twist rates for 50-90 rebarrel

[humboldt]

I was wondering what twist rates Shiloh offers for the 50-90 Sharps. I plan on having my Sharps rebarreled at Shiloh and I want to know what bullet weights work with what twist. Thanks, Mori

[BFD]

I was wondering what twist rates Shiloh offers for the 50-90 Sharps. I plan on having my Sharps rebarreled at Shiloh and I want to know what bullet weights work with what twist. Thanks, Mori

I have no suggestions for you, but I'm interested in the answers. However, it does seem like your intended purpose might be critical to determining "best".

[Chief Beck]

Humboldt,

The twist rates that I remember are 1/22", 1/26" & 1/36". I would call Kirk @ Shiloh and ask if there are other rates offered.


Dennis

[Orville]

Do you want a fun gun to shoot, or one that rattles your teeth?

[Stephen Borud]

I have a 50 2 1/2" and a 50 1 3/4"" both in the 1/36 twist. I shoot a 473 grain bullet in the 2 1/2" and a 425 grain in the 1 3/4". Both shoot very well for hunting. I don't know anything about the other twists other then they need a heavier bullet.

Good Luck

Stephen

[Kurt]

Do you want a fun gun to shoot, or one that rattles your teeth?

Nah Orville, with the 1/22 twist you just clench your jaws and prepare for the torque of the left hand twist with the stock hitting your jaw

[Michael Johnson]

I have a Dave Higginbotham 50-90 with a 1/24 twist Green Mountain 1.125 diameter straight octagon barrel. It has a Dave Manson custom tight neck chamber that shoots the Buffalo Arms 500 grain paper patch bullet and a 550 grain Paul Jones flat nose bullet (Creedmoor with the nose cut off o.300 meat) equally well with the edge given to the greaser. I do not find the recoil or the torque any worse than my 45-100 Shiloh with 540 grain bullets. I use 1Fg Swiss 90 grain charges. I have shot a 40 shot match with the rifle and have successfully taken game (bison and deer) out to 260 yards with this rifle. The rifle weighs 10.5 pounds. The barrel length is 28 inches. This rifle has become my favorite hunting rifle because it is not unduly heavy, it is accurate, and it hits hard. For long strings of fire, I much prefer my Shiloh 45-70, or my 40-65 Highwall. It really depends what you want to use the rifle for. Just remember that even if you choose a fast twist, you do not have to shoot 700 grain bullets. They will beat you up!

[J.B.]

I do believe this topic gets revisited often and with similar feedback from all players. My understanding is that Shiloh's standard twist in the 50's is now 1/22" and that this came about because at one time, most were ordered wanting to shoot the longer ..and hence much heavier bullets. The 1/22" will shoot the heavy ( ie. 600- 710 grains ) very well but it doesn't come without sacrifices. Mine is a great and reliable long range performer with 695 grn bullets but at 12 1/2 lbs, I had a pistol grip added to my saddle rifle so I had better control and hence follow through. There certainly was noticeable torque .. even to spectators . Shooting 425- 500 grn bullets in the same rifle is a walk in the park. Had I to order a 50 x 2 1/2 again I'd definitely run with the slower and more traditional twist rate of 1/36" ( a Shiloh option ) and keep bullets between 450 -520 gns. It will shoot these all day accurately... and more importantly... you'll be wanting to shoot it all day . The 1/26" was a good compromise but to my knowledge not offered by Shiloh at the present. I've been wrong before though...just this morning even You won't get the best from the 650-700 grainers unless you run the faster twist... but do you need to shoot bullets that long

hth.

J.B.

[JRV]

Had my old Shiloh barreled up by Shiloh when they first came out with the 1/22" twist for an upcoming buffalo hunt. Did not have much luck with the 425 to 475 gr bullets. Had BACO make up a 540 gr, 20/1 alloy with a wide flat nose. Shot good enough out to the max' of 300 yards I desired for hunting. Loaded it up with 96 gr Swiss 1 fg. Went clear through a mature cow buff at 75 yrds taking out the top of the heart and bottom of both lungs. She moved about 20 yrds and piled up, no follow up needed. The bullet is called the WACKEM'

JRV

[bobw]

I was wondering what twist rates Shiloh offers for the 50-90 Sharps. I plan on having my Sharps rebarreled at Shiloh and I want to know what bullet weights work with what twist. Thanks, Mori

Well Mori maybe you should tell us what you want your 50 2.5" to do and how you expect to use it. One size doesn't fit all. Lets get the facts on how you want to use it first. bobw

[humboldt]

To the people that wanted to know what I would use the 50-90 for, I was thinking of shooting at 1,000 yards. I know, I know, "get a 45-90" . I already have a fine 45-90 Meacham. I built a 50-110 on a roller and I am familiar with its recoil level. It lives in Canada now. (there is a range on a private ranch near here that we have a 1,000 yard steel target and a 1,500 yard life size "hostile" on his horse. We hold monthly shoots at these targets.I was thinking of the 50-90 because that was what Billy Dixon probably used at Adobe walls.Mori

[Kurt]

Mori if recoil is not a problem the .50-2.5 with a 1/22 ROT will do what ever you want to use it for. It makes a good long range rifle but you have to use a heavy bullet to get full potential out of it. I used the .50 Shiloh for many years at the Gong matches and it even earned me a 3rd place dust collecting wall hanger at the Quigley match and a couple at the Alliance shoots that range out to the 1000 yard line.
If you control the rifle and get your load for it, it will get the job done.
My .50 Shiloh has the heavy 34" barrel and The best bullet swaged at any length is 1.495" long and weighs 684 gr. I had Steve Brooks make a Creedmoor nosed GG that is 1.496" long that is all his mould block at the time I had it made has room for it's length and it weighs 718 gr with 1/25 Tin/Lead. That bullet is the most accurate at just about any powder load I filled the case with.
The last three seasons I had some health problems so I put the .50 aside and used the lesser .44 caliber rifles, but next season the .50 will be my go to rifle again.

Kurt

[Orville]

The gun Billy Dixson used would have had a twist of 1-34 - 1-36 and a 473 gr. paper patched bullet, pushed by 100 gr. of powder more then likely Fg. IMO there was no 1500 yard shot that came form tall tales in later years. The bluff which is pictured so much as to where the Indian was shot is 589 yards from where the shot was made. However the shot Billy and talked about and was proud of was shooting an Indian crawling in tall grass at about 600 yards, after the fight Billy checked out the Indian in the grass the Indian had been shot through the knee. Shooting a moving target in tall grass is a thougher shot then poking an hoping at a group of Indian setting on horses on top of a hill.

[jackrabbit]

It's a cold day, so I guess I need something to argue about.... After reading everything I could about Billy Dixon for a couple of years, my shooting partner, Travis, and I got the chance to visit the site of Adobe walls. It was really neat and I would encourage anyone interested to visit. I could almost hear the screaming Indians coming over the hill. We took my Leica range finder with us to see about the supposed shot ourselves. Before we ever ranged anything, we sat and visited about where the Indians may have been setting when Billy shot at them. The main close bluff never even came into our mind. First of all, it is way too close. The Indians were well aware of what the buffalo hunters were capable of and they surely would not have been casually hanging out in plain sight at only five or six hundred yards. Secondly, that bluff appears to have steep sides all the way around and a fast getaway out the back would not have been easy, and after they came off of it they would have remained visible for some time. Third, I doubt the Indians would have skylined themselves to the hunters. This would have offered a very obvious and clear target. The only way they could have stood on that bluff and viewed camp would have skylined them. I can't believe visitors to the site automatically think this is where the shot occurred. Travis and I independently picked the same spot further to the south that would have offered a good view, not been skylined, and would have offered a getaway path that would have put them out of sight in only a few seconds. They could have then zipped up or down a draw and been tough to find. It was also far enough away that the Indians would have felt safe. We ranged it multiple times and readings came in between 1489 yards and 1547. I am not sure the shot actually occurred, but if it did I think it happened here and not where people seem to assume. Anyway, it makes for good discussion.
take care, Cody

[Don McDowell]

Dixon owned a "round barreled 44" at the time the shot supposedly happened.