Any rifle shooters in here?

[gryffon2004]

I mean single shots, and rifle calibers.  I will be buying a sharps rifle in 45-70 pretty soon, and was wondering about the rifle matches were like with these shooters.

[Jose Grande]

BPCR matches are shot out to 600 yds. at our range. Other ranges shoot 1000 yds. or even more. You can used crossed sticks to prop your rifle on. Shooting a 45-70 Sharps with BP is a hoot. You can not have more fun with your clothes on.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Try it buy a rifle without a curved buttplate. I have a Remington with a carbine buttplate. OUCH! 

Slim

[Boston John Doucette]

There is iron in Jose Grande's words...

Here in the West there are 1200 and 1367 yard "buffalo" and "Billy Dixon" matches... not only as side matches to big CAS events but as stand-alone matches as well.

The lines of the Sharps never did appeal to me as well as my Winchester 1885s... but there are times when I wish I had the extra weight behind that 500 grain bullet!

And Slim is right on the money... stay away from a curved buttplate. Shooting with it is no big deal in winter but when you're wearing summer weight clothing, a curved buttplate will dig, batter, bruise and carve you up pretty good in a 50-200 round session.

BJD

[Four-Eyed Buck]

Amen, Brother Doucette! I've got the Buffalo Classic in 45-70 and even the 405's will make an impression on you after 20 or so. Said curved butt plate and not as much weight to it= OUCH. So, you want an SG butt plate and some weight( 9lbs. and up), this equates to a Sharps, Rolling Block, or an 1885. There are some others out there, but can be rather pricey, Hepburns, Ballards( SIGH), even a Trapdoor in good shape ...............Buck

[Uncle Eph]

I am a Remington man myself (love them RBs and Hepburns) and in the past I shot alot of buffalo and LR matches, this year because of reasons beyond my control I will mainly be shooting out my back door, which ain't all bad because I have 600 yds to play with.

I agree that the curved plate wins on style but if you want to shoot up to a hundred rds a day and you are not the man of steel you are better off going as flat as you can.  Treebone is who whittles my stocks and I like thier buttplates to.

I have said in the past that for my money the best pad is a piece of shearling under your shirt next to your skin, it will stay there all day and not many folks will even notice it being there.

[gryffon2004]

What kinda targets are you shootin at.  Bear in mind ive never been to a cas match.

[gryffon2004]

Emf sells a 45-120.  Anybody shot one of these cannons?

[Uncle Eph]

i have never shot one of those critters but I did build a Hepburn in 45-110 a few years ago and once I worked a load up that it liked it was a fine shooter.

the thing to remember when you are talking about calibers like that, is that what the factory came up with more than hundred years ago useing the old style case and a specific weight bullet is a lot different then today's loads, what we are shooting now days is usually less of a BP load the back then.

[Four-Eyed Buck]

Depends on the Club's set up, or in the BPCR matches, you're shooting steel silohettes . Chickens, pigs ,turkeys, rams......Buck

[Uncle Eph]

I have shot at everything from cutout of a mounted rider at 1536 yds (Billy Dixon), full size buff at 800 (Q) to a metal bucket at 400 + (my backyard) and all sorts of paper at LR shoots and all them critters at sillywets.

[El Paso Pete]

Emf sells a 45-120.  Anybody shot one of these cannons?

In my travels over in the Shiloh site it seems no one has a problem findin a good load for 45-70 or 45-90.  There seems be quite a number of fellers askin for good 45-110 loads and even more for 45-120 loads.

I shoot a 50-90 and have no problems finding loads that give me good groups.