Sharps Rifle Advice

[41magsnub]

I inherited a 45-70 Sharps rifle (rolling breech, LONG octagonal barrel, set trigger, and etc). It is made by Shiloh Arms about 30 miles away from me (coinidentally the same folks who made the guns for Quigley Down Under, and this is kinda sorta the same gun). Different caliber and I am sure not as fancy, but it has a beautiful walnut stock and the same sight system.

I took it to the range today and banged off a few rounds. I am OK with it with the basic short range sight, but have no idea what I am doing with the long range sight. I figured the numbers (1,2,3, etc) corresponded with hundreds of yards. After the first couple of rounds went god knows where I covered the entire 4x8 sheet of plywood at the 100 meter mark with targets. I was not even on the plywood after I shot again several times, I still have no idea where it was going.

I have no intention of using this for more than a side line at the range and conversation piece, but can anyone point me towards a guide or book or something on how to use this cannon?

 

[Rexster]

Mike Venturino wrote a very informative book with a title like "Shooting Buffalo Rifles of the Old West." It is paperback, and not expensive, and I believe it is still in print.

 

[Regolith]

Man, you just inherited one hell of a rifle. From what I've heard its a 2 year wait to get one of those anymore.

 

[highlander 5]

Hang on to that rifle . I have one with a scope made by RHO and everyone who sees it drools over it.I usally ask if they would like to fire "Baby" they say "sure" then I pull out the cartridge belt with 50 45/70 rds loaded with a 520 gr bullet then it's "I ain't firing that it'll break my shoulder".

 

[iamkris]

The 1, 2, 3 on the vernier sight are not calibrated in hundreds of yards. They are merely reference marks. You'll need to do your own calibration to know where it shoots.

 

[redneck2]

Quick way to get on paper....you should be able to open the breech and look down the barrel. Put the gun on some type of some type of sandbags or other type of solid arrangement and look thru the barrel lining up some type of aiming point. Adjust the sights accordingly and you should be pretty close.

It probably sounds goofy if you've never done it, but this works with scoped rifles and you can get pretty close.

Check out the BPCR website. Those are the competitive shooters that use these guns.

Oh, you need to take up hand loading to feed them. I've got a Browning BPCR in .45-90

 

[dodge]

Then after you boresight as redneck2 suggests then shot it at 25 yrds/meters to get it even closer. After that then poceed to shoot at 100 yards/meters.

 

[adobewalls]

Google "vernier sight" to get the full description of how to use the long range sights. Also, Paul Matthews authored a whole series of books on the 45-70, the old bufflao rifles and shooting them, check Amazon for those.

Bottom line is going back to the non-scoped sights will get you back to basics real quick. Its a challenge, but one that is worthwhile once you get the hang of it.