Shiloh rifles just keep getting better!

[gunlaker]

My first Shiloh was a used Long Range Express in .45-70 built some time in the '90's I think. It's quite accurate. I've got a number of Shiloh rifles now and when I bought my #3 in .40-65 it was so accurate that I figured it was a lucky stacking of tolerances that made the new rifle shoot so well.

My new .45-90 Long Range Express is as good as the .40-65, maybe more so. Last practice session, from prone at 300 on the reduced 600 yard target, the rifle only dropped 2 points on 13 shots. Seven in the x-ring. One of the dropped shots was user error and the other was a wind gust that pushed the round into the 9 ring.

I don't know what the folks at Shiloh are doing, or how they do it, but I'm awful happy with their rifles.

I own, or have owned, Pedersoli, Browning, CPA, C. Sharps, Meacham, and some custom rifles. Shiloh tops them all for dependable accuracy!

Chris.

[Lumpy Grits]

Agree 110%
What's your .45-90 load?
Gary

[rdnck]

I agree. My last Shiloh was purchased three or four months ago, off the rack from the gunroom on the website. A 40-65 Roughrider with a wood upgrade and a pewter nosecap. Not a special order gun and nothing special or out of the ordinary. But it is extremely accurate, the wood is really good and more than I expected--and what really sets it apart other than the extreme accuracy is the fantastic workmanship and attention to detail. The gun is absolutely flawless. I really don't know how Kirk and the gang do it, but it is a remarkable company making a remarkable product. Shoot straight, rdnck.

[bruce m]

chris,
very few people have the systematc approach, the desire to go the whole mile, and the knowledge , to get a rifle and load shooting like you do.
a good rifle in good hands congratulations.
now if you were to just tru a dual diameter elliptical pp bullet that seats 1/10 to 1/8" in a fireformed case.........
keep safe,
bruce.

[gunlaker]

Agree 110%
What's your .45-90 load?
Gary

Gary mine is pretty simple:

Fireformed and annealed Starline brass,
partially sized and expanded with a 0.457" expander.
CCI BR2 primer with a paper wad in the primer pocket ( my brass has pretty deep pockets so I add the wad to space the primers out a bit.
78gr of Swiss 1.5 ( compressed about 0.275" even though we've all heard that doesn't work .
0.060" LDPE wad cut with a Cornell press mounted cutter. These end up closer to groove diameter than the precut ones that BACO sells.
BACO 458535M bullet cast in Rotometals 16:1.
DGL lube
Seated with a Redding Competition seater so that the front driving bands just touch the rifling.

The velocity variation is very low on this load, so hopefully it'll hold vertical well at long range. I'm pretty confident that it will though. This same bullet shot out of my Borchardt held vertical very well and this rifle has a little less velocity variation.

Chris.

[gunlaker]

chris,
very few people have the systematc approach, the desire to go the whole mile, and the knowledge , to get a rifle and load shooting like you do.
a good rifle in good hands congratulations.
now if you were to just tru a dual diameter elliptical pp bullet that seats 1/10 to 1/8" in a fireformed case.........
keep safe,
bruce.

Bruce I've never tried a dual diameter PP bullet, but spend a fair bit of time with straight bore diameter PP bullets. My PP rifles all have Dan's chambers with the 454" neck. I have a .45-2.6" Shiloh with that chamber. It has a heavy Ron Smith 1:16 twist ( no gain ) and it shoots very well. It was going to be the rifle I was going to take to Phoenix if the 2.4" didn't shoot. This 2.6" rifle is pretty spectacular. It's got what looks like exhibition grade wood on it. It weighs exactly 15 lbs with MVA LR sights. The bullets I've had the best results with are a PJ original Money at .445" with Seth Cole paper, or the BACO elliptical and Esleeck 0.002" paper. Both with 105gr of Swiss 1F. I tried it with 100gr Swiss 1.5 and a 545gr Money bullet and it was too much for me. I just couldn't control it well enough. Velocity was something like 1420 fps IIRC. I definitely found my recoil limit

Chris.

[Lumpy Grits]

Thank you
Hint: When seat'n the bullet. Seat about half way-and then lower the press's ram, rotate the case 180* and finish seating.
This will really reduce the bullet's T.I.R.
Gary

[gunlaker]

I agree. My last Shiloh was purchased three or four months ago, off the rack from the gunroom on the website. A 40-65 Roughrider with a wood upgrade and a pewter nosecap. Not a special order gun and nothing special or out of the ordinary. But it is extremely accurate, the wood is really good and more than I expected--and what really sets it apart other than the extreme accuracy is the fantastic workmanship and attention to detail. The gun is absolutely flawless. I really don't know how Kirk and the gang do it, but it is a remarkable company making a remarkable product. Shoot straight, rdnck.

I think that no one, except maybe a small group of custom rifle builders, pay as much care and attention to the chambering job. The barrels seem to be pretty amazing too. Those .40-65's are pretty amazing shooters.

Chris.