Shiloh Rifle Forums

Hi all. I just returned from a CAS match in Alberta where they featured a 'long range' side match. I brought along my new Shiloh Sharps - the subject of another thread here. I had only shot the rifle out to 100 meters, testing loads, and for this event, I settled on the following:

WW cases primer holes drilled and de-burred to .088"
cases annealed top 3/4" inside chamfered
necks sized 3/8" down in 45 ACP sizing die
necks expanded with custom .450" plug
primed with CCI BR2 large rifle primers
3/8" news paper disc inside case over primer hole
75.0 gr. weighed charges of Swiss 1 1/2 Fg trickled
milk carton over powder wad compressed .110"
.210 SPG lube wad cookie-cut with case mouth
.053" hard card over cookie wad seated on cookie - leaves .160" of case mouth for bullet
Bullet: BACo 443530E cast 25:1 pure lead/tin, sorted +/- .5 grains
patched wet with .0015" onion skin paper, shrunk on hot plate - bullets .450" patched
bullets seated by hand into cases, then compressed .010" in bullet seating die

This was a pretty simple contest: three shots at each of three targets - 50, 75, and 100 yards (that's all this range can offer for distance). The targets were large by my standards: 50 yards - SASS (Evil Roy) target, 75 yards - 7" disc, and 100 yards - 10" disc. We were allowed a rest so I sat on my gun cart and used the push handle for a rest. It was timed, so I had to shoot as quickly as I could with these bore riding pp'd bullets, but I got all 9 hits and won the event. There were a number of other Sharps shooters, but they didn't fare as well, shooting greasers and smokeless powder.

I am anxious to get out and sight my rifle in for ranges out to 1000 meters. I will be attending a 10 day rendezvous at the end of August and it features a more challenging long range competition, out to 630 yards. I'll keep you posted.

Well done good sir, it does make you feel good for sure.
Chris

The 'hook' has been deeply set.
Well done
Gary

Every year at our annual blackpowder BC Rendezvous, there is a cartridge rifle match. A trail crosses a hillside and there are about 20 metal gong targets at various distances. They are marked for distance in yards, ie: 630 yards, 271 yards, 322 yards, etc. It is an interesting exercise to try to calculate the distance in meters as that is what I am used to and have set my sights for even metric distances out to 600 meters, and then calculate how much to increase and/ordecrease the Vernier scale to make the shot. Many are offhand, and a few are from any position. Sometimes a rough pair of cross sticks is provided. The targets are all up hill and though most are a generous size, some are challenging, like a golf ball at 19 yards, and an oxygen cylinder at 137 yards, both offhand. One station had a rattle box into which you placed a lead ball and you had to get off the shot and hit the target before the ball ended up in the can. To add to the challenge, there was a port half way down where you could pick up two points if you made the shot. The time was only seconds and swinging up a 12 pound rifle and touching it off with success was interesting.
I packed my cartridge box, cleaning rod and rifle up the trail and the first thing I discovered was that cleaning that big rifle without a cradle was a son of a gun. The humidity was about zero and my patches too tight, so I worked up a good lather in no time, cutting my knuckles on the tang sight as I hammered the patches through the bore. I ended up resting the muzzle on my cartridge box finally, and managed to destroy the latch, so I had to pack it along the trail with two hands.
I was using my go to load without grease cookie, and cleaning thoroughly between shots. The pp'd bullets performed as advertised and I ended up with the top score, though I missed what I thought were 'gimmies'. Now I have the ranges recorded and will find Vernier settings for each of them so that next year, the only excuse will be my poor shooting. It was a hoot for sure, and my second win of the summer with the new rifle.

A properly used blow tube will get the job done also and a lot easier to carry cleaning equipment for a fun match like this.

Are you considering bringing that Sharps to next year's silhouette match at Heffley Creek? I imagine you'd know a few people there as most of them go to the rendezvous as well.

Chris.

Chris: I have a feeling that the silhouette match coincides with our Cowboy Action Shooting event here in Prince George. Can you give me the dates of the silhouette match? I'd come if I can! I've been shooting blackpowder with a lot of those fellows for nearly forty years.

I will do a test with just blow tube Kurt, to see if accuracy diminishes. I also am not above creating another load that involves a grease cookie, and a blow tube. One of our local fellows shoots a Pedersoli 45-70 with a Lyman 457125 greaser, and a grease cookie, and never wipes or blows over this entire match. He does very well too!

The match is held on the Father's day weekend each year.

Chris.

Thanks Chris. I am committed to our local match that weekend, so no can do. Too much to do...too little time...

That's too bad. Well,keep in mind in case your other match changes dates

Chris.

That sounds like a fun match. I've thought something like a Old West rendezvous where muzzleloaders and bp cartridge shooters would both be welcome and it would be fun and attractive especially to people who can't or don't care to shoot 800-1000 yds. I know Cowboy matches have what they call "Long Range" where they might shoot at 80 yds. That seems too short but there would be plenty of ways to make targets set 50 to 300 yds. or so fun and challenging. Period style dress could be encouraged but not required.

Pete: you have described the BC Rendezvous to a "T". Unfortunately, there is only one half-day of Black Powder cartridge rifle shooting, and indeed, most are in period dress, ie: fur trade era, not Victorian. But both are sometimes seen. It seems there are no wrong answers. Ranges are from 19 yards to 630 yards. Kind of like hunting situations...nothing in even distances. Challenging. And much fun.

271 Yards = 248 meters Just use your 250 meter setting
322 yards = 294.4 meters, just use your 300 meter setting
630 yards = 576 meters, Know what your 500 meter setting is for Rams and hopefully you have a 600 meter setting too. It will be closer to the 600 meter setting.

Sounds like a blast!

Something that makes doping range difficult is the inclination of the targets especially as they 'get out there'. I know that the bullet is effected less by gravity shooting uphill, and down, than it is shooting level. And some of these targets are not especially generous vertically.
On another note, our club has just made up a set of Quigley targets for our long range site. The ranges will have to be a bit different than those set out for the Quigley match since our bullet berms are at 100 meter increments. And we'll need to shoot our buffalo at 1000 meters rather than 830 yards, or whatever it is SUPPOSED to be. But it'll be fun for sure.

Here's the first ten shots at the buffalo at 1000 m. It took four to get the range, then five out of six hits with my Shiloh from 1979. Rebarrelled with McGowan .50 cal in 50 Alaskan. 600 gr. BACo gg bullet and 90 gr. Swiss 1 1/2 Fg.