Cool hand this might be the other post you were thinking of on Killing Grizzlies.
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Post by Kenny Wasserburger » Tue Jan 04, 2011 3:35 pm
Dan,
I need to dig that stuff out and look, And do a bit of checking on that round!
Rick,
I did a bit of searching on the Web, a Johny Reb and a civil Engineer, that is the guy alright. Grizzly Bear Hunter. Explains much of the effort he put into his building of those Screens for Trajectory Tests.
First Pres of Boone and Crockett, 3 terms in Wyo Legislature.
Sure as hell was no Drummer boy in the Civil War. Highly respected Writer, shooter, Documented letters to the Sharps Factory, Many articles in the shooting literature of the times.
Makes Frank Mayer look like a dullard or C Roth a total idiot.
Here is something I wrote a few years back.
Quoted From KW
Within the first volume of The Rifle are a series of articles from William Pickett.
Fellow Wyomingite and Montana resident, William Pickett, was a noted hunter and rifle Crank of the era, he began his hunting in the Rocky Mountains in 1878 with a 45-2 7/8ths Sharps. He gives clear and concise times and dates with many experiments with this rifle including chrono Data listing powder charges up to 114 grs of C&H #6 powder, known as Fg powder today. One of his first major experiments was done in 1881 at Bozeman Mt, testing trajectories of his express loads. In his letters in 1882-84 he felt that the 3.25 case was needed to flatten the trajectories and to do so required a higher muzzle velocity, He is one of the movers and shakers that convinced UMC and others to make the 45 3.25 case, all in the name of express loads for 270 and 330 grain bullets. Picket is also quoted in Seller's book via some letters he wrote the Sharps rifle company. He dates Winchesters 3.25 chambered 1885 rifle and ammo coming out in 1885, strictly as an express rifle and loading.
By 1886 Pickett is convinced that the 3.25 case gives no marked advantage over his beloved 2-7/8ths Sharps case as one can get up to 120 grs of powder in the 2-7/8ths via careful filling of such with a 3 foot long drop tube. (Pickett's own words and often mentioned in the paper) The paper also contains information that gives trajectory data to support his findings along with chrono Data from his own loads. This was important enough to him to have a highwall built in 1885 chambered in 45-2 7/8ths to be sent to Springfield Armory along with his own hand loads to do chronograph testing. As Pickett did not trust the freight companies of the day, to carefully handle his beloved Sharps Rifle.
Pickett goes on to mention that the 45-3.25 case is purely an American invention while early British Express rounds were shorter and based on the .577 case head, and were of the bottle neck type, he even mentions owning one such rifle and gives Chrono Data on it also. It was a double rifle. By 1886 the Brits were also building 3.25 case ammo and rifles. Picket also felt that the fater short case give better burn ie Cleaner burn of the powder!
Pickett is very clear the 3.25 case was originally brought forth to flatten trajectories for the 270 and 330-370 grain express bullets, Yet it was also just as clear that the phrase used today (the point of diminished returns)? was met at the 45-2 7/8ths case with about 114 grs of C&H #6.
Pickett was also a big fan of the 1-18 twist in the 45-110 aka 45-2 7/8ths Sharps. Feeling this was all that was needed to give excellent accuracy to the lighter express style bullets. Our British cousins and also Winchester felt other wise, often you will find 1885 original Highwalls in the 40-3.25 or 45-3.25 with much slower twists. Many 3.25 British Express rifles are also barreled with the much slower twists, then the 1-18 favored by Pickett.
P as he goes by in The Rifle, mentions his killing of 38 grizzly bears using the 45-2 7/ths Sharps, 22 were one shot kills all using 330 gr express bullets. It was a different time and place for sure!
After a lot of years and time spent researching the 45-2 7/8ths Sharps, and also delving into the the story behind the 3.25 case I have found a lot of facts. Seeing the 45-120-500 grain PP Winchester loaded Ammo in L.A. Huffman's personal effects, which most likely came from the 1881-82 Smithsonian Expedition. Now I have found someone who actually was a respected and well known Rifle Crank of that era, that personally had something to do with the coming to be of the 3.25 case. And being the Crank that he was, took the time to test and write and share his findings. The work that Pickett put in just to test the Trajectories of his Express loads is unreal Pickett spent alot of time building a level field and setting up of sky screens to measure the trajectory�s of his rifles. My hat is off to William Pickett of Meeteetse Wyoming.
Too bad a Book was not written about William Pickett instead of Frank Mayer. We have a lot of factuaWithin the first volume of The Rifle are a series of articles from William Pickett.
Fellow Wyomingite and Montana resident, William Pickett, was a noted hunter and rifle Crank of the era, he began his hunting in the Rocky Mountains in 1878 with a 45-2 7/8ths Sharps. He gives clear and concise times and dates with many experiments with this rifle including chrono Data listing powder charges up to 114 grs of C&H #6 powder, known as Fg powder today. One of his first major experiments was done in 1881 at Bozeman Mt, testing trajectories of his express loads. In his letters in 1882-84 he felt that the 3.25 case was needed to flatten the trajectories and to do so required a higher muzzle velocity, He is one of the movers and shakers that convinced UMC and others to make the 45 3.25 case, all in the name of express loads for 270 and 330 grain bullets. Picket is also quoted in Seller's book via some letters he wrote the Sharps rifle company. He dates Winchesters 3.25 chambered 1885 rifle and ammo coming out in 1885, strictly as an express rifle and loading.
By 1886 Pickett is convinced that the 3.25 case gives no marked advantage over his beloved 2-7/8ths Sharps case as one can get up to 120 grs of powder in the 2-7/8ths via careful filling of such with a 3 foot long drop tube. (Pickett's own words and often mentioned in the paper) The paper also contains information that gives trajectory data to support his findings along with chrono Data from his own loads. This was important enough to him to have a highwall built in 1885 chambered in 45-2 7/8ths to be sent to Springfield Armory along with his own hand loads to do chronograph testing. As Pickett did not trust the freight companies of the day, to carefully handle his beloved Sharps Rifle.
Pickett goes on to mention that the 45-3.25 case is purely an American invention while early British Express rounds were shorter and based on the .577 case head, and were of the bottle neck type, he even mentions owning one such rifle and gives Chrono Data on it also. It was a double rifle. By 1886 the Brits were also building 3.25 case ammo and rifles. Picket also felt that the fater short case give better burn ie Cleaner burn of the powder!
Pickett is very clear the 3.25 case was originally brought forth to flatten trajectories for the 270 and 330-370 grain express bullets, Yet it was also just as clear that the phrase used today (the point of diminished returns)? was met at the 45-2 7/8ths case with about 114 grs of C&H #6.
Pickett was also a big fan of the 1-18 twist in the 45-110 aka 45-2 7/8ths Sharps. Feeling this was all that was needed to give excellent accuracy to the lighter express style bullets. Our British cousins and also Winchester felt other wise, often you will find 1885 original Highwalls in the 40-3.25 or 45-3.25 with much slower twists. Many 3.25 British Express rifles are also barreled with the much slower twists, then the 1-18 favored by Pickett.
P as he goes by in The Rifle, mentions his killing of 38 grizzly bears using the 45-2 7/ths Sharps, 22 were one shot kills all using 330 gr express bullets. It was a different time and place for sure!
After a lot of years and time spent researching the 45-2 7/8ths Sharps, and also delving into the the story behind the 3.25 case I have found a lot of facts. Seeing the 45-120-500 grain PP Winchester loaded Ammo in L.A. Huffman's personal effects, which most likely came from the 1881-82 Smithsonian Expedition. Now I have found someone who actually was a respected and well known Rifle Crank of that era, that personally had something to do with the coming to be of the 3.25 case. And being the Crank that he was, took the time to test and write and share his findings. The work that Pickett put in just to test the Trajectories of his Express loads is unreal Pickett spent alot of time building a level field and setting up of sky screens to measure the trajectory�s of his rifles. My hat is off to William Pickett of Meeteetse Wyoming.
Too bad a Book was not written about William Pickett instead of Frank Mayer. We have a lot of factual information on Pickett. And it would of been one hell of a read." End of Quote
Another Hunter-shooter-naturalist:
Was William Wright, Steve Garbe brought up his excellent book on Grizz, I now have a copy of it, Steve along with Dan Pharris are both pretty much convinced that Wright also used a 2-7/8ths for his hunting in a 1885 Highwall along with a 600 Grain Bullet
William Pickett, As I said, much documentation exists on what He did.
He deserves credit for his efforts.
KW
The Lunger