1st shots with .40-65

[Chaneylake]

my newly constructed shooting bench

it does not appear to be 10 shots but it is, I heard the clang on each shot.

100 yard target, yep I have a lot of work to do, working on loads, blow tube, and getting my eyes adjusted to using iron sights

none of these shots are with my cast boolits, I will start using my own cast boolits with the next batch that I reload

I plan on staying at 100 yards until I have a decent load worked up, then I will move to the 200 yard target

I am glad that loading room and shooting range are only separated by about only 50 feet

you can see the group[gray area] on the target

I will move to paper targets real soon

 

[W C]

Mighty fine lookin rifle, good shootin and beautiful property.

 

[Wobblyshot1]

Nice lookin '74 you got there. Is it a Shiloh? I've got one in 45-70 along with a C. Sharps '75 in 38-55 and a hiwall in 40-65. Haven't shot any of them in a real long time. Your post might inspire me to drag em back out. With the blow tube I see laying on the bench I assume you're using real black.

 

[mr.big]

make sure you clean that thing good man,,all your loading tools also..

good luck with that nasty stuff

 

[Rowdy]

Look'n good man, that set-up is nice.

 

[big 8s in Weakley county]

looking good i will take one of them newly constructed shooting benches lol

 

[Chaneylake]

Nice lookin '74 you got there. Is it a Shiloh? I've got one in 45-70 along with a C. Sharps '75 in 38-55 and a hiwall in 40-65. Haven't shot any of them in a real long time. Your post might inspire me to drag em back out. With the blow tube I see laying on the bench I assume you're using real black.

I am going to stay traditional with this puppy whether it takes me 1 year or 5 years if my eyes hold up I will be hitting at 500 yards

 

[mr.big]

I always heard to shoot black you had to use a compressed load to get consistant accuraccy

 

[Chaneylake]

I always heard to shoot black you had to use a compressed load to get consistant accuraccy

every article that I have read from the dudes out west state that Swiss Powder needs very little or no compression, Swiss is the powder that I chose first, I will tinker with volume first to get maximum accuracy then I will start compressing powder, I have no experience in this area other than what was read on internet

anyways, some/many are stating that Swiss 1.5 does not like compression in the .40-65, I will have an answer for this at a later date

 

[Chaneylake]

Nice lookin '74 you got there. Is it a Shiloh? I've got one in 45-70 along with a C. Sharps '75 in 38-55 and a hiwall in 40-65. Haven't shot any of them in a real long time. Your post might inspire me to drag em back out. With the blow tube I see laying on the bench I assume you're using real black.

thanks, I have always liked the "plain jane" firearms, I never cared about the ones with "gold chickens" I just try to shoot them as well as possible and I will with this one

 

[sneakboxer]

Cool setup. I love to take a critter with a BP cartridge gun some day.

Stupid question: What is the purpose behind the blow tube?

 

[Chaneylake]

Cool setup. I love to take a critter with a BP cartridge gun some day.

Stupid question: What is the purpose behind the blow tube?

if I remember correctly the blow tube puts moisture in barrel to help stop fowling on multiple shots fired, its something new to me, a common thing with the competition shooters out west, so I have read

 

[Chaneylake]

Cool setup. I love to take a critter with a BP cartridge gun some day.

Stupid question: What is the purpose behind the blow tube?

also, your question is not stupid, I learned of the blow tube from reading many articles, improper use of blow tube is a major factor in accuracy of black powder cartridge shooting

 

[Chaneylake]

Cool setup. I love to take a critter with a BP cartridge gun some day.

my goal is a deer at 500yards

 

[Chaneylake]

Cool setup. I love to take a critter with a BP cartridge gun some day.

my goal is a deer at 500yards

with iron sights

 

[Tiny]

and cooler

"I am glad that loading room and shooting range are only separated by about only 50 feet"

Enjoy it but darn almost makes me jelous.

 

[Chaneylake]

no pass-through yet SP, maybe it was optical confusion

I really like my homemade sandbags, they are the waterproof style and the sand was free

I would like some glass on the rifle, I just do not want to pull the trigger on the cost, if I do put a scope on it I will purchase a classic scope of the day

 

[44fanatic]

That is a "sharp" lookin rifle (pun intended). For some reason, the classic lookin rifles look better to me...guess Im just not a fancy person.

As for the glass...vintage style would look great.

 

[Chaneylake]

That is a "sharp" lookin rifle (pun intended). For some reason, the classic lookin rifles look better to me...guess Im just not a fancy person.

As for the glass...vintage style would look great.

yep, its a plain jane shiloh sharps, some day I will probably glass it and it will be "vintage"

I have never liked the "gold chickens" aka fancy looking guns, I just want mine to shoot and to shoot well

 

[sneakboxer]

Thanks for the info. I did not think you would use it to cool the barrel. I have a love/hate relationship with real BP. But when you use a flintlock you get over it.

Good luck with the 500yd shot. Everything will have to be perfect for that but it sound achievable.

 

[Buck Assassin]

 

[Wobblyshot1]

Lofty goal you got there Chaney. 500 yards is a long way on deer size game with a Sharps. Better mount a scope and have perfect range figured. Trajectory and wind drift are big factors to consider with those black powder cartridge rifles. They can be very accurate, though, just the afore mentioned factors among others are critical if you want to hit at long distance. I'm not saying it can't be done, but just too much can happen between muzzle and deer to make it a sure thing. Now.....if the deer is having a real bad day, might be possible. Just for fun, google Billy Dixon's long shot or The Battle Of Adobe Walls. It's about a Sharps 50-70 and an Indian having a real bad day.

Cool setup. I love to take a critter with a BP cartridge gun some day.

my goal is a deer at 500yards