What do Ya Think of this----Field Peice!

[Capt. Call]

This is the gun I have ordered----what do you think---anything that I missed or should reconsider?
#1 Sporter 45-110
34" Standard Barrel --- Steel Buttplate---
Accent line--- AA Finish---
Brass Escutcheons--- Hartford Collar---
Polished Barrel & Fire Blued Screws--- Pewter Tip---
Bone and Charcoal Finish --- Extra Fancy Wood---
MVA Long Range Soule Sight--- 113 Globe Front Sight with Spirt Level---
Hadley Eye Disc---Semi-Buckhorn Rear Sight

[Ray Newman]

FWIW:

Heavy full octagon to absorb recoil.

No barrel sight if you have a vernier tang. The barrel line will look "cleaner" w/o it.

[Capt. Call]

Opps--I guess I should have included what I am going to do with this thing. Target shooting, alot of target shooting, and IF I ever figure that out I would like to give BPCR Silhouette a try. [I was told that that the gun should make NRA weight] But most of all, plan on hunting everything [that I hunt with Four legs] with it.

[Lead Slinger]

Capt. Call
I'll have to agree with Ray Newman on this. I would consider the heaver barrel even if I had to shorten it to 32 or 30 inches to make a certain weight. Other that that your choices are fine IMHO.

[Capt. Call]

Ok---Can you help me out hear---What is it that I don't understand---I was told that a 34 inch standard barrel weighed the same as a 30 inch heavy barrel and either way the gun would weigh around 12 lbs. So how would the heavy barrel have less felt recoil than the 34 inch standard? I was thinking that the extra sight radius would really help on the long shots way out yonder!---

[Ray Newman]

I can understand the rationale for the longer sight radius.

As for the wt. if they both weight the same, I still would ask Shiloh if there is any advantage to a heavier/stiffer barrel in a .45- 2 7/8" (AKA .45-110)

[rdnck]

Capt. Call--Here's the deal. I'm not guessing, I have the rifles and I know what they weigh. I also have a 34 inch barrel 13 pound 45-110. The 45-110 kicks at that weight, although it is not what I would call brutal. I also have a 45-110 in the works at Shiloh, and it will weigh close to 15 pounds.

About a year ago, a gentleman brought a beautiful Number 7 Ballard by and asked for some help with load development. The Ballard carried a 34 inch barrel, and weighed exactly 12 pounds with sights. The rifle frankly kicked the daylights out of me, and at that weight, it was NO FUN to shoot. As a hunting gun, that level of recoil can be tolerated. If you want to compete, forget it with a 12 pound 45-110.

I have three Shiloh 45-70s with 30 inch Number One heavy barrels. One is a Number 1 Sporter with checkered steel buttplate and a pewter nosecap. With target sights and the buckhorn rear, it weighs 12 pounds 2 1/2 ounces. To make weight, I have had to remove the rear buckhorn sight and put a dovetail filler in the barrel. So fitted, it weighs 12 pounds 1 ounce.

I also have a Number 3 Sporter Hartford gun with checkered steel buttplate and pewter nosecap, and very nice wood. It carries a 30 inch No. 1 Heavy barrel and is also a 45-70. It weighs 12 pounds 5 ounces with target sights.

My other 45-70 is a Number 3 Sporter with no bells and whistles. It does not have a pewter nosecap, and has the hard rubber buttplate. The barrel is 30 inches, Number 1 Heavy. This rifle weighs 11 pounds 14 ounces with sights. It makes silhouette weight with the rear buckhorn sight in place with no problems.

Bottom line is that if you want to make weight with a 30 inch Number 1 Heavy barrel with no hassels or worries, you either have to forego the checkered steel buttplate and pewter nosecap, OR go with the half octagon/half round option.

The bottom of the bottom line from my perspective is this: If you have to have a 45-110, get the number 1 Heavy barrel 34 inches long. This will touch 13 pounds, and will make the rifle a lot easier to live with. If you KNOW your'e gonna shoot silhouette WITH THIS RIFLE, get a 30 inch No. 1 Heavy barrel half octagon/ half round in 45-70. If you go with the 45-110 and decide to shoot silhouette, you're gonna wind up with a 45-70 anyway. If you go with the 45-70, you're gonna wish you had a 45-110, and you will wind up with one of those eventually. Get the big gun, get it heavy enough to enjoy it, and order another one set up for silhouette if you decide to do that.

These things are like potato chips--you can't eat just one. Nor would you want to. Shoot straight, rdnck.

[krems]

Capt. Call

I just received a 45-110 #3 sporter from Shiloh. 30"#1 heavy Full oct bbl, pewter tip, checkered steelbuttplate, extra fancy wood, ebony pistol grip, sling swivels, blade font, full buckhorn, MVA tang sight for hunting. Even w/ a leather wrapped buttplate to protect the stock while hunting the rifle weighs 11 pounds 9 ounces. The Stock must be light on this one. Kicks real hard off the bench w/ 540 gr bullets. I wouldn't use this one for target work because it slaps real hard. . I bought this one for hunting w/ 450 grain bullets and is fine for this. In fact I also have a 17 pound 45-110 Shiloh rifle that gets your attention off the bench but is comfortable to shoot. Shoves you good but doesn't hurt to fire from the bench. The Rdnk gives good advise. You are going to end up with more than one shiloh eventually anyway. Good luck in your decision!...enjoy
Krems

[Capt. Call]

Ok---Thank You all very much for your input. The wheels in Ma-Brain are now properly lubed and can now turn free! Thanks Again!

[Maj Bob Lee]

Capt Call,
I would have to agree with rdnck about the 45-110 with a standard barrel. I got my #1 Sporter in 45-110 in Oct. I got the 34 inch heavy octagon barrel. You don't want to use a rifle in this chambering set up to meet weight for silhouette work. Don't get me wrong I really like this rifle and I don't think recoil is too excessive but it weighs around 13 1/4-13 1/2 lbs with sights. I bought it with the idea of trying NRA mid and long range shooting. I think though a 45-110 weighing 11 1/2 or 12 lbs would take the fun out of silhouette shooting. I notice you said you were going to do target shooting and then maybe silhouette. If you are thinking of mid or long range or creedmore type shooting then go for the 45-110 but get the 34 inch heavy barrel and if later you want to try silhouette then would be the time to get a rifle in a chambering like 45-70. I don't have a lot of experience with BPCR but I do believe that the experienced gentlemen that post on this sight know what they are talking about. Hope this helps.


Maj Bob Lee
NRA
NMLRA
SASS

[BarriereSharpShooter]

Forgive me. I am just one of those foolish smokeless powder shootors, but I am really looking forward to getting into BPCR shooting when the budget permits. I have an idea what it is like to shoot a browning 1885 with a hot 45-70 load. How does this compare to the 45-110 with a rifle in the 12 lb range. I would not like to shoot this 45-70 of the bench for a silloette match, but I was wondering how the recoil compares. A 500gr bullet at 1850fps and 3800ftlb energy would kick much harder than that 550gr bullet at 1300fts at 2600ftlbs. I know recoil is one of those subjective things. but it does strange to me?

[Maj Bob Lee]

Not really sure how they would compare but before I got my heavy barrel #1 Sporter I bought a Navy Arms Pedersoli rolling block buffalo rifle with the 30 inch heavy octagon barrel. I haven't weighed it but Navy says it goes 11 3/4 lbs. I'd say that would be about right. I have a 45-110 reamer and reamed this rifle out to 45-110. This got me a little 45-110 experience before my Shiloh was delivered. This rifle will be OK for hunting and I have shot 20 rounds at a time from the bench. This was enough to let me know that I would not want to shoot 40 or 60 round, plus sighters, silhouette matches with it. The load was 105 grains GOEX Fg and a 532 grain Lyman Postell bullet. And yes getting that long round past the hammer of the roller was very close had to very slightly bob the hammer nose and some rounds loaded with different shaped bullets would not chamber but the postell shoots well.

Maj Bob Lee
NRA
NMLRA
SASS

[nohorse]

One last minor comment regarding the 34" barrel. I don't know how stout you are but for me, the 34" barrel is a killer when trying to shoot off hand at chickens or midrange. I went to a 30" on my Shilohs and that 4" made a really big difference in balance and my ability to stabilize the weapon. Now I am wonderin' if a 28" tube would be even better?