Accuracy of Shiloh .50 '63 Carbine

[Todd Birch]

Two weeks ago, I checked the zero of my Shiloh .50 '63 carbine after having a silver blade front sight installed.

I was delighted to see that it printed right on for elevation at 50 yards with my 60 gr Pyro pellet loads, requiring a windage adjustment to centre.
It printed a sub-2" group from the bench repeatedly and amazingly, a 2 1/2" 5 shot group at 100 yards.
I only had 5 BP rds with me, and they grouped better at 50, so I went back yesterday with a whack of 50 gr, chamber length BP loads.

Off hand at 50, it was no trick to stay in 3" for 5 rds. After plinking away on the steel targets and pieces of clay birds, I shot at 100 from the bench. The idea being to see if it would make a viable spring bear gun and later, deer rifle.

What I got was a sub-2" 3 shot group, 1 1/2" below POA using the 200 yd sight! Centre-to-centre, it measured 1 3/4" x 7/8"! I call that phenominal for a Civil War era carbine.

I consider this load minimal for game at 100 yds, but if a .45 Colt carbine can take a neck shot deer at 200, ( a pal of mine dropped said deer before witnesses), I'm still ethical with a .50 425 gr bullet atop 50 grs FFg.

[Bill Goodman]

Todd, Lots of big game was taken with the Spencer and Winchdester 1866 and 1873. All these had light powder charges. In their day they were considered fine hunting rounds. I believe, except on the plains, most game was taken inside 125 yards and these loads worked just fine. Look at all the rifles that fired black powder shells like .32-40, .38-40, .38-55, .44-40, .40-50, etc. I shot a buffalo using a .50-70 with BP loads and got complete penetration at 80 yards for two shots. Any deer size game hit solidly with any of the above rounds within 100 yards is going down for good. I've come to believe the larger cartridges holding more powder were more for trajectory benefits than killing power on all but the largest western game. It doesn't take much to kill a deer or antelope, hitting it at any range beyone 100 yards becomes the problem with BP cartridges/ breech loaders or muzzle loaders. Note all the Kentucky rifles using round balls under .50 caliber that show up in the antique market. They must have worked okay then or they would have made them larger caliber.

[Todd Birch]

Bill

Quite true, re: the old pistol calibre cartridges, but we do have some provinces that prohibit their use on game; Quebec being one. In BC, the 45-70 is NOT legal to take a buffalo!
This after a woman put 5 rds from .270 into one and it steamrollered her into the snow. She survived and the buff died eventually. The rules say:

"Ammunition to hunt bison must be constructed with a 175 gr or larger bullet, which retains 2,712 joules (2,000 ft lbs) or more energy at 100m."

A .30-'06 with 180 gr bullets barely makes the grade.

I've had good success with the 50-70. Two large 400+lb black bears and a nice 4 point muley have fallen to mine. Only recovered one bullet from the off shoulder of one bear. But, like the 45-70, it wouldn't be legal for bison.
Our buffs are the larger woodland species, the largest of the bison family.
Somehow, gov't biologists have kept the strain pure and separate from the mingled herds of prairie buffs, one of those failed 'experiments' done with the best of intentions.

The day I was playing with my '63 carbine, I had my "wife's" Uberti rolling block in .357 mag with me. What a fun gun! I call it her 'mini-buffler rifle', especially when shot with BP loads.

After plinking shards of clay bird out to 75 yards with it, I printed it from the bench at 100 and put three rounds in a sub-2" group, just like the '63.
I'm thinking, what a fine game rifle for a lady out to 100 yards. But bullet placement had better be good.
I just cast 200 RBS 160 gr SWCs for it that will be lubed with SPG, especially for BP use. This is the rifle we all would have loved when we were boys.

It isn't a 'mini-Sharps', but it's one hell of a lot more affordable.

[Bill Goodman]

Todd, Years ago I bought one of the Uberti Rem. No.2 Rollingblock butt stock and action (no barrel/orearm) leftovers that Navy arms was selling. I had a 21" round tapered barrel and traditional forearm put on it in .44-40 caliber. Another fun little rifle. I also took one of their 1891 Rollingblock pistols that was a .22 Hornet and had it rebored out to .32-20. Not good for much except firing lots of cheap reloads through and having a great time! Lets face it, if it were just practical guns we needed, we'd all have a .30-06, 12 ga. pump/auto and a .22LR with maybe a .223 varminter thrown in. Fortunately, we buy guns we want. Life's too short not to enjoy the things we like! I take tremendous pride in my collection of totally impractical rifles/handguns for which I love to shoot and reload!