hunter and target shooter. I need to settle on particulars for a Shiloh Sharpes and I want to stay with an original chambering and one that is accurate and shooter-friendly. Please share your experience and knowledge. Thank you and happy New Year.

Alan

[NickSS]

I have a friend who has a Shiloh in 40-50 SBN which is not the same cartridge as the Straight walled case but is about the same load. He uses his for BP Shutzen matches and it is a really accurate rifle. He uses bullets of several sizes from 260 gr to over 400 gr and they all seam to work. About all the powder he can get into the shell is 45 gr of FFFG and I expect the same will hold true for the straight case as well.

[excess650]

I shot a 40-50 SBN for several years and will say that it can be accurate and shoulder friendly. With boolits loaded to the base of the neck, powder charges were generally a bit more than 50gr with WW cases, and just under 50gr with RP cases. BTW, the NRA BPCRS turkey long run record(32) was shot with a rifle chambered for 40-50 SBN.

I've known of a couple of shooters using the 40-50 SS for BPCRS, and they had to use fffg to generate enough velocity to reliably knock down rams. The straight case definitely has less case capacity.

If you weren't focused upon an original caliber, I would suggest the 40-60 Maynard which uses a longer case, 2.1-2.2" long vs the 1.94" 40-50SS. The 40-60 holds more than the 40-50SBN, but is also easy to load for and easy on the shoulder. OTOH, I would advise against the 40-70SS as its seems to be a rare shooter who thinks his rifle is accurate consistently.

If you are going the smokelss route, do the 40-50SS. The smaller capacity will be more friendly with smokeless.

[AlanF]

excess650 how is the case forming for the 40-50 SBN? Does it require a set of forming dies?

[Cimarron Red]

My friend excess650 knows about the .40-50 SBN. The long run turkey record he speaks of was set by himself at the Shippensburg (Pennsylvania) Rod & Gun Club in, I believe, April of 2003. I was fortunate enough to be a witness. It was quite a feat and quite a spectacle! Congratulations again, Eric!

[scb]

There's this hunting article about the 40-50 not with a Sharps rifle tho. http://www.lasc.us/FryxellHogHunt4050Sharps.htm

[excess650]

excess650 how is the case forming for the 40-50 SBN? Does it require a set of forming dies?

A set of RCBS dies will do most of the work. With WW cases you might get by, but RP will require outside turning or inside reaming. FL size to create the bottleneck, shorten the neck ( I used a tubing cutter), expand, load, and shoot.

After the inital forming, cases need only be partial sized (not full length) and expanded.

[excess650]

My friend excess650 knows about the .40-50 SBN. The long run turkey record he speaks of was set by himself at the Shippensburg (Pennsylvania) Rod & Gun Club in, I believe, April of 2003. I was fortunate enough to be a witness. It was quite a feat and quite a spectacle! Congratulations again, Eric!

Thanks Gary, but I was tryin' to fly under the radar....April 2001 I think. There was a pretty heavy turnout that match and there had to be at least 50 witnesses including a member of the NRA Competitions Division Staff (George Harris).

[Cimarron Red]

Eric,

Glad to expose you for the truly humble guy you are! You're no doubt right on the date. It was sure fun to watch the birds fall. A few years later I was at a shoot at McDonald when Ken White set the long run record on rams at 29. I think it still stands as well.

[AlanF]

Thanks for the additional info guys. I enjoyed the 40-50 article scb. Now I'm considering a BN vice the Straight. Got a little more homework to do...

[BPCR Bill]

Never shot bottlenecks mysef, but know plenty of guys who have. Fouling seems to be a bigger issue with the bottneck cartridges from what I have observed, so if anyone has any tips on this, give a shout-out. This has been the reaon I have pretty much stayed away from BN cartridges and BP. Just a thought.

Regards,
Bill

[excess650]

Never shot bottlenecks mysef, but know plenty of guys who have. Fouling seems to be a bigger issue with the bottneck cartridges from what I have observed, so if anyone has any tips on this, give a shout-out. This has been the reaon I have pretty much stayed away from BN cartridges and BP. Just a thought.

Regards,
Bill

Fouling may be a problem in the BIG BNs, but it was NOT in the 40-50SBN, and NOT in the 40-70Govt. This latter cartridge is a shortened 40-70SBN mabe by using the 45-70 case, so is a 40-70 2.1" BN vs the 40-70 2.25" BN. The 40-70 Govt held 70-72gr Goex ffg in RP cases. I used a blowtube, either my own lube or Lee Shaver's Moly, and could shoot until the barrel was too hot to touch. My normal routine between relays was just to blow 3 breaths and push a DRY patch through. The bore would shine because the residual "fouling" came out wet looking like used motor oil.

Further, the 40-50SBN was easy to develop loads with and didn't seem to care if it was Goex ffg, fffg, or Ctg. My rifle had a 1-18" twist and easily handled 400gr boolits, yet worked well with the RCBS 40-300CSA, 40-350CSA, and a couple of customs that I had David Mos cut (340gr and 355gr). My 400gr of choice in that rifle was the NEI 212G(? looked like the 457125). The little RCBS was sensitive in the wind, but I rarely shot it past 300m. The 340gr and 355gr Mos customs didn't seem nearly as sensitive.

[AlanF]

Thanks excess650.