Sharps Rifle suggestions

[Gunlaker]

I'd pick a Shiloh over a C. Sharps any time, based on my experience with them. As for options, if you want to shoot at far targets I'd recommend a pistol grip stock with little drop and a shotgun butt plate. Long Range Express, #1, or the newer Rough Rider stock. I'd pick a .45-90 at minimum, but the .45-100 will be a better choice. The .45-110 is great, but you'll have a hard time getting brass. I bought plenty back when the Normal .45-2.88" brass was easy to get.

Unless you plan on shooting off hand, heavier barrels are better. I prefer them to be longer than 30" personally, as they just seem more stable on cross sticks, unless they are a bull barrel rifle which is very steady on the sticks.

I think the ideal choice is my most recent Shiloh. 16lb bull barrel .45-100, 1:16 twist, 30" barrel, modern Rough Rider stock. It's set up for a 23" MVA scope as well as a LR Buffalo Soule and Windgage front sight.

Chris.

[JKR]

I own both C Sharps and Shiloh. I’ve won long range matches with both. I prefer the C Sharps only because it’s two pounds heavier which helps dampen the recoil somewhat.
For long range, a heavy rifle with a high comb and pistol grip stock is desirable. More important is that you learn to read wind and load perfect ammunition.
JKR

[Woodtroll]

Shiloh all the way. Great rifles and great customer service.

C. Sharps can also make a fine rifle, but the owner is dishonest. I may buy one of their used rifles some day but will never, ever buy a new one from that company. Might as well give your money to Biden.

[M-Tecs]

Shiloh all the way. Great rifles and great customer service.

C. Sharps can also make a fine rifle, but the owner is dishonest. I may buy one of their used rifles some day but will never, ever buy a new one from that company. Might as well give your money to Biden.

That's how I ended up with my 45-100 C. Sharps. I am very happy with it. Shoots awesome and fit and finish is equal to my friends Shiloh's. The only thing I don't like about it is no pistol grip but that's how it was ordered. The original owner ordered it at the NRA Convention is Minneapolis in the early 90's. He paid a significant amount for high grade wood. When it arrived the wood was very average. C Sharps would not do anything about it. My friend was so PO'ed he only shot it a couple of times. Later he sold it to me for his cost minus the wood upgrade.

Every person that I have talked to about Shiloh only had one complaint and it was always the same. They didn't like having to wait for the back-order times.

[almar]

I have a pedersoli sharps long range model and a winchester 1886 both in 45-90 but i should be getting my 45-110 from goodman sometime in january. 45-90 brass was hard to find during the covid era but when it became available i stocked up a bit. The only source of 45-110 is 45-120 brass that you trim down and although it is expensive, you wont cycle through it like normal high pressure brass if you use black. Maintain them well and they will last many more cycles. Some say a lifetime but i haven't lived a lifetime yet to know.

[JKR]

I love Sharps rifles, don’t get me wrong. But, knowing what I now know about BPCR long range competition, if I were to build a rifle just for long range, it would be a High Wall.
JKR

[DocSavage]

I've a Shiloh LRE love the rifle fitted with an RHO Malcolm scope but I made one minor mistake if you want to calling that it has a 34" heavy barrel and it weighs in at 14 lbs. I'm not a long range shooter 100+ yards but the extra weight of the barrel sure dampens recoil especially when using 500+ gr bullets. Rifle is 45/70 .

[SoonerEd]

I've got a Shiloh in 45-90 and it is a great rifle. I like it better for long range silhouetes than my pedersolli rolling block in 45-70 as it is extremely accurate if you can cast high precision bullets. However the pedersolli handles 28,000 CUP smokeless powder which makes it a better general purpose rifle for hunting and non-serious target shooting.

[M-Tecs]

I've got a Shiloh in 45-90 and it is a great rifle. I like it better for long range silhouetes than my pedersolli rolling block in 45-70 as it is extremely accurate if you can cast high precision bullets. However the pedersolli handles 28,000 CUP smokeless powder which makes it a better general purpose rifle for hunting and non-serious target shooting.

28,000 CUP/PSI is standard SAAMI for the 45/70. At 28,000 PSI and CUP are the same. The point is Shiloh is safe at 28,000 PSI/CUP. If SAAMI doesn't have a spec all manufactures say BP only for the older BP cartridges.

Example here:

http://www.texas-mac.com/BPCR_Firearms.html

Shooting smokeless ammo in your Browning or Winchester BPCR:
A question I’m asked a lot is, “Can I shoot smokeless ammunition in
the Browning or Winchester BPCRs”? I addressed this issue in more
detail in my book but thought I’d also provide a response here to
“head off” additional questions. Due to liability concerns, I’m not
going to make a recommendation on using smokeless in your BPCR,
but I will provide some details to help you make an educated
decision.

All the Browning and Winchester BPCRs with Badger barrels are
identical concerning the source and the material used. All the
barrels are made from high quality SAE 4150 chromemoly steel.
The Browning .45-70 rifle barrels are marked RECOMMENDED FOR
BLACK POWDER. The .40-65, .45-90 and .50-90 rifle barrels are
marked …BLACK POWDER ONLY. Browning’s Owner’s Manual clearly
states that the .45-70 can also accept the pressures of
commercially loaded smokeless ammunition with jacketed bullets.
Therefore it’s clearly OK to shoot smokeless ammo in the .45-70
BPCR. Of course the ammunition must meet SAAMI specifications.
But the same factory recommendation does not apply to the
Browning .40-65, Browning or Winchester .45-90 or Winchester .50-
90 rifles.

Browning proof-tested the Badger barrels prior to selecting the final
barrel supplier. During the test, pressures were increase to a level
sufficient to liquefy the brass and drive it into the extractor slot.
The brass was cleaned out and the testing continued without barrel
failure. Based on the test results, “calculated” failure pressures
were well above any range expected to be reached with
commercial smokeless ammo.

So why can’t smokeless ammo be used in the .40-65, .45-90 or .50-
90 rifles? The barrels are quite thick and heavy, with lots of high
quality steel surrounding the chamber and bore. With the
exception of freebore and a slightly longer chamber, the .45-90
bore is identical to the .45-70. The chamber and bore dimensions
of the .40-65 are smaller than the .45-70, resulting in additional
barrel material surrounding the chamber and bore. The answer is
because Browning and Winchester are SAAMI members, and SAAMI
does not specify chamber dimensions and ammunition standards for
the .40-65, .45-90 or .50-90 cartridges. Consequently, due to
liability concerns, Browning and Winchester made it clear the .40-
65, .45-90 and .50-90 rifles were designed for BLACK POWDER ONLY
by clearly stamping the barrels accordingly. It’s certainly your call,
but personally I would have no concerns about shooting
commercially loaded smokeless ammo in one of my Browning or
Winchester Badger barreled BPCRs.

Wishing you great shooting,
Wayne

[stubshaft]

There is nowhere to shoot long range blackpowder in my neck of the woods, so I'll just stick to plugging hogs and goats with my Shiloh 1874 Carbine.

[JKR]

There is nowhere to shoot long range blackpowder in my neck of the woods, so I'll just stick to plugging hogs and goats with my Shiloh 1874 Carbine.

A perfect example of the perfect rifle for its intended use!

JKR

[Kenny Wasserburger]

I have a pedersoli sharps long range model and a winchester 1886 both in 45-90 but i should be getting my 45-110 from goodman sometime in january. 45-90 brass was hard to find during the covid era but when it became available i stocked up a bit. The only source of 45-110 is 45-120 brass that you trim down and although it is expensive, you wont cycle through it like normal high pressure brass if you use black. Maintain them well and they will last many more cycles. Some say a lifetime but i haven't lived a lifetime yet to know.

Not sure where you get your information, but you’re mistaken. Norma makes the 2-7/8 case and you don’t have to trim 45-3-1/4 to do so.

It’s this kind of misinformation that needs quashed.

I been shooting the cartridge since 1994 that’s 28 years and never made brass from a 3-1/4 case.

Kenny Wasserburger

[almar]

Somebody needs to breathe from a paper bag for a bit, can you find this norma brass at the moment?

[Don McDowell]

Norma doesn’t list either of their 45 basic brass on their website

[almar]

Norma doesn’t list either of their 45 basic brass on their website

Do you know if this common practice for them, or are they discontinued like some distributors mention?

[Don McDowell]

Don't know , but my guess is discontinued due to lack of sales/orders

[45-110]

I would bet that if Norma made a run of 10,000 or more .45 basic cases they would be sold in a week. There surely are a lot of shooters waiting to restock their case supplies, and MFG's are still chambering new rifles in 45-110.
kw

[Don McDowell]

It would probably take some one to contact Norma and order 10-20k to get them back in production
Even at that it probably wouldn’t happen until the demand for 6.5 Jenner and 9 mm crinchintinker to get caught up

[Kenny Wasserburger]

Somebody needs to breathe from a paper bag for a bit, can you find this norma brass at the moment?

Someone needs to get their facts straight.

I just checked Norma’s website still shows 45 basic the 2.880 and the 120.

I received 100 cases from buffalo Arms less than a year ago, and have 100 more on order.

KW.

[Kenny Wasserburger]