Ammo for the Sharps .45/70 .45/90 and .45/120

[Otter]

Ya'll can do what you want with yours, but my original Rolling Block action ain't getting nothing but REAL BP under the bullet. The bullets were designed for shooting at the lower pressures and speeds generated by BP, and that's how I'll shoot them. The metallurgy of years gone by may or may not hold up to some smokeless loads, but I really don't want to find out for myself. If you want to shoot smokeless, make sure you get a modern made repro, but you still won't wring out the accuracy you could with the big bullets and BP. Besides, as most everyone knows, smokeless powder is just a passing fad . . .

[john boy]

Del,  it's not nitro powders but for black powder loading data sources, there is only one as a result of the recent purchase of Goex by Hodgdon ...
http://www.goexpowder.com/images/LoadCharts/Cartridge-Rifle.pdf

I tried to squeeze out of Mike Daly (Birdshot) of Hodgdon, who and when this chart was developed because many calibers use different granulation's now.  He wouldn't budge.  Then I reminded him that Hodgdon was selling black powder from Nobel back in the late 60's- early 70's for a few short years (the orange cans) and might this loading data be European and come from Nobel?  I think I saw him smiling over the phone

What I'm saying, it is a good chart, much more extensive then what Bill Bagwell put together for Goex - but ...
There will be different granulation's posted for BP, caliber specific, then are what on the Goex website.

PS: Pedro ... it's there for your viewing

[Delmonico]

Thanks, I myself have no interest in anything but black in the old type guns.  I use nitro powders a lot, but in rounds designed for them, but do want any loading data for them here to be good safe data.  I have no problem with folks who use it in these old guns, but myself I want to use it in things like 22 Hornet, 243, 220 Swift and my 32 Mag.

[Marshal Deadwood]

My guns, MY LIFE, is just too precious to go 'a'tinker'in into unknown areas on loads. Call me chicken, but I will, at least on reloading ammo, follow the standards.

Speaking just for myself on smokeless....I'm new'ish at this,,,but I have left smokeless behind. After shooting bp cartridges,,,the guns seems so 'not right' if you shoot smokeless out of them. Now thats just me. I'm NOT casting stones,,just saying that if you give bp a real chance, you might just have more fun,,,AND more effiency than you ever thought possible.

I've asked a llot of mundane questions in my time, and been repetive,,but I still have my eyes, fingers etc.

Reliable Manuals, Reliable Manuals Reliable Manuals. Double check EVERYTHING. And have fun.

MD

[drcook]

I also shoot smokeless in one of my buffalo rifles. Oh sorry, wrong kind of buffalo. 

[Blackpowder Burn]

Where's the lever on that thang?! 

I'd still have to try stuffing Holy Black and a lead bullet in it.  Imagine the folks at the range when it started belching clouds of smoke............they'd prob'ly think it needed a tuneup.

[Delmonico]

Where's the lever on that thang?! 

I'd still have to try stuffing Holy Black and a lead bullet in it.  Imagine the folks at the range when it started belching clouds of smoke............they'd prob'ly think it needed a tuneup.

I've though about trying that with my brothers 220 Swift that I load for, but use a jacketed bullet and mix a couple in.

[Ranch 13]

  375 ouchnouch, can very easily become the 38-92 belted bottle neck, by simply adding 92 grs of black a milk carton wad and a 255 gr cast bullet

[Delmonico]

375 ouchnouch, can very easily become the 38-92 belted bottle neck, by simply adding 92 grs of black a milk carton wad and a 255 gr cast bullet

Now that one might be fun, but I;d want a heavier bullet.  Might give me an excuse for a Ruger #1 sometime.  Wonder how a 416 Rigby would do in a #1.

[Ranch 13]

 Del those lil 255's realy zip coming out the barrel of ol Docs #1.
I think the #1 in 416 would be a hoot with black, be a real stomper with smokeless tho.
I keep thinking one of these days I'll find a good deal on one of the Davidson's 85's in 405, then maybe I'll treat it as a 4072 ss, my 95 absolutely hates bp.

[Delmonico]

I guess we could get one of those Martini shotgun actions, and build one of those 70-150's, that would be exciting.

[Ranch 13]

  hmmmm 70-150 might be a little to much of a good thing

[Delmonico]

hmmmm 70-150 might be a little to much of a good thing

Maybe that's why they said Winchester only made 1, plus a bunch of rounds for the cartridge boards.

Course we could get more weight to a Martini than they did with the 1887 they are said to have built.

[drcook]

I guess since my rifle is technically a buffalo rifle, and since there isn't a clarification of which "old west"
or even which continent, which old west is on, and I have a 38-55 case in front of me, and 400 540 gr
Paul Jones Creedmores that I have been casting over the last couple days, we can speak about it for a
moment.

due to the stock design, said rifle is actually a joy to shoot. it was bought to go hunt a buffalo with, but
changing hobbies and such preclude going over the ocean. I think it will get retitled to be a moose,
bear, or elk rifle, but then we couldn't speak about it here.

right now I have 300 of the creedmore bullets that weigh 537.2 grains plus/minus .3 grains. I have held
them to a six grain deviation spread and another 100 that weigh  536.4 plus/minus .4 grains. so we did
talk about loading like the thread was started with. the 537's are going with me to Alliance.

dc

[Short Knife Johnson]

Maybe that's why they said Winchester only made 1, plus a bunch of rounds for the cartridge boards.

Course we could get more weight to a Martini than they did with the 1887 they are said to have built.

A good friend of mine has an 1887 in 12 ga and I've been trying to convince him to make it into the mythical .70 cal.  But he assures me that the guy who makes his barrels would have some choice words.   

[drcook]

I have an old issue of a soft backed book titled Big Bore Rifles. In it is a story detailing the design,
funding and construction of a .700 Nitro Express. The cartridges are massive as well is the double
barreled rifle. It is one of the British doubles, which one escapes me at the moment. They had a
picture of a .22 round in the bore. Any elephant that knew it was going to be hunted with such a
beast would surely die of fright first. Shooting an Ithaca Deerslayer 12 guage with full size slugs is
quite noticeable also.

The point is that you  need a heavy rifle to absorb the recoil of a .700 even if you are shooting
black powder. The slug weights be up there and combined with the weight of the powder charge
would make for quite a vicious kicker. My 45-110's weigh more than 13 lbs. I think a minimum of 18 lbs
would be best for a 700 with 20 lbs being better.

dc