.45 120 Sharps

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After putting a black powder .45-70 RNL bullet straight through a buffalo at about 80 yards from a Pedersoli Sharps replica, I no longer think that there's any point to the -90 and bigger versions. AFAIK you lose accuracy and gain, well, nothing. In a Sharps, a 525-grain bullet fits fine, and it really is all you'll ever need. You can't tell the exit hole from the entrance hole, on a buffalo. You really don't need more power than that.

.45-70 and .50-90 are well-balanced cartridges. There's really no point in getting the oddball .45-120, which was a failure in its own time since it didn't work.
 
45-100

I bought a sharps 45-70 a year ago. I use 5744 aa and 405g cast. The recoil is not much. I bought a 45.100 sharps and use the same powder and 405 cast. I just started with the 45.100 2.6. and need info on smokeless loads. irishjj
 
firstly, quigly used a .45-110 as it is known today, then it would have been known as the .45-2 7/8", the .45-120 was not a sharps cartridge, and was brought out after the Sharps Rifle Company was closed, and the .50-140 was a Sharps, but never made as a factory cartridge, only one sharps rifle was ever chambered in one rifle, which was sent to Winchester, they wanted to see if such a cartridge was plausible, it was not, at least at the time. i do agree, however, that if you want to shoot smokeless powder, get a .45-70, you wolnt be disapointed, that if you shot any smokeless powder with the possible exception of IMR Trail Boss, you will need ALOT of filler. if you do get one i would suggest shooting black powder, the big sharpses are very powerful, but not fast, the .45-110 shoots at around 1400 fps with blackpowder from a 34" bbl, and in michagan, there is nothing big enought to warrant needing one, other that just the fun of it, i have read stories about people using them on buffalo, with black powder, it was said to stagger backwards a few feet, if you do chose to get one, i hope you enjoy it!
ken
 
.45-xx

According to a very experienced gunsmith I know who should know better, you can fire any of the "smaller" .45-xx loads through a gun chambered for larger ones. So if you buy the .45-120, you can fire the .45-70 in it.

I have a friend with a .45-120 Uberti, and it is as fine a rifle as you could want. Its fit and finish are excellent, as are details. And I concur: it kicks like a mule with .45-120 cartridges, which my friend pays $8/round for from a custom reloader.

G.
 
Howdy all,

This thread has been running quite a while. Did Sheldon ever get one?

I've had my Pedersoli 45-120 for about 10 years.

I have always cast my own bullets and loaded my own Bell brass.

You do need to use a recoil pad to make it more comfortable to shoot but it's not all that bad. There is a learning curve on getting the loads right. My first try was with Pyrodex and I keyholed every shot. I switched to GOEX F and changed bullet lube and it started to work for me. I'm going to try FF or Cartridge next.

Every time I take it to a range everybody stops shooting and comes over to investigate after my first round (BOOM!)

It's a kick in the a$$ to shoot! (pun intended! :p )

Yes the brass is expensive but I bought about 60 rounds of brass and haven't worn it out yet. (it was about $2/rd even 10 years ago.... so it really hasn't gone up all that much!)


I also have a 45-70 Trapdoor carbine that I also shoot BP in and it's a much lighter gun so it's got a pretty good recoil too.

I would also say that the Pedersoli is as good a replica as the Shiloh is (which is also a replica)

When I got mine, Shiloh was still taking 5 years and cost as much as a car. I got mine from Cabelas a week after I ordered it for about $1000.



Cheers,



Rick
 
Shiloh got down under a year delivery time for a while, but I think they are back up around 20 months now. C. Sharps has a faster turnaround time and some inventory. Prices for both start around $1800 if you can stay out of the options list. The C Sharps 1875 at $1380 is a bargain in a shooter but gets no style points.

Pedersoli prices have been creeping up as the Euro continues to gain on the dollar but you can still catch them on sale for a thousand, if you don't have your heart set on one particular variant.
 
Hi Jim,

I would never suggest that the Pedersoli has the same fit and finish as a Shiloh, but it's pretty close....

At the time I got mine, a Shiloh was just out of the question. (time & money!)

BPCR is sure a lot of fun though and it got me into it quickly and cheap by comparison!

I think Pedersoli produces pretty good equipment. Everything of course is going up in price these days


Regards,


Rick
 
45-120

getting one built in BigTimber,Montana. The piece hasn't been built yet that hurts me. Recoil - shooot!! ever fire a rifle grenade from an M-1 off the shoulder? that is RECOIL. can't wait for my 120.
 
zombie_1-9316_640x480.jpg
 
I shoot a Springfield trapdoor in 45-70 Goex BP factory rounds so far, they will be my supply of brass when I shoot them all up.
But the Sharps is next on my list it will be in 45-70 also, mainly because its easy to find compared to the rest, and will do most anything the other cal's mentioned.
BTW I like the Quigley look.
 
These I want a 45-120 threads always amaze me. Inevitably half the posts will be "why do you want a 45-120? the 45-70 is cheaper, easer to find," etc. Why do people buy $2000 ARs they have no use for? The 45-120 is cool, the 45-70 is "well I think I will stick with the economical, practical 4 door all the neighbors own" type caliber.
 
I hang with a bunch of cowboy shooters.
Some of the better grade Pedisolies (sp?) are really nice but one guy has a Shiloh Sharps and it is a real work of art. Its not just the next step up it is way out there.
Almost too nice to shoot.

Like others I do think you might follow the advise as far as sticking with 45-70 for smokeless and only go with the big guy for black powder.

Then its your gun so whatever you think will work, Have fun!
 
These I want a 45-120 threads always amaze me. Inevitably half the posts will be "why do you want a 45-120? the 45-70 is cheaper, easer to find," etc. Why do people buy $2000 ARs they have no use for? The 45-120 is cool, the 45-70 is "well I think I will stick with the economical, practical 4 door all the neighbors own" type caliber.
Click to expand...

The problem is that the big 45's just aren't a good idea for smokeless powder. There's just too much room in that case. That, and an awful lot of people buy 110's and 120's, then realize they're not fun to shoot because they kick so hard.

I think it would be cool to have one, just for the boomstick factor, but if it's your first/only BPCR rifle I think 45-70 or 45-90 is a much better choice.
 
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The problem is that the big 45's just aren't a good idea for smokeless powder. There's just too much room in that case. That, and an awful lot of people buy 110's and 120's, then realize they're not fun to shoot because they kick so hard.

I think it would be cool to have one, just for the boomstick factor, but if it's your first/only BPCR rifle I think 45-70 or 45-90 is a much better choice
Click to expand...
I would no more burn smokeless in a 45-120 then I would try to fill up a model T with 130 octane gas. After all, one of the charms of the caliber is that it is a BP round; if thats not what your interest is why buy a Sharps in the first place?
As far as smokeless go's 45-70 factory rounds are loaded to a level safe for trapdoor Springfield's yet the case[capacity] its self in a strong gun is capable of near .458 levels. The what, 10-20 % more capacity of the 45-120 makes that impossible?
 
Don't drop in here often but saw this thread while searching for something else and thought I'd add my two cents worth.

I have a Pedersoli Sharps Long Range Express (34" bbl) in .45-120 that I bought very lightly used a while back for an even grand. (Somebody fired 10 rounds and said "That's enough.") I handload mostly smokeless rounds: 45.5 grns of 5744 (per Accurate's published data, no wads or filler) and 400 grain Barnes originals and Speer JFNs. MV is a tad shy of 1850 fps. With that load recoil's about on a par with an '06 (rifle ways 12 lbs 2 oz). Feels a hair sharper owing to the steel butt plate, but perfectly tolerable. Accuracy is good, around 2 MOA if I'm careful, 3 if I'm not.

The trick to using small loads of 5744 in large cartridges is the same as using Unique in .357 or .44 mag: after loading, point the muzzle up and tap the receiver, then SLOWLY lower the muzzle onto target and shoot. Doing so piles up the powder against the primer in a consistent, repeatable manner and shot-to-shot velocity is good (SD of around 15, not great, but good enough).

I have shot some BP rounds in it (530 grn paper patched with a full 120 grains of Fg) - the mother does kick alright. I'd say about on par with a .375H&H. Definitely not for the timid, but fun (if you're used to that kind of recoil - I am). But I prefer 5744 and copper jacketed expanding bullets - just serves my purpose a bit better.

It's definitely an attention getter at the range.
 
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