.50 '63 Military Rifle on the range

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Todd Birch
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Location: Somewhere in the Cariboo ....

.50 '63 Military Rifle on the range

Post by Todd Birch »

After a wonderful morning walk (aka "hunting") I came home to a beautiful day with many hours remaining. So I took my .50 calibre '63 MR to the range ....

There was the usual assortment of guys shooting from the bench using lead sleds, doppler radar chronos, high tech rifles/scopes, etc. I sat down in the military x-legged position and started to plink the 100m gong that measures 10"Hx12"V. Load was 55 grs FFg under a 450 Lyman 515141 bullet lubed with SPG wrapped in onion skin paper.

Took me a couple of rds before I recalled that I need the ladder sight up in order to use the lower notch at 100m. After the first shot, people were asking - "What the hell was that and what are you shooting?". "Where's the brass case?" "What will it do on paper?"

So I posted a paper target, sat down and fired a three shot group that measured 3/4" x 1-1/8" that impacted 3-1/4" above the point of aim. Perfect for hunting and definitely 'minute-of-moose'. I wouldn't shoot a moose with it beyond 125 yds or so. It isn't matter of hitting it, it's a matter of dropping it.

It always gets a reaction form the guys who need all the high tech gadgetry to shoot. I wonder how they shoot in the field when they don't have all that gadgetry going for them? Once I've established a "0" with a rifle I intend to hunt with, I never shoot from the bench again. I EXPECT my rifles to shoot well from the bench or I don't own them for long.
"From birth to the packing house, we travel between the two eternities ....." Robert Duvall in "Broken Trail"
Eric Johanen
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Re: .50 '63 Military Rifle on the range

Post by Eric Johanen »

Nice report Todd. I really must get my 63 carbine out on a range date soon. Cartridges are all ready but I go sidetracked with a Smith repro and did some work with it recently. Great fun and very accurate at 50 yards testing Goex and Swiss 2 fg. I used the Lyman #515-350 and next I want to run the Rapine original style bullet. There is a Erma repro Gallager with cartridges all loaded up and I just closed the deal on a very nice original Burnside so looking forward to a fun few days on the range. Again, Good job!
Todd Birch
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Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2004 12:01 pm
Location: Somewhere in the Cariboo ....

Re: .50 '63 Military Rifle on the range

Post by Todd Birch »

Eric

I've got a Shiloh .50 '63 SRC as well. It gives me the same groups at 50 yds that I get at 100 yds with the Military Rifle. It has gorgeous dark, figured walnut in the stock. I've never warmed up to it as I have the rifle and I would part with it.

Until recently I had an ERMA Gallagher carbine that I had relined to .50. Shot very well, but was essentially a 50 yd skirmisher. It liked the Rapine 375 bullets that my Shiloh 50-70 carbine also likes. Kinda wish I had kept it, but I needed the money for something else.

Great fun playing with these rifles, but last night I didn't appreciate stripping and cleaning two breechblocks. The bores are no more of a problem than any other rifle, but that's the price you pay to shoot them.
"From birth to the packing house, we travel between the two eternities ....." Robert Duvall in "Broken Trail"
Woody
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Re: .50 '63 Military Rifle on the range

Post by Woody »

Todd,

We have a Military Silhouette match in a couple of weeks. That generally means Trapdoors to be competitive. Earl Lewis has been working up a Smith carbine so we decided to have a plink-off of some sort. Don't know what we'll shoot at, but I loaded up some Smith rounds. I haven't shot my Smith in a couple of years. I've use the Lyman 515141 bullet cast at 25-1 and loaded with 45 grains of 1.5 Swiss. Since I was casting up some, I cast a few extra and broke out my 63 Sharps conversion carbine. Loaded up some 50-70's for it too. We should have some fun.

Woody
Richard A. Wood
If you are surrounded. You are in a target rich environment.
Eric Johanen
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Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2004 1:27 pm

Re: .50 '63 Military Rifle on the range

Post by Eric Johanen »

My Gallager is still a 54 caliber and I use Round balls and the Rapine bullet for it. Both work well. I tested Swiss 2fg in my Smith with the Lyman bullet and it shot very well but the expansion at the receiver/barrel joint was about twice as much as GOEX 2 fg. I would not load more. I should try 1.5 Swiss or OE in it and see how that works. The weak point is the joint and the case can only stand so much pressure but it is a good shooter and a great deal of fun to shoot Cleaning is a bit of work but the occasional fun makes it worth it.
ChrisF
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Re: .50 '63 Military Rifle on the range

Post by ChrisF »

I have an unfired Shiloh 1863 military rifle. Never fired
Eric Johanen
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Re: .50 '63 Military Rifle on the range

Post by Eric Johanen »

Chris lad, what are you waiting for? They are really good fun and rolling up the paper cartridges is not difficult. I use double wide cigarette papers around a mandrel they are not as sturdy as the original style cartridges but I transport them in a wooden block insert in a CW style cartridge box and a Plastic shot shell box. Yes, it does take a bit of time to clean the breech block but the fun is worth it! They can also be surprisingly accurate when the load is worked out.
Todd Birch
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Re: .50 '63 Military Rifle on the range

Post by Todd Birch »

Woody - why not two classes for your shoot. One for rifles another for carbines?

There is absolutely no interest amongst my cronies for this kind of shooting. Everything has to be hi-tech and calibres start at the .300/.338 level. Most of them couldn't shoot for beans without lead sleds, sand bags and the bench. They also don't walk very far with those rifles slung on their shoulders.

Most have an exaggerated opinion of their abilities with these rifles. We used to have a Hunting Rifle match where you had to shoot off hand at 50, 100 and then you could kneel (???) at 150 and go prone for 200. The scores were dismal. They banned sitting and slings as I was unbeatable when I sat slung up. They also banned my Garand despite the fact that the largest Mule Deer I ever shot was taken with the M1. Likewise my Howa heavy barrel .308 which weighed less than some .338s.
They banned my wife's .243 M700 as she was winning against the big boys as well, upping the calibre to 6.5mm. She took that as a compliment. The match died in the end. Any wonder why?

I had a beautiful Shiloh .54 Sporting Rifle that I sold as I didn't appreciate the large powder chamber. Even with a reduced load of 85 grs FFG it was a kicker with that huge Xmas tree bullet.
"From birth to the packing house, we travel between the two eternities ....." Robert Duvall in "Broken Trail"
Woody
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Location: Freetown, Indiana

Re: .50 '63 Military Rifle on the range

Post by Woody »

Eric,

Don't have any now, but I have had two original CW New Model 1863's. Both were very accurate with the ringtail bullet. Probably won't find another that I can afford.

Todd,

Not enough interest to have any classes. We should have six to ten Trapdoor shooters shooting during the silhouette match. I've been able to hit 24 of 40 a couple of times with my Trapdoor. My goal is always to run the rams and push the number a little higher.

Woody
Richard A. Wood
If you are surrounded. You are in a target rich environment.
Woody
Posts: 6060
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:02 am
Location: Freetown, Indiana

Re: .50 '63 Military Rifle on the range

Post by Woody »

Eric,

Don't have any now, but I have had two original CW New Model 1863's. Both were very accurate with the ringtail bullet. Probably won't find another that I can afford.

Todd,

Not enough interest to have any classes. We should have six to ten Trapdoor shooters shooting during the silhouette match. I've been able to hit 24 of 40 a couple of times with my Trapdoor. My goal is always to run the rams and push the number a little higher.

Woody
Richard A. Wood
If you are surrounded. You are in a target rich environment.
Todd Birch
Posts: 2133
Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2004 12:01 pm
Location: Somewhere in the Cariboo ....

Re: .50 '63 Military Rifle on the range

Post by Todd Birch »

A score of 24/40 with stock Trapdoor on a full silhouette course of fire? I'd say that's pretty fair to middling accuracy with open sights.

What bullet weight/powder charge?
"From birth to the packing house, we travel between the two eternities ....." Robert Duvall in "Broken Trail"
Woody
Posts: 6060
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:02 am
Location: Freetown, Indiana

Re: .50 '63 Military Rifle on the range

Post by Woody »

Todd,

I normally use a Brooks Turkey Killer that weights 525ish pushed by 62 grains of Swiss 1.5. It comes in at approximately 1180 FPS. This load/rifle combo has shot a 91 a 600 yards and a 100.4 at 200. Running the sights is the challenge. The older my eyes get the harder it is to shoot irons, much less a post front.

Woody
Richard A. Wood
If you are surrounded. You are in a target rich environment.
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