50-90 ss

[bigted]

ok this has bugged me for long enough! off n on over the years ive gotten this bug but have never pulled the trigger on it yet becouse of a few questions about the round and also what is the optimum twist for the 50cal. so thought id ask a couple questions while my 2.1 cases are soaking in their nice hot bath for scrubbing.

is this the BIG 50 talked about so often?

does this case have special needs for loading?

what exactly is the final bore diameter often encountered in this calibre?

what weight boolits are considered "just rite" for this beast?

seems like a natural for hunting...is this so?

dont hear about this in the winners circle for silly wets or long distance...why?

is the cases for this round hard to get?

ive seen only a few moulds for this 50cal...are they generally good enough or am i looking at "special" moulds?

ok ok ok...i know...ill let these forment for awhile and hope that more then a couple of you have experience with this so i can get a rounded view for this while i dream of yet another project...lol needs this like another hole!

thanks in advance for the unbriddled entheusiam i feel comingon.

...:popcorn:...:veryconfu...[smilie=s:

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

1. yes
2. nope
3. .510, IIRC
4. 350-700gr
5. yes
6. recoil in a long match can be an issue
7. no, Starline makes them
8. the moulds for the 50-70 work

My brother shoots a Shiloh 50-90. Find EdK here and chat with him. He did pretty well last year at Quigley with it.


Rich

[EDK]

1. Three 50s...50/70 Government; 50/90 aka 50 X 2.5 Sharps straight; 50/140, which is a Winchester and not available until AFTER Sharps closed its door. (bobw over at shilohrifle.com/forums shoots a 10.5 pound 50/140 with 500+ grain boolits at the Quigley shoot every year. He runs off the wimps and rattlesnakes on his corner of the firing line...and takes great pride and enjoyment in doing it.)
2. Only if you want to do neck sizing, etc.
3. IIRC Shiloh specs .500 bore and .510 groove.
4. With the 1 in 22 twist of the Shiloh, 600+ is a good idea...if you believe in the Greenhill formula.
5. John Hanson managed one of Ted Turner's buffalo ranches...recommended a 50/90...used one himself as a guide rifle...designed the Brooks boolit mould I have been using. (Got a paper patch Kalynuik and a 700 grease groove design from Buffalo Arms that I haven't done much with yet.)
6. Recoil with the NRA weight limits; competitors looking for an edge. Getting A Stand mentions Jim White who had three sixteen pound 50/90s.
7. They ain't at WalMart...or most gun shops, but Starline, Buffalo Arms, Midway are a phone call away.
8. First mould was Lyman 515142; then the Brooks/Hanson boolit; the Kalynuik paper patch and BACO grease groove. Good designs and I had no problems other than they pull the level of the lead pot down awful fast!

It is a money pit, but so is anything else. All my life I read about a Sharps Big 50. February of 2003 I had some cardiac problems; September of 03, I stopped off at Big Timber, looked at Shiloh Rifle and then ordered the gun. Got it in February 05 and it was PERFECT. I've driven 3000+ from St Louis MO to go to the Quigley shoot and back every year since.

Send a PM to me and we"ll trade phone numbers and talk each other's ear off. "I ain't much of a rifle shot," but nobody has a better time at Quigley...without winning...than I do.

:Fire::cbpour::redneck:

[Lead pot]

I shoot the "Big 50" 2.5 Sharps and it is the most accurate Sharps rifle I shoot out of 6 different calibers.
It has always let my finish pretty high at the Quigley and Alliance Ne. when conditions are rough I pick up the .50.
With a 110 grain load of 1 or 2F powder and a 720 grain bullet it is not a caliber for the timid.
So far as accuracy is concerned, nothing I have out of the 12 black powder cartridge rifles, none will out shoot it.

[Don McDowell]

I know of a couple of 50-90 shooters that usually make a good showing near the top of several buffalo matches, Leadpot here is one of them.Dick Savage used a C Sharps big 50 last year with some pretty good scores, and Randy Ellingrod shoots a heavy barreled Shiloh to very good affect in a variety of both paper and gong matches.
I see that Jamison International is making 50-90 brass now along with Starline.
Edk and Idaho are both good people and pretty decent riflemen, you'll enjoy the phone calls with them..

[Kenny Wasserburger]

When it comes to coolness level of BPCR:

There are 5 cartridges that stand alone:

40-70 sharps straight

40-90 BN Sharps

44-77 Sharps

45-110 Sharps

50-90 Sharps

KW

The Lunger

[Lead pot]

Yes Kenny I agree and I would also add the .44-90 BN (2-5/8)
Ain't it funny that a a lot of people say they just wont shoot.:popcorn:

[Kenny Wasserburger]

Yeah the old 44-90 BN is also one of the cooler cartidges from the buffalo Era.

I really liked my 40-90 BN but it kicked soo bad had a very lightweight barrel and was killer in the prone but shot very well.

I had it rebarreled by Kirk into a 1-14 twist 38-55 then had the chamber redone last year to a 38-50, what a shooter !!!! and great for Silhouette.

KW
The Lunger

[bigted]

very cool fellas. was tempted to bid on a browning 85 in this 50-90 sharps but it is housed in a pretty lite rifle and i have already had the privlage of a 8 lbs 45-120 so another beater isnt where im at but i do have a heavy rifle that a re-bore or a re-barrel isnt outta the question.

thanks again to ALL for the friendly and helpfull reply's.

[semtav]

I've been shooting a Winchester 1885 in 50-90 this winter. Not near as bad as the 45-120. weighs a little under 12 lb. I'm sure a 16 lb one would be nicer. Specially if you shoot in your shirtsleeves with no recoil pad like Kurt does.
Hoch nose pour 650 gr bullet and 110 gr Goex FG.
Gonna try it at the Buffalo match next weekend.





Just don't buy that crescent Butted, Limited edition like they are selling on gunbroker right now.

[waksupi]

The crescent butt rifles are fine to shoot, if you mount them as they are intended to be shot.

[bigted]

I've been shooting a Winchester 1885 in 50-90 this winter. Not near as bad as the 45-120. weighs a little under 12 lb. I'm sure a 16 lb one would be nicer. Specially if you shoot in your shirtsleeves with no recoil pad like Kurt does.
Hoch nose pour 650 gr bullet and 110 gr Goex FG.
Gonna try it at the Buffalo match next weekend.





Just don't buy that crescent Butted, Limited edition like they are selling on gunbroker right now.



i was actually tempted to bid on that very rifle but...when i asked the fella that was selling it a question or two,,,he answers were;

" i dont know,,,,dosnt it say so on the box,,,,i have no idea".

well now i understand not knowing a subject matter and even not knowing your product but criky mate...this was suppose to be a rifle out of his personal hunting battery...at least i think i would have made a couple phone calls or look up on this net to answer questions as to twist and model as well as weight...ho hum i guess ill wait for awhile longer for the 50-90 sharps project. im very tempted to have my ped sharps so chambered either by having it bored or just rebarreling with a badger...dont know about going the green mountain direction tho...got a 38-55 in the works with a G/M barrel in a #4 coutour so will wait till it gets done n see how that barrel shoots first.

can i expect to have this heavy 45-70 barrel re-bored to 50-90 with confidence that it will turn out as a shooter? this should be the shis nits for a heavy recoiling rifle...34 inch barrel n weighs around 12 lbs. seems like i heard of a fella that is recomended here for re-boring at a very reassonable price and with a good rep.

[smilie=s:...the sickness never gives an inch huh?...:shock:


thanks again.

[Don McDowell]

Ted I saw a take off winchester 50-90 barrel on gunbroker the other night.

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

Quigley is getting close. EDK made the reservations at the Rail's End.

Rich

[Don McDowell]

Yessiree, won't be long now..

[Lead pot]

I'm going to make a comment about the .50-2.5 before some of you start thinking this is the answer to your accuracy needs.
A rifle will only shoot as good as the person behind the but plate can control the rifle he is shooting. If you are sensitive to recoil the .50 is not the rifle for you because you will never be consistent shooting it because of what the anticipated recoil will do to you when you break the shot and you end up blaming the rifle that it dont shoot.
Take calibers like the .50-2.5, .45-325. 45-2 7/8 get a bad reputation that they are hard to get to shoot well they will be if you cant stand the recoil.
There are a lot of guys shooting these heavy bucking rifles and turning in some good scores but there also more that dont and it is usually the rifle or caliber that gets the blame were it's most likely the guy behind the but plate.

By the way, a .50-2.5 is not the rifle to take to a silhouette match:roll:
It will shoot the heads off the turkey and legs off the ram and unhook the swingers and if your good enough to hit the chickens you will have to climb over the berm to retrieve them to set them up again. Dont ask how I know this[smilie=1:

[EDK]

Shooting a 50/90 is similar to shooting 44 Magnum pistols with full power loads. You are using a high horse power item...it is gonna hammer you and the target both.

If I forgot my shoulder pad at the Quigley shoot, I got bruised up some. Nothing big, but with various blood pressure medications, etc, it could be hazardous for some people...there are a lot of us older types at the shoots. (My work group at the Labadie MO power plant has 30 people; no one under 30 and 15 over 50 years old.) I "cheated" and had the folk at SHILOH install a recoil reducer when they built my Long Range Express...heavy 34 inch octagon barrel too.

Thanks guys for the kind words. I'm just a rookie, but I try to do my homework . I've been looking forward to seeing everyone at the Q again.

:cbpour::redneck::Fire:

[RMulhern]

I'm going to make a comment about the .50-2.5 before some of you start thinking this is the answer to your accuracy needs.
A rifle will only shoot as good as the person behind the but plate can control the rifle he is shooting. If you are sensitive to recoil the .50 is not the rifle for you because you will never be consistent shooting it because of what the anticipated recoil will do to you when you break the shot and you end up blaming the rifle that it dont shoot.
Take calibers like the .50-2.5, .45-325. 45-2 7/8 get a bad reputation that they are hard to get to shoot well they will be if you cant stand the recoil.
There are a lot of guys shooting these heavy bucking rifles and turning in some good scores but there also more that dont and it is usually the rifle or caliber that gets the blame were it's most likely the guy behind the but plate.

By the way, a .50-2.5 is not the rifle to take to a silhouette match:roll:
It will shoot the heads off the turkey and legs off the ram and unhook the swingers and if your good enough to hit the chickens you will have to climb over the berm to retrieve them to set them up again. Dont ask how I know this[smilie=1:

Kurt

" Dont ask how I know this!"

Tell 'em bout it Bub!! :bigsmyl2::popcorn::veryconfu They ain't for the 'tender-skinned'....but they shoot damn good!!:bigsmyl2:[smilie=s:

[RMulhern]

very cool fellas. was tempted to bid on a browning 85 in this 50-90 sharps but it is housed in a pretty lite rifle and i have already had the privlage of a 8 lbs 45-120 so another beater isnt where im at but i do have a heavy rifle that a re-bore or a re-barrel isnt outta the question.

thanks again to ALL for the friendly and helpfull reply's.

bigted

Here's one I'll send on down the line....but it ain't an 'El Cheapo'! I've got two...don't need this one. New heavy 34" Badger barrel. Rifle weighs right at 16#. Shoots damn good....especially PP!

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5136/5585539143_7d8fc656f6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/61286670@N08/5585539143/)Heavy.50 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/61286670@N08/5585539143/) by Sharps45 2 7/8 (http://www.flickr.com/people/61286670@N08/), on Flickr

[bigted]

mulhern,,,should i be feeling for my wallet? send me a pm sir.

[semtav]

Went out and Shot My 50-90 at the 1000 yd line a couple weeks ago. Once I got on target I hit about 7 in a row. then the "gun" started missing the target. Really noticed the difference between middle of the winter shooting with heavey coat and butt Pad, and shirtsleeves and buttpad.
I haven't shot it from the prone postion yet to see how bad it kicks like that.
I'm hoping its cold next weekend so i can wear a heavy coat. :?

[Gunlaker]

Went out and Shot My 50-90 at the 1000 yd line a couple weeks ago. Once I got on target I hit about 7 in a row. then the "gun" started missing the target. Really noticed the difference between middle of the winter shooting with heavey coat and butt Pad, and shirtsleeves and buttpad.
I haven't shot it from the prone postion yet to see how bad it kicks like that.
I'm hoping its cold next weekend so i can wear a heavy coat. :?

The only problem I've found with heavy coats is that it's difficult to position the rifle butt exactly the same from shot to shot. I often get horizontal stringing when wearing a big coat in the cold.

I can't imagine shooting my .50 prone. Sitting with cross sticks works best for me :oops:

Chris.

[Lead pot]

semtav just dont shoot it up hill prone

[semtav]

I'll keep that in mind :)

[hydraulic]

I got to shoot Kurt's fifty last year at Alliance; shot it 5 times and hit the 400 yd target 4 times. I said to Kurt, "Now I can say I've shot a big fifty with 90 grains of powder." and he replied that he had managed to get 110 grains in that brontosauras. Suprisingly, the recoil was not all that bad, and I'm 73 and only weigh 165 lbs. In view of the cost of lead, powder, cases, etc., I guess I'll stick with my .45 2.1.

[Lead pot]

Well Charlie if you wouldn't have shot the one shot in the dark you would have got em all [smilie=1:

[Don McDowell]

Yup Kurts big 50 is enjoyable to shoot, but not as much as the 44-2 5/8

[Lead pot]

not with 2F KIK using a money bullet it isn't.
I used every possible load combination and alloys and so far the best was 3" and the rest from there to 16".
No mere money bullets through the .44.
By the way I have some 1.5 KIK and 1F coming you still want to try some of it? if you do bring some wampum with you.:roll:

[Don McDowell]

Ubecha, just swap the 2f kik for a the 1.5 kik.
If I run a bunch of bullets you want to try some of those 435's at 480 grs?