Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #1
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    Default Sharps rifle Q's

    Have a co-worker with a reproduction Sharps rifle made by Uberti. He came to me complaining about having issues with accuracy at 100yds with the gun. I'm not much on the older black powder stuff but he is using 80g of FFF and a 425gr powerbelt projo.

    He is telling me a 75yds that the gun will keep roughly a 3" group consistently but going out to 100yds the shots are all over the place and not even on the target sometimes.

    My only suggestions were to try a different powder charge either up/down to see if there was a difference or to change the bullet weight up/down and see how that works.

    If anyone has any suggestions or expericence I'm all ears since I'm not sure what else to recommend trying.
    "Remember the first rule of gunfighting ... have a gun." Jeff Cooper

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Sharps rifle Q's

    What is that rifle chambered for? 45-70, 45-90, 45-100, 45-110, 45-120?

    80gr of FFFg is a hellava compressed load for a 45-70 considering the case should only hold roughly 70grs.. If its a 45-90 that would be a tad light with a 435gr slug. If its a 45-70, he should back off about 10gr. Any of the bigger cartridges would be even a much lighter load.
    Last edited by knight0334; January 4th, 2010 at 11:12 AM. Reason: early morning typo's - not awake..
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  3. #3
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    Default Re: Sharps rifle Q's

    Its actually an 1859 Sharps reproduction. He is telling me it is chambered in 54 cal. Its not a metallic cartridge gun but more of a paper cartridge gun.

    He also just told me that he's tried using a 50g pyrodex pellet and 60g of powder to see if the increased velocity made a difference. He said it still didn't make any change.
    "Remember the first rule of gunfighting ... have a gun." Jeff Cooper

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Sharps rifle Q's

    He should be using traditional cast slugs with a good black powder lube to keep the fowling soft. I would recommend Swiss
    Black powder 1 1/2 or Goex Express FF.
    I have been shooting a Sharps 1877 45-70 for 7 years and flint and percussion guns for 20 plus. I have no first hand knowledge on the Sharps percussion guns so this is the best I can do. There is a learning curve with black powder, so tell him to keep trying!

    http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,4942.html

    http://www.jesseshunting.com/article...gory16/35.html

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Srl6...eature=related

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Sharps rifle Q's

    I agree on him using cast lead bullets/mini-balls. The Sharps rifles were made for lead bullets, not modern powerbelt bullets.
    "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
    United States Constitution - 2nd Amendment

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Sharps rifle Q's

    He clarified for me that he is using a 425g buffalo belt bullet that he gets from cabellas. The FFF powder is something he has and uses in several other black powder guns as well so he is fairly set on staying with that.

    Thanks for the suggestions everyone.
    "Remember the first rule of gunfighting ... have a gun." Jeff Cooper

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Sharps rifle Q's

    Quote Originally Posted by wheeling365 View Post
    He clarified for me that he is using a 425g buffalo belt bullet that he gets from cabellas. The FFF powder is something he has and uses in several other black powder guns as well so he is fairly set on staying with that.

    Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

    IMO the bullet is the problem, whatever the actual mechanism of failure.

    The best thing would be to slug the barrel with soft lead, and pull the slug with a bullet puller, then select a bullet of desired weight in the proper diameter. That said, if your friend needs to stay with that bullet, he can try paper patching with successively thicker layers of paper. He can start with onionskin (if any stationer still carries it) and just add layers by wrapping them on. Some phenomenal accuracy can be had by paper patching. I read most of Paul Matthews' books 25 or more years ago and he turned me onto paper patching and the results obtained when done correctly. Nowadays, the same 411 is available on a variety of forums. Google "paper patching bullets" and brew some coffee or pop some corn.

    One way or the other, that bullet needs a tighter fit to the rifling.

    Noah

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Sharps rifle Q's

    He will never get any where with that bullet. Maybe if he cleaned between shots, and that is a big if. While paper patched slugs have a place in cartridge guns, I have to question there use in this rifle. As a side note I am unaware of anyone winning any black powder cartridge silhouette matches with paper patched slugs.
    Noah is right about proper slug diameter, but the right bullet with the right lube is also critical. The powder fowling must be kept soft otherwise it will be like concrete in the bore.

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