The Big Fifty

[Dave T]

Since 1985 when I first read the story of Billy Dixon's mile long shot at the second battle of Adobe Walls in 1874, I've wanted a Sharps '74 in 50 2-1/2" Sharps Straight. Also known as the 50-90 Sharps this is the "Big Fifty" of legend and lore, not the 50 3-1/4" according to most authorities.

Well I finally found a used one when I had the money to do something about it. It is a Shiloh Sharps Business Rifle with a 28" round barrel, a plane walnut stock, the military steel butt plate, and simple barrel sights. All that is fine with me and I finally got around to shooting it earlier this week.

My first shot was at a 2" Magic Marker square on a piece of cardboard at 25 yards to see where the sights were looking. A 50 caliber hole appeared at 12 O'Clock on the square and I was in business. Next I picked out a rock on the side of a desert ridge, which one of my shooting buddy's range finder said was 135 yards away. Shooting off-hand I proceeded to scare the bejebers out of that football sized rock with the next 9 rounds. I hit all around it often close enough to make us think I might have actually hit it. No matter. Every shot put a smile on my face, even when my reconstructed shoulder declared it had had enough.

No pictures yet but you all know what a Shiloh Model '74 looks like. Well this is the plainest, least fancy version of that rifle. Not very pretty but it suits me just fine. Now I have to find more bullets and powder.

PS: I finally got a picture.  And with Marshal's help here it is.

Dave

[Kent Shootwell]

Great find, everybody needs a big fifty!

[Coal Creek Griff]

"Father, forgive me, for I have sinned.  I am incredibly jealous of Dave T's Big 50."

Griff

[Cap'n Redneck]

" ...even when my reconstructed shoulder declared it had had enough."

Sounds to me like there are two paths to choose between:

1.  Quote the "Gung-ho Special Forces" who often declare: "Pain is just weakness leaving the body...!"

2.  Personally I've been known to drill a 3/4" hole under the buttplate, and fill it with a 5" long leadbar.
Improves the balance of the gun, and certainly tames the recoil...
(You might want to cast the leadbar inside a thin-walled piece of pipe.  If not, it will upset by the repeated recoil and get stuck inside the stock.  Don't ask me how I know...!)

[Drydock]

https://www.accu-riser.com/leather-butt-pad-bp-2000/

What twist rate do you got? 

[Dave T]

Cap'n, I might just try that. At my age and condition I'm not going to be carrying this thing for any great distances, just from the truck to the firing line (even if that's out in the desert). I did take the precaution of wearing a magnum shoulder pad, still 10 round woke my artificial should up and reminded me it isn't 100%.

Drydock, I tried slugging the bore and calculating the twist while I was at it. It didn't go very well so I called Shiloh. The lady on the phone told me all their 50 caliber barrels are 1-22".

They also told me to never use a bullet larger than .510". Everybody else is recommending .511"-.512" for 50-70s or 50-90s. The bullets I shot earlier this week were .510" and I just ordered some .512"s. Time and powder supply will tell eventually.

Dave

[Drydock]

Just have a look down the bore.  If it makes one full twist before the muzzle it is 1/22.  Been using .512s myself, that's the sizer I have. 

[Drydock]

Lee has a .510 sizer, might try that sometime. 

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Cast bullets can be larger, as long as a loaded cartridge fits the chamber. You may also experiment with unsized bullets (less deformation) and pan-lube, or the finger smear method that I use.

[Drydock]

Yep. My .512s have been under 2 moa.  Pretty sure .510 is lawyer talk.  But like to experiment.

[Dave T]

I've ordered two other bullet designs from Montana Bullet Works, both sized to .512", cast from their 1-16 alloy, and of course lubed with SPG. One is a 450g RCBS design and the other is an NEI 505g. That one aught to punch the shoulder pretty good. (smile)

I was surprised to read in a recent "Black Powder Cartridge News" that the oft recommended alloys of 1-20, 1-30, and even 1-40 tin to lead are not necessarily correct. The author found documentation showing some of the Creedmore competitors using bullets cast from 1-16 alloy. I've also read the military's 45-70 were loaded with 1-16 projectiles. And all these years I thought 1-20 or softer were the only appropriate black powder alloys. Shows I can still learn stuff at 72. LOL

Dave

[Drydock]

There's a thread on the Shiloh "Shooter to shooter" forum that's been running since 2004 (!) called "Trends in BPCR long range shooting"  It's almost never off the 1st page, and is a fascinating read thru the years as assumptions fall by the wayside.  Always looking for the next thing to tighten the group, and often rediscovering that the ODGs might have known what they were doing!  Current thought is harder is better, preventing nose slump,  though how hard is unsure.  The army used 16/1, and many are liking that.  The paper patch guys are playing with dual diameter bullets, chamber dimensions and leade angles. 

The Shiloh forum is a great resource. 

Most still agree though, start at 20-1 and then let the rifle tell you what it likes.  Much of loading for these rifles is found in learning the language your rifle speaks!

[Pitspitr]

Since this thread started with;

Since 1985 when I first read the story of Billy Dixon's mile long shot at the second battle of Adobe Walls in 1874, I've wanted a Sharps '74 in 50 2-1/2" Sharps Straight. Also known as the 50-90 Sharps this is the "Big Fifty" of legend and lore

...I think you should attempt a mile shot with it and I just happen to know of a range that would allow that. The range owner reserves the right to attempt the shot too; just to make certain it's safe, you know. 

[Arizona Trooper]

Congratulations Dave! I know you have been looking for that rifle for a long time! I'll drop you a line when I get back home from Indiana next week.

[Ranch 13]

 Loading that rifle with 1 f powder will help keep the recoil down. Also a limbsaver slip on recoil pad will help tame the thing a bunch. Some of those Shiloh 50's are made with a 1 -36 twist, but even the 1-22 twist will handle the 500ish grain bullets well. You'll also want to use a .060 fiber wad under the bullet.