Questions from IAB 1863 Shooter-new guy
-
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:43 pm
Questions from IAB 1863 Shooter-new guy
I just bourght a IAB 1863 Sharps Sportmans with a 28 inch barrel. It appears to be in good shap. Trying to figure out a load for it and was wondering if any one ever used 777 in there's. I have made up and not used a 60 grn 777 paper cartrige that fits in the chamberbehind a HHornady Great Plains 54 Caliber .425 Gr HB-HP. I know the 777 is 15 percent stronger than Pydrex or BP per volumne.
Went down to my local sporting good store and they don't seem to have any percussion caps for the rifle. Theres are all to small. Even there large rifle caps are too small, Any suggestions. I have been shooting Cap and Ball pistols for a few years now so I am somewhat familar with the sport. Any help or advise would be appreciated.
Went down to my local sporting good store and they don't seem to have any percussion caps for the rifle. Theres are all to small. Even there large rifle caps are too small, Any suggestions. I have been shooting Cap and Ball pistols for a few years now so I am somewhat familar with the sport. Any help or advise would be appreciated.
-
- Moderator
- Posts: 2132
- Joined: Fri Sep 20, 2002 7:47 pm
- Location: Big Timber
-
- Posts: 1610
- Joined: Thu Oct 26, 2006 1:20 pm
loads for 1863
Bob,
Here is what I use in my Shiloh 54 cal 1863 3 band. A raphine ringtail about 465 gr, 64 gr swiss 3f, a charlie hahn cardboard tube sealed one end with the bullet, the other eng with glued lens cleaning paper. At 200 yds I get 2-2.5 inch groups from a bench rest with open sights, offhand, well thats another issue. Why use anything else but BP? I would love to shoot this Shiloh with a scope!
Here is what I use in my Shiloh 54 cal 1863 3 band. A raphine ringtail about 465 gr, 64 gr swiss 3f, a charlie hahn cardboard tube sealed one end with the bullet, the other eng with glued lens cleaning paper. At 200 yds I get 2-2.5 inch groups from a bench rest with open sights, offhand, well thats another issue. Why use anything else but BP? I would love to shoot this Shiloh with a scope!
-
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:43 pm
I have a hard time actually finding BP in California. So I use what I can get. I finally found a store that could order me some caps for the rifle so I have ordered 500 #10 rifle caps. I hope it is the right cap. I am not going to use the 777 in this and only if I know how it is going to handle it. I normally use Pydrex (sp) in FFG for rifle shooting. I appreciate everyone warning me about the 777. Anyhow I will get to shoot it soon, hopefully this week end. I was able to take the rifle apart and give it a proper cleaning before I shoot it. Thanks for your response.
- OLReliable
- Posts: 897
- Joined: Thu Dec 26, 2002 9:42 pm
- Location: Massachusetts
caps , powder etc
Backcreek among others should have everything you need. The haz mat charge and shipping will be expensive. just for an idea, german Musket caps cost about 35.00 per 1000 here in VA over the counter at Backcreek, CCIs I believe are about 40.00. Check them out http://www.blackpowderva.com/
-
- Posts: 186
- Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2005 5:30 pm
- Location: Granada Hills. Ca.
- Contact:
-
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:43 pm
Finally I received the correct caps. I went to Dixie and ordered them over the internet, no hazemat fee which surpised me. I ordered five hundred but should last for a while. At $12.00 a 100 they are expensive but are very well made. Haven't actually used them yet, will do that this week end. Thanks everyone for your help.
-
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:43 pm
Well I finally got a chance to use those to hat caps, German. I was really suprised with the results. Only got it to fire once and that was with me putting the bullet in then pouring black powder in. I am using FFG. It went boom, but sounded like it was a slow burn. Anyhow the first bullet was made of cigarette paper. Looking at the back of the bullet it appeared that the flash was dispursed over the entire shell rather than going in pin pointed. I then cut the end off and tried again, still didn't go off. I took that shell out and tried one were I put the bullet in then put a paper cartige in. As I closed the breech block it cut the end of the paper cartigre off but that still didn't go off.
I went home, soaked the breach block in WD-40, cleaned it up, then tried again with a piece of cigarete paper stuffed down the barrel. I then fired off a cap and it burned a hole through the paper. The previous owner had not cleaned it out very well. I hope this will make it better.
I went home, soaked the breach block in WD-40, cleaned it up, then tried again with a piece of cigarete paper stuffed down the barrel. I then fired off a cap and it burned a hole through the paper. The previous owner had not cleaned it out very well. I hope this will make it better.
-
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:43 pm
Well I finally got a chance to go out and shoot again and I tried a new nipple for the Sharps and it didn't work so well. I did get it to go bang asfter using a couple of caps. The good news is the old nipple I had drilled out the holea little and it went bang almost every time. What a fun rifle to shoot. Now I have to work on were it is hitting. Need to cut some paper targets. I am now using some Minis that from a Lee Mold.