Sharps 45-70

[Highlander999]

I have an EMF 45-70 that I bought, I put a Pedersoli Tang Sight on it.  I have yet to have it hit twice in the same spot at 50/100/200/300 yards.  Any ideas on what I can do.  I have looked closely, I think the Barrel is straight, the sight appears to be centered (and even at that if either of those were wrong, it'd just be shooting off, not all over the field).  Sad, because all of my other rifles shoot right on, and I just can't get this one to hit anything.  And everyone that shoots it has about the same issue.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

[Guage Rod]

Highlander, I also have a EMF 45-0 with the 28 inch barrel, double set triggers and standard grip on the stock.

This gun will shoot a lot better than I can even though it is truely the poor mans version of a Sharps (Not trying to rain on your parade, I found this out after I bought mine.)  I agree, have your barrel slugged to see what type of diameter slug to shoot.

There are a lot of 45 cal diameters out there, everything from .452 to .459 and I have even heard of larger.  Of course there are also a large varriation of weights for each diameter slub also.  I have a digital set of calipers and you can mesure at the crown and get the different lands and groves measurements there.  Another way to slug the barrel is to take a soft lead round ball that will just set on the chamber end (say a 50 cal ball) and gently start tapping it through the barrel with a wooden dowel.  I recommend the dowl be short at first until you get the slug started down the barrel about 6 or 8 inches.  Graduate up to a dowel that is as least as long as your barrel and continue tapping the ball through (use a soft mallet of some kind) 

It sounds sort of intimidating to think about pounding a slug of lead through the barrel but it will work.  If you are squimish about it and have a gunsmith close by you can have them do it.  Or if you have no other alternative send the gun in to emf and requestthey do it.  Anyway, once you have a chunk of lead driven through the barrel, it is now time to meaure the slug lands and groves with a good set of Calipers  (Midway is running a special this Month on a good set of Didgital Calipers for like 20 bucks pluss shipping) The diminsions on the slug will tell you what you want to know.  Most 45-70 riffles are going to take a slug between the .457 to .459 according to what I have read.

Another possiblity causing accuracyproblems could be the chamber depth.  Measure your rounds buy putting a non loaded, non primered shell in the chamber should be just finger crimped.  The slug should be slightly extended past where the crimp groves are.  Push the shell in the chamber until it meets resistance.  Continue to push it in untill the action will close normaly.  Carefully remove the round and measure its OAL (overal length)  This will let you know how deep your bullets should now be seated at the reloading bench.  This can also be done by any competent gun smith and recorded for you but If you are able to relaod your own shells this should be no biggie.  If the bullet is forced to travel any distance at all in the non riffled portion of the chamber to get to the riffling you are loosing accuracy. 

You did not say if you are hand loading, what type of load you are using and what type of powder and primer you are using.  Are you shooting from a supported bence or Off hand. 

I recommend you bench test at 25 yards and build a data base from there.

Best of luck and Vaya Con Dios.

[Otter]

Highlander,

Like the other guys asked/said . . .Let us know what you were shooting (factory or hand loads, BP or smokieless, bullet and lube, case and primer), the more info available to us, the more likely we can at least point you in the right direction. Not that we can fix the problem, but that we can help you to fix it. If you aren't yet, I would encourage you to hand load and go with BP and the heavier bullets. Get the SPG Blackpowder Cartridge Reloading manual and try some of the loads listed.

Good luck . . . shooting these big cartridges can be a hoot.

[Hemlock Mike]

Highlander --

As you see -- there's an ocean of info to be found here. 
Fill in the missing stuff and you will be flooded.

My Ped Sharps shoots cast 340 to 500 gr cast with 30 gr H4198.  Sights can be trickey for each shooter.  Help us help you 

Mike

[Dakota Widowmaker]

You never mentioned what type of ammo you are using... factory smokeless or handloaded? You might try a box GOEX Black Dawg or Ultramax Cowboy smokeless. Good ammo is critical to making any rifle shoot well.

As a noob to "big caliber rifles" myself, I had a learning curve to overcome.

Things are very different when going from a loaded down 45lc to a big bad 45-70 or 45-90. (the later in my case)

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND STEVE GARBE's PRIMER!!!

Slug your bore first, I know Gander Mountain and others will do this for you if you don't want to bother. Meister makes a REALLY nice slug kit. (.449" to .462")

[Otter]

Highlander999,

Are ya just away from the confuser or did you get it all figgered out?

Otter

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Here's another thing:  if you're shooting hard-cast bullets and Black Powder, your accuracy will suffer.  Hard-cast and smokeyless is fine.

[Sydneyduck]

Gday,
Some advise would be good.
Iam the proud owner of an 29 in barrell Armi San Marco Sharps74 in 45-70 I use a round straight out of  Mike Venturinos books  Lyman 457125 520 gn projectile, SPG lube, sized and lubed on a Lubamatic to .459, 61 grns of Swiss no4 1.5 FG through a drop tube  .030 cardboard wad in WW brass using a federal 200 primer. I get only average results at long range. I have measured the lands and grooves at the crown of the barrell and Im pretty sure that my barrell measures .453 maybe .454 My projectiles are .457 so the question is how will the larger projectile work in the barrell accuracy wise. I dont get particularly bad leading so Im guessing the larger dia projectile is compressing in the barrell. Any comments??

[Hemlock Mike]

If you are using a caliper to measure the inside of a barrel, the flat faces on the caliper will measure a little small because the faces are flat going into a curved surface.  You need an internal mic if you don't slug the barrel.

My Pedersoli shoots 0.458" cast just fine.

Mike