50-140

[d garfield]

Does anybody shoot the 50=140 cartridge.?

[Gunlaker]

I have one. I haven't used it in a while as it's at the gunsmiths waiting to become a .45-90.

Chris.

[DeanWinchester]

I have fired one built on a Ruger #1 action using a turned down .50 BMG barrel.
I fired it once. I'm good for the rest of this life and possibly the next one too.

[williamwaco]

I have fired one built on a Ruger #1 action using a turned down .50 BMG barrel.
I fired it once. I'm good for the rest of this life and possibly the next one too.

I resemble that remark!

[Clay M]

A friend of mine had one in a 74 Sharps, and he said it would knock his cowboy hat off his head.He said it was bad, and he is a big special forces guy too. I think I will pass on that one.

[Gunlaker]

I found it not bad for shooting sitting from cross sticks so that your body rolls with the recoil. Other positions are not so good. Mine is being rebarreled to .45-90 as it's a much more practical long range cartridge.

With this cartridge you also go through a lot more lead and black powder.

Chris.

[Clay M]

I found it not bad for shooting sitting from cross sticks so that your body rolls with the recoil. Other positions are not so good. Mine is being rebarreled to .45-90 as it's a much more practical long range cartridge.

With this cartridge you also go through a lot more lead and black powder.

Chris.

The .45/90 is a fantasic round. Sounds like you made a good choice for a rebarrel.

[Bullshop]

If you look at the records kept by the hunters that marketed the most buff hides what you will find is that the 50/2.5 holds the closest to a 1 to 1 ratio for shots fired and hides harvested.
To me that makes it quite a practical long range round since I hunt more than target shoot. The 50/3.25 (50/140) was never really in the hide harvest as it was offered too late.
I have taken deer and moose with a 50/2.5 ( 50/90) and have great confidence in its game taking ability even at extended range. My game taking experience with 50/2.5 has all been less than 100 yards using a 600gn PP loaded with 100gn FFG.
One of the dear I shot here in Mt. was a nice 4x4 muley. He ran down a juniper choked cooley and up out the other side and stopped with his head/neck/and shoulder behind about an 8" diameter juniper. I got tired of holding up the 74 Sharps so held on the tree just about where the neck/shoulder junction should be. At the shot I could see large chunks of juniper flying and the buck dropped in his tracks.
Now how can you get a more practical cartridge than that?

[Clay M]

I love my .50/90 2.5 It is a lot of fun to shoot. Recoil is not an issue,but my rifle has a slow twist,and I only shoot 500 gr bullets.

[JeffinNZ]

It is true each rifle is sold with a shovel to fill the case with holy black?

[wgr]

It is true each rifle is sold with a shovel to fill the case with holy black?

no but you get a list of numbers for trama centers

[johnson1942]

i shoot a custom muzzle loader with a 30 inch barrel in 1.23 twist. the two bullets i shoot are 720 grain and 686 grain. i wouldnt dream of shooting 140 grains behind them. i use 100 grains of 2f goex. the recoil isnt a problem with this gun and i think the way the stock is shaped has a lot to do with it. if you go that route put a couple of dead mules in the butt stock and a good padded leather slip on recoil pad on it. the 50/90 straight is more comfortable and really can do some long distance shooting. if you use the common 1/26 twist barrels out their you can shoot a 500 grain bullet like mentioned above as far as you want. if you put the 1/24 green mountian barrel on it will handle even up to a 700 grain bullet. let us know what you do and how it works.

[bigted]

it all depends on the use of the big 50-140. if targets ... maybe not so much a great decision. for hunting ... may be a bit of overkill but it should be better then average in the killin dept.

i have ... against most advise i got ... a 45-120 ... matter of fact i have had 2 of them and continue to have a sharps in that chamber. it eats copious amounts of BP and takes the heaviest lead ball i can load in it ... read EXPENSIVE to keep runnin. but when it runs ... it is awe inspiring and i would pit it against any livin thing roamin the earth. that is exactly what i wanted it for ... huntin.

i have taken it to the range for a bit of target fun ... but it changed my mind in a hurry as the recoil was a bit stiff for the full loads it loves. BUT ... i really want to keep it just as is for the hunting i plan to do with it.

now as to the 50-140 ... if it were a dream of mine ... i would own one for the reasons that make sense to me. if a 50-140 is in your future ... then by all means ... get one and find out for your self what the boog-a-boo is all about.

another way to excersise your desire is to find another with a 50-140 and become friendly enough with him to maybe shoot his/hers and at best ... maybe help load n shoot it with your purchased put togethers like powder, lead, primers.

good luck with your venture ... and by all means ... report back with your finding as well as some photo's maybe of your fun.

[nanuk]

I had a C&H hammered double rifle in 500BPE (3") ... due to my use of 500 NE brass, I could only get 136gr of Goex in the case, using a 36" drop tube.

as a older style rifle, it came "UP" as opposed to "BACK" and bloodied the odd nose... but once you knew what to expect, it wasn't that bad....

136gr GOEX, 440gr Woodleigh JSP (didn't know about lubes/boolits etc back then)

I estimate the speed around 1750fps or so..... and it was FUN to shoot!

[waksupi]

I've seen them show up at shoots over the years. Usually not the same owner long. I've never seen one shoot good scores, because they beat the snot out of the guy shooting them. Too much of a good thing. Should be crew served.

[bikerbeans]

There are three folks on the GBO H&R forum that had JES rebore 32" H&R Buffalo Classic 45-70 barrels to 50-140. I was going to get in on in but thought better of it and sold my barrel and dies to one of these gents. As far as I know they are shooting smokeless not BP.

BB

[BruceB]

My Shiloh was a Christmas gift in the early '80s... serial #37XX., meaning Farmingdale NY production. It was a standard-weight #3 Sporter with 30" barrel. I'd expressed the "need" for a .50-140, and that's what was stamped on the barrel.

However, it turned out to be chambered in .50-2.5"..... given the moderate weight of the #3 rifle and its sharp-pointed "rifle" buttplate, I had MANY occasions to give thanks for Shiloh's mistake in the marking. The thought of even MORE recoil was less than attractive.

After many years of trial and tribulation with the early-spec .50 barrel, Shiloh offered me a half-price re-barrel job "for any caliber we make". I gladly accepted the offer, and the rifle now soldiers on as a .45-2.1"..... .45-70, in other words.

I was impressed with Shiloh, offering to "fix" a rifle which was built many years before the present ownership took over the company.

[chill45100]

My .45-100 is enough for me!

[swamp]

I have a Navy Arms Rolling block in 50-140 I bought years ago. Got the brass from the first run of BELL brass. 34 inch octogon barrel. I enjoy it. Heavy enough so the recoil isn't too bad. The picture is back when I was still loading black. 140gr. at night with no light but what you see.

[Rebel Dave]

I have one. It's a Garrett Arms 50-140. Garrets were only made for a short while, and are beautiful rifles, I got it in the early 80s, shot it a few times back then, and havn't since. 100 yrds doesn't do it justice.

Rebel Dave