Top Shot Sharps

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68wj

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If anyone saw season 2's opening episode, the 1st challenge was stated to be a recreation of the Pre-Civil War sharpshooter unit entry test. It was stated that the rifle used in the challenge was the same used in the original test.

Is this correct? I was not aware of either side having cartridge ammunition before the war in any official capacity.
 
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I saw the episode too, and there was cartridge ammunition at that time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnside_carbine

I don't remember the exact rifle they used in the shooting, but this is a rifle that is very similar and is breech loaded with a brass cartridge. According to the article it saw "widespread use" during the war.
 
Yes, the first Sharps was breech loading. The model that they were shooting in the show was an 1874 replica, or reproduction. Looked like a Pedersoli, or whoever the new importer is.

That said, I really wonder about either the sights or the ammo that they were using. My Billy Dixon model, which I believe that one was the same model, would easily shoot MOA with my handloads and the MVA vernier tang sight that I used. I never bothered with the factory sights, so I just can't say if they are that crappy.
 
It is a TEE-VEE show, guys, cheap entertainment, not a technical seminar on gun design.

The real Yankee outfit had 1859 Sharps Military Rifles of .54 caliber firing paper cartridges with an external percussion disk or cap. 68wj's link covers the history.

The TEE-VEE show's Sharps was a reproduction 1874 Sporting Rifle, probably an Italian import from Pedersoli, Armi Sport or other. Caliber probably .45-70 for common ammunition to shoot on TEE-VEE. "Exact same rifle" is B.S.

It did look like they were shooting black powder, though.
Shooting black through a long barrel with no blowing or wiping is one cause of the dreadful lack of accuracy. Of course one shot through a strange gun is not the way to get hits, either.
 
Jim Watson said:
It is a TEE-VEE show, guys, cheap entertainment, not a technical seminar on gun design.

The real Yankee outfit had 1859 Sharps Military Rifles of .54 caliber firing paper cartridges with an external percussion disk or cap. 68wj's link covers the history.

The TEE-VEE show's Sharps was a reproduction 1874 Sporting Rifle, probably an Italian import from Pedersoli, Armi Sport or other. Caliber probably .45-70 for common ammunition to shoot on TEE-VEE. "Exact same rifle" is B.S.

It did look like they were shooting black powder, though.
Shooting black through a long barrel with no blowing or wiping is one cause of the dreadful lack of accuracy. Of course one shot through a strange gun is not the way to get hits, either.
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While I never shot in the central coast of CA, I wonder if the humidity in the air would have helped some with the barrel fouling. I can tell you that here in the dry, 7000ft air of CO in the summer, I had to blow every danged time!
 
Birddog1911 said:
That said, I really wonder about either the sights or the ammo that they were using. My Billy Dixon model, which I believe that one was the same model, would easily shoot MOA with my handloads and the MVA vernier tang sight that I used. I never bothered with the factory sights, so I just can't say if they are that crappy.
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Yeah I had some of the same thoughts....the fact that 16 "Top Marksman's" shots were spread over a good 10 feet kinda makes you wonder.
 
prid93 said:
Yeah I had some of the same thoughts....the fact that 16 "Top Marksman's" shots were spread over a good 10 feet kinda makes you wonder.
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And let me say, that for the record, the very first group that I fired in that rifle were factory loads at 100yds, just to break the barrel in, and I can darned well guarantee that I kept them within a 6" circle; that only equates to 12" at the 200 they were at. Okay, they weren't familiar with the rifle, but it was clearly sighted in, as evidenced by the asian fellow who hit the 10 ring. The others should have been able to get closer than they did.

Another thing I noted; some of the shooters balanced the barrel on the sandbags, and some on the forearm. That will change its POI as well.
 
Another thing I noted; some of the shooters balanced the barrel on the sandbags, and some on the forearm. That will change its POI as well.
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Yup.
Most BPCR-ers rest the barrel maybe 6" from the muzzle.
The finicky ones find an exact spot determined by shooting or talcum powder test and mark it with tape.
 
Hollywood jargon for "same exact gun" means something that looks about the same and is from the same timeframe give or take 50 years but is still probably some kind of replica or even something the got from the prop room. Since this was top shot Ill wager that the gun they used was a real gun. But probably not the actual vintage rifle.
 
They also said the 74 year reign of the 1911 in government service was a record for a firearm. I just checked, and the Browning M2 .50 machine gun has been at it longer (77+ years).
 
The finicky ones find an exact spot determined by shooting or talcum powder test and mark it with tape
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Jim, I'm not very familiar with BPCR shooting (but always been intrested, and been wanting a Sharps for a while. I have 2 original trapdoors at the moment.)...What is this "talcum powder test"? I'm assuming it determines the "sweet spot" to rest the barrel. I've just never heard of this before, and kind of curious.

Wyman
 
I haven't done it but have read that you can dust the barrel with talcum, rap it with a mallet, and watch the powder move to the vibration nodes.
 
Colby says that it is the "real deal":

The Sharps breech-loading rifle we used was an original from the 1800s. Not a replica or re-make. It was the real deal. And we were testing the limits of that particular rifle’s accuracy. Combine this with the fact that we gave our marksmen no practice to familiarize themselves with the firearm, and they realized very quickly what was going to be expected of them this season.
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Found here: http://www.shootingillustrated.com/5790/top-shot-episode-1-colbys-take/
 
I doubt him.
This looks a lot like a Pedersoli or Armi Sport midrange import to me.
The stock finish and barrel blue do not look like 19th century.
The shadbelly to the foreend does not look like Sharps.

And it is certainly not authentic to Berdan's Sharpshooters of 1862.
 
Also, testing the rifle to it's limits? What kind of garbage is that? With a good vernier sight and globe front, that thing would shoot easily to 500 yards, if not further!
 
FURTHER, i shoot a 74 repo at 750yds and hitting a 55 gallon drum is easy.i would not stand there, eastbank.
 
Well, so do I (actually it's a Winchester and I only shoot to 500 metres and 600 yards) but it is with better sights and a lot of load development, zeroing, and practice.

I would not expect to do real well with a strange gun, open sights, and heaven knows what excuse for ammunition.
 
Well, they should have came here for the best shooters in the world. Wait... they did come here and got ridiculed and drove away.
 
Considering the bickering the show encourages among the contestants, not putting up with a little Internet Criticism might be nonproductive in terms of audience and support.

Bunch 'a cheapskates, anyhow. What's $100,000 when regular Survivor gives out a million?
 
I agree, think it was an Italian Sharps. Missing a 10 inch circle at 200 yards tells me it wasn't sighted in very well (I would hope that the staff would at least check and zero the guns since they don't let the competitors do that).
 
Missing a 10 inch circle at 200 yards tells me it wasn't sighted in very well
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The target was hit. In fact the X ring was hit. But the pattern (it was no where hear tight enough to call it a group) was about 4-5 feet in diameter.

This tells me that the bore was horrid (don't think this was it, gun looked like a new repro to me as well), or the shooters fibbed a "little bit" on their "resume". I'm thinking the shooters aren't as good as they claim to be. At least not all around shooters.

Wyman
 
Well, I wouldn't be so tough.
Probably half or more of those young whippersnappers had to be told how to operate a double set trigger, and figure out how to align an open sight. And no commercial ammunition is likely to wring out decent accuracy. BPCR is THE most demanding handloading I have ever done. Half MOA with nitro and jacketed bullets is much easier than one and a half MOA with lead and black.
 
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