A Shiloh on tv

Share your tales (tall or otherwise) of hunting adventures.

Moderators: Kirk, Lucinda

Post Reply
pete
Posts: 2258
Joined: Tue Nov 12, 2002 10:16 pm
Location: Colorado

A Shiloh on tv

Post by pete »

I caught a show on the Outdoor Channel yesterday called Adventures Abroad that featured a buffalo hunt in South Dakota and the host used an older (Made in 1982) Shiloh. They didn't say the make of the rifle but it was a Shiloh pistol gripped model. When they showed a shot of the off side of the rifle you could vaquely make out where the name is stamped on the reciever.

Caliber was 45-120 and they even used paper patched bullets with 110 gr. of 1F powder according to the guy loaning the rifle to the host Russell Thornbury. I know the 45-120 wasn't an original Sharps round but it was better than a 300 mag.

The main down side was that the guy loaning the rifle seemed to try and pass off the 120 as an original Sharps cartridge. He also said that early on the buffalo hunters used 40 calibers then went to the bigger rounds (.45) when the buffalo got wilder. That's partially right I suppose but he seemed to not know about the .44's and .50's used early.

At least it was something different than the usual stuff they show.
Stephen Borud
Posts: 1015
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:29 pm
Location: Casper Wyoming

Post by Stephen Borud »

Pete I saw the same program twice yesterday, only caught parts of each episode, difinitely was a shiloh, Sharps developed the 45 for a target round. I would have to agree with ya, at least it was something different.

Stephen
User avatar
Wagonmaker
Posts: 405
Joined: Sat May 23, 2009 4:29 pm
Location: North Battleford, Saskatchewan

Post by Wagonmaker »

Well the buffalo getting warier if human presence is what led to the introduction of longer "magnum" BP rounds. But yeah, the 50's were first simply because that's what was available. I've read in Mike V's articles where guys would ride up on the herd and shoot them with revolvers and try to shoot them like that. I could think of better ways to get gored. Fill them full of .44 Henry bullets, and wait for them to expire. Not the most ethical hunting experience.

Back to the matter at hand. Bad enough that movies/TV shows are so full of misinformation about firearms. Not naming names (cough CSI cough), you would think a show dedicated to shooting and hunting would consult someone, somewhere, who knows something. There are a scary numbers of people that derive everything they"know" from the tube. Like I always say "I read it on the internet, so it must be true."
Firearms technology was perfected in the 1870's, and it's been a slow downhill slide ever the advent of smokeless powder.
JAH
Posts: 27
Joined: Thu Dec 06, 2007 12:11 pm

Post by JAH »

Speaking of Hunting shows using old blackpowder guns I would watch a show that exclusivley used Sharps, Rolling Blocks, lever actions and the like and not just for buffalo, but other species as well.
SIXSHOOTER
Posts: 50
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2007 3:14 pm
Location: idaho falls, idaho

Post by SIXSHOOTER »

Ok. I know that the 45-70 was a historic cartridge. So what is the history of the larger capacity 90 thru 120.

I have an original 50-90 trap door so I assume it was an original calibre. It is stamped 1869 and I cant imagine it would have been rebarreled but who knows.
DK
pete
Posts: 2258
Joined: Tue Nov 12, 2002 10:16 pm
Location: Colorado

Post by pete »

SIXSHOOTER; If the Trapdoor hasn't been changed from it's original state it's a 50-70 not a 50-90.
The 45-70 (45 2.1) was introduced in 1875
The 45-90 (45 2.4) in 1877.
The 45-100 (45 2.6) in 1876.
The 45-110 (45 2 7/8) in 1876.
The 45-120 (45 3 1/4) was never an original Sharps cartridge but some Sharps rifles were rechambered later after Sharps went out of business to that round.

JAH; I agree with you and have thought the same thing for awhile now. Even a show that focused on "primitive " tools in general would be great. Non compound bows, muzzleloaders of the style from their beginning to the 19th century and the rifles you mentioned. I'd think there would be enough advertising from related companies to keep it going.
Last edited by pete on Thu Oct 22, 2009 4:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
buffalocannon
Posts: 1583
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 2:03 pm

Post by buffalocannon »

Pete, You neglected to mention the .45-100 (2.6-inch) Sharps Straight, introduced in late 1876, lasting until early 1877, with a life of less than a full year but is arguably the finest cartridge ever produced by the original Sharps factory. I am not an historian but I believe the 2.6" was around even before the 2.4" and maybe even the 2.875"?
SIXSHOOTER
Posts: 50
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2007 3:14 pm
Location: idaho falls, idaho

Post by SIXSHOOTER »

Pete,

Thanks for the reply. It was very informative. I am 58 years old and I purchased the trap door when I was 8 years old from an old man in swan valley Idaho. I paid $19 dollars for it and had to work the next two years to pay for it. My dad said it was a wast of time. The old man said it did not have as much value because it was made from an 1863 cap and ball gun. 1863 is stamped on the side plate. The old man said it was a 50-90 which had little meaning to me at the time but I wrote it down. The front of the trap door on the top says 1869 that may not be a date. It says it was assembled by springfield armory. It was cut to carbine length and whittled on pretty good latter in its life. It is in pretty good condition and the lock and trap door work better than a reproduction I handled last year.

There were three original sharps in the shop for sale for about $200 which my dad said was redicules because that was more than a remington .270 They were all about 24 inch really heavy barels. I held them and thought it would take a real man to shoot one. The prize that he had was a kentucky rifle that he wanted $250 for. He pointed out to my dad that if you just looked at the silever inlay there was at least $20 bucks worth of silver. My dad was not impressed. The old man had about 200 rifles, most were winchesters and henrys.

I talked to my dad about this and he said it was one of the many miscalculations in his life that kept him from being wealthy. He should have sold the house and car and bought all of those guns.
DK
pete
Posts: 2258
Joined: Tue Nov 12, 2002 10:16 pm
Location: Colorado

Post by pete »

buffalocannon; You're right, very observant. I went back and added it. Thanks.

SIXSHOOTER; Wow, you've had that rifle a long time. I'm no expert on Trapdoors........or much of anything else I guess but there are sure to be some real knowledgeable people here who can tell you more about what you've got there.
Yea, those Sharps, the Kentucky and maybe some of the others sure would have been nice to have bought back then that's for sure. It's funny how ideas about things change but who can tell what the prevailing attitude will be in the future though. Good stories.
User avatar
Wagonmaker
Posts: 405
Joined: Sat May 23, 2009 4:29 pm
Location: North Battleford, Saskatchewan

Post by Wagonmaker »

Sixshoter.
A friend and I have had the same discussion over the past few years. Keep in mind that these rifles were just considered junk by almost everyone. Chambered for obsolete rounds, and you couldn't even use smokeless in them. How many High walls were stripped of their glorious big bore status and turned into .219 K-Zipper Improved or similar ilk? One can only hope no Ballards, Hepburns or Sharps were remelted into tanks and jeeps from 1939 to 1945, but it's likely. They were simply junk, nuisance guns for decades. Or even left to rot in abandon farmhouses. I know one fellow who discovered his love for lever action Winchesters when he found an near mint 1876 in .45-75 that way in a location he won't divulge to this day. Almost drives a guy to tears. :cry: All's I can say is... who knew :?:
Firearms technology was perfected in the 1870's, and it's been a slow downhill slide ever the advent of smokeless powder.
mdeland
Posts: 11708
Joined: Mon Nov 20, 2006 1:47 pm

Post by mdeland »

Well gents there are opportunities right now just as there were then if one has vision and courage enough to see it!
I can remember when the Shotgun News was full of adds for Rolling blocks at 15 dollars for a whole rifle. I do not remember the models or makes though. Should have bought a truck load! MD
ironramrod
Posts: 1364
Joined: Tue Aug 05, 2003 1:12 pm
Location: Dakota Territory

Post by ironramrod »

Well, here's another "why didn't I." In the mid-90's gold prices were such that the U.S. double eagle 1 oz. $50 gold coins were going for the low-mid $200 ea. It looked astronomical then, but now that gold prices are $1,000-$1,100/oz it looks like a bargain. Even 10 double eagles then, and a shooter could buy a real pile of shooting supplies with the selling price now. I guess hind sight is always 20/20, huh?

Regards
User avatar
Wagonmaker
Posts: 405
Joined: Sat May 23, 2009 4:29 pm
Location: North Battleford, Saskatchewan

Post by Wagonmaker »

The key is also to have the money you can be able to tie up in such ventures. There's a few things I'd like to get in on, but lack of funds is about the only thing holding me back. Anybody got like $150,000 I can borrow? I'll pay you back next payday I swear. :D
Firearms technology was perfected in the 1870's, and it's been a slow downhill slide ever the advent of smokeless powder.
Post Reply