Ordered a saddle rifle

[Haverde Warner]

After only 4 trips to the booth in Dallas, and handling everything I thought I was interested in, I discarded 2 previous plans and ordered a saddle rifle with numerous upgrades. Kirk's personal saddle rifle in .45 x 2 7/8ths really appealed. I did, however, decide on the heavy/half configuration instead of the standard weight. Can anyone tell me the weight difference between the standard/half and heavy/half (per inch or in a 26" length)? Can anyone comment on velocity loss in a 26" versus 30" barrel?
BTW, if you're considering ordering a rifle, but haven't had the opportunity to handle many, a trip to one of the displays is a grand idea! Lucinda was helpful, knowledgeable, and extremely patient-and nothing beats getting to handle the rifles (except maybe shooting them....)
Now, if I could just decide whether I really need additional LOP!

[rdnck]

Haverde--You will enjoy that Saddle Rifle. The difference in velocity from the 26 to the 30 inch barrel is about 2fps per barrel inch. In other words, about 5 to 8fps. Nothing to worry about. Also, you have to be really tall and long armed to benefit from a LOP in excess of 14 inches. It is a lot easier to shoot a rifle that is the least bit short than one that is too long. If you intend to hunt with the rifle, the additional clothes--hunting jacket, etc.--you will wear in cold weather will really work against you with a longer pull. Best, and shoot straight, rdnck.

[geronimo.tn]

Haverde
Congrats on the Saddle rifle.
Just ordered one myself although I've never seen one or held one.
I wanted the traditional straight grip look and a cheeck rest.
I also ordered additional length of pull. This will be my first firearm that fits right out of the box. When I was young my shotguns always busted my nose with my own thumb, was 30 years before someone told me my stocks were too short for someone 6'2" and long arms. All my antique guns are about 13.5" length of pull and actually the modern ones aren't much better. They were designed for guys who were about 5'5". I went with a 'conservative' 15.5".
What else did you order as an option and why did you pick a saddle rifle?
Jerome

[Texas Shooter]

Haverde:

Congrats on your Saddle Rifle. What options did you order on it! How did you come to choose it?

Texas Shooter

[Haverde Warner]

I already shoot silhouettes (badly, and infrequently-Horsefly is my mentor) with a Browning BPCR, and I don't intend to switch-since working up my sil. load has been a combination of art, science, and voodoo that I don't care to repeat soon. Wanted a Shiloh for hunting and just shooting, and the saddle rifle stock configuration felt best.
My order: Saddle Rifle, .45 x 2.1, 26" heavy/half, presentation wood, AAA finish, bone & charcoal pack finish, fireblued screws, brass escutcheons, polished barrel, Hartford collar, accent line on cheekpiece, semi-buckhorn rear sight, pewter tip-but I'm changing that to ebony schnable.
As you can tell, I more than managed doubling the base price of the rifle with options, but I'll never sit bored on a deer stand with this in my hands! I'm still tempted by the .45 x 2 7/8ths, per Rdnck's reports, but really don't need more horsepower (or recoil) and wanted a fairly (relatively speaking) light rifle for carrying around. 10 months and counting.
Incidentally, this may not need saying, but Rdnck is the real deal. I don't doubt he can easily handle his 14 pound rifle offhand, but I certainly couldn't. His advice has jumped me way across the learning curve in this game, and I watched him shoot a group on turkeys at Ft. Chad, on the clock and in the breeze, that would have fit inside a teacup. That's why I'm "listening" to what he has to say about the big .45

[Texas Shooter]

Haverde Warner:

Both RDNCK and Kenny have opened my interest on the 45-110. I figure I will start with something relatively simple (45-70) then if everything goes well, venture into the longer case.

I wish both of them would write a book just on that caliber. Loads, Loading techniques and nuances specific to that Caliber, so more folks like us could jump in with more confidence. (I'm sure they are not listening!)

Heck a web page would work also.

Texas Shooter

[Texas Shooter]

Haverde Warner:

OOOPS! I got carried away on that last thought.

Looking at the options you ordered, your rifle should be a Dandy!!

Now the wait......................................(sigh)

Texas Shooter

[pete]

Haverde Warner; That definately sounds like a great rifle. My only question would be the polished barrel on a hunting rifle where getting close is part of the game. I have a Lonestar rollingblock which I hunt with and it has a pretty shiny barrel. I'm seriously thinking about having the barrel bead blasted and reblued. Most of the pictures of the original Sporting (hunting) rifle barrels I've seen seem to have a pretty dull finish on them. Obviously just my 1 1/2 cents worth.

[Haverde Warner]

I agree with your thoughts on the high polish barrel, in theory; in practice, I doubt that it will matter one whit while hunting dimwitted Texas whitetail does, "wild" hogs, and the various targets of opprotunity this rifle will end up seeking. I admired the "antique" finish on one rifle at the Shiloh booth, but decided mine all ended up looking like well-used antiques anyway, and I'd rather just do it myself! If I ever get a chance to take this thing on a serious hunt, say for bull elk in the mountains, I may speed up the antiquing process a little. or use bow tape or something similar on the barrel.
Haverde

[pete]

What I meant by dull finish on the originals is that to me it looks like the metal itself was never polished. Even after the blueing wears off polished metal the metal is still shiny unless it's rust pitted overall and some of the rifles even have blueing left. I wouldn't get the antiqued option either. I'll antique mine myself too.

[black gulch grumpy]

Congratulations, You will love that rifle. Eight years ago I ordered an 1875 model from the guy across the street. It had a 30" heavy barrel in .45-70, with all the goodies for shooting silouette. Funny thing is, I never shot it. Last year, I saw a Shiloh Saddle Rifle on Auction Arms for a very reasonable price. I bid onthe rifle and won the auction. Was I surprised when I received the rifle................the wood was MUCH nicer than I expected, and I suspect that is is extra fancy grade. It has very nice figure.
The rifle is everything that a rifle should be for hunting purposes; it is easy to carry, easy to "snap-shoot" with, and as a bonus, is a real piece of art. It gets used far more than my other "Sharps".
I am sure you will be most pleased with your selection.

Mark Van Beek

[Rich Siegel]

Thought I might just add that I was out shooting my Saddle Rifle today. The rifle is in 50/70 with a 26" heavy barrel. It seems that my best loads hang aroung 2" at 100 yards with a hunter tang sight and standard blade front sight. This is only resting the barrel on a sand bag on my shooting box and holding the butt with my off hand. Funny thing is, I get 2" groups with duplex and smokeless loads.

I am surprised though, that a 490 grains bullet at 1300 FPS shoots 5" high at 100 yards and about the same low at 150 yards. Nothing to do with the rifle but with the caliber. The 50/70 was the original "Big 50" on the buffalo range in the early 1870's but those guys certainly got close or very well new the trajectory of their rifles and the range!

My last thought, I got the accent line on the cheek piece on my rifle, along with the pewter foreend tip. Well worth the money in the "looks" department.