40-50 Sharps Straight

[TonyT]

I have had a Remington-Hepburn in 40-50 Sharps Straight for sveral yeras and am finally getting around to loading. I have formed some cases from 30-40 Krag brass.
Does anyone have any good loading data for this cartridge?

[Boz330]

Fill it up with BP shove a boolit in and go for it, can't get too much powder in the case.:kidding:
40-65 data should work just fine just start on the low end of the data if using smokeless. Do you know what boolit you are going to use and what is the twist?
A real good smokless load I liked in my 40-65, (I don't shoot smokeless anymore in it), is 14gr of Unique behind a 350gr RCBS CSA boolit. I would think 5744 and Trail Boss would also give good results.
Lately I've had the hots to build one of these little beautys for hunting, got a Swedish RB action 1889 and a 40 cal barrel crying that it wants to be a 40-50. If I would ever feel the need for more speed than BP, it should be pretty easy to get 444+ numbers with white powder.
Still trying to convince a buddy of mine to go in on a 40-70 reamer from Pacific and we can do anything from a 40-40 Maynard to the 40-70SS. That round is just too cute.

Bob

[NickSS]

I have loaded for the 40-65 for several years now and have always thought of it as a good all around cartridge. I have yet to try a straight wall 40 cal but have thought a lot of the 40-60 maynard that a friend of mine has. It is like the Sharps straight but a bit longer and therefore has a bit more velocity with black and would be more versatile for silhouette shooting

[Ron B.]

Absolutely love these old calibers! [smilie=w:

I recently acquired a 40-65 Rolling Block. Here's data for my best two loads so far.
Both Hodgdon's Varget, and Accurate's 5744 perform admirably for me. Please bare
in mind, I'm at 6800 feet altitude; so your results may vary. I suggest chronographing anything you load; initially shooting/reloading only 1-3 rounds at a time, until you get a safe load worked up.

There is one error, shown on the Brook's load; I sized both style bullets to .409; not .408. :veryconfu

Good luck!
Have fun!

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[John Taylor]

I'm finding there is a lot of variation in rim thickness. I just got done chambering a rolling block and the customer has some original 40-50 sharps strait brass with a .073" rim. Some books show the rim on the 30-40 at .062" to .065". Probably doesn't matter much as there isn't enough pressure to stretch the brass with BP but sometimes the primer may come out a little. It should be a lot of fun to shoot.

[StrawHat]

Here is a link to a couple of articles by Glen Fryxell on the 40-50 Sharps.

http://www.lasc.us/FryxellHogHunt4050Sharps.htm

and

http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell40-50SharpsContender.htm

Both articles deal with a T/C Contender but the info should be relative to what you need.

[TonyT]

Gentlemen,
Many thanks for all the information. I do have Lyman #403169 and will see what it does in the old Hepburn. I have used Acc#5744 and SR-4759 in 40-65 and 38-55 with good results so I will start with those powders but am also intrigued by the use of Unique which I do use for mild loads in 45-70 and 458 Win Mag.

[zkstoy]

I load 14 gr. Of unique in my 40-65 highwall and have a full day of fun shooting out to 400 yards. Very accurate and very gentle on this old man. I use a 260 gr. Lead bullets that i buy. If it dings the steel at 400-500 im a happy shooter. I can shoot with ( well , the gun and load can shoot ) right along with the big ole 45-70's, sharps and other configurations, black powder or other more expensive "rifle" powders. I dont like 10-12 different powders on my bench when the one does such a good job for me.

[Cactus Farmer]

I had reamer build that will be a 30-40 full length,2.3". I am building a Farrow in this caliber and just because I could I had the reamer marked 40-65 Maynard.
It will be a little light but who feels recoil when your having fun! My first Farrow is a 38-55 1-16 twist for the 300 grn pills as the rams are a little tough with factory weight 255s. And I put pretty wood on it because "Life is too short to hunt with an ugly gun."


Fill it up with BP shove a boolit in and go for it, can't get too much powder in the case.:kidding:
Still trying to convince a buddy of mine to go in on a 40-70 reamer from Pacific and we can do anything from a 40-40 Maynard to the 40-70SS. That round is just too cute.

Bob

[Boz330]

I had reamer build that will be a 30-40 full length,2.3". I am building a Farrow in this caliber and just because I could I had the reamer marked 40-65 Maynard.
It will be a little light but who feels recoil when your having fun! My first Farrow is a 38-55 1-16 twist for the 300 grn pills as the rams are a little tough with factory weight 255s. And I put pretty wood on it because "Life is too short to hunt with an ugly gun."

Cactus, are you building your Farrow from plans or one of the Frontier castings? That is a simple and neat looking action. The KISS principle at it's best.

Bob

[Cactus Farmer]

I got my castings from a fellow long gone from East Texas. Not a hole in anything but an unthreaded barrel hole and a ROUGH hole for the breach block. I make every part except the rear sight( a soule type from Parts Unknown) and the bubble and inserts for the front. It's the prettiest gun I own. Wood to die for! It is a joy to shoot and clean. 100+ shots with accuracy and a 4 patch clean up with the Murphy old/Acohol,Peroxide mix. If 45's are the real deal and 40's are rat guns,this is my "Hummingbird gun". That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
I was shooting 38-55s at BPCR matches long before the big names discovered this caliber. Raton in 1999 was my second year to go and my first to shoot my little "Hummer". That was a great year.........sigh..........

[Boz330]

How about a couple pictures?
1999, I could still kinda see back then. I'm using a Malcolm scope now, but it sure is nice to see the targets again.

Bob

[Poisonslinger]

I have an original Ballard action, new barrel and wood chambered in 40-50SS that my daughter used this year for her cow elk.

short yardage - but one shot, top of the heart (see below).

my best smokless load is:
31.0 gr of AA2495 (very near a full case)
300 gr RCBS CSA bullet in 30:1
RMC brass, 9.5 primers and a Walters wad

For all my older, 'softer' actions I have come to love that AA 2495. Take a look at the loading table and you see that it almost always has the lowest pressure for an extra few feet of velocity. Just what you want for hunting.

I'd have to look for my other loads, but I have them worked up for 40-70, 38-55 and 45-70.

The downside to the powder is that you normally have to order it - most stores do not carry it.

Yell if you want more info.

Rick Patton
Cody


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