Made my mind up, its a 38/55

[Frank]

Need input on a barrel weight for a deer rifle and also target shooting. I have been thinking about ordering a new Shiloh for a long time and have made my mind up to make it a 38/55 Montana Roughrider with a 30" barrel and all the extras. The only thing I have not decided on yet is the barrel weight. I have a Shiloh #1 Sporter in 45/70 with all the extras and Baldwin sights on both ends. I shoot a Paul Jones 540 gr Creedmore bullet and still use Goex Powder. It is the best rifle I have ever owned. I also have a Browning BPCR 45/70 I used untill I got my Sharps. Both are heavy. I have been using a Browning Traditional Hunter in 38/55 for deer but I like the Sharps rifles much better. As I said above, I have not made up my mind what weight barrel I should put on the rifle. Would like to hear what others think about the weight, a standard or heavy? I would more than likely put a hunting type tang peep sight on the gun.

Frank Costa

[Josh A.]

Dear Frank:
I suggest a standard weight barrel. I have a Shiloh 40-70ss that I hunt with all the time, and it has the standard/half barrel at 27" currently. My new Shiloh 40-70ss that is on order will have the standard weight full octagon at 26". I prefer the semi-buckhorn rear sight. I wouldn't hunt with a tang sight unless I could put my finger through the aperture.

Have Paul Jones cut you a mould with a big meplat and let her fly.

My 40-70ss Shiloh has taken around 20-30 feral hogs (I have two hanging right now) and several other animals.

The link below will let you see a couple.

Hope this helps,

J


http://groups.msn.com/BPCR/texassharpspictures.msnw

[Texas Shooter]

Frank:

These are my thoughts for what they are worth.

My Hunting rifle desirable traits:

Accurate within the usable range (0 - 150 yards)
Easy to carry
Caliber 38-55 (Your choice)
Barrel length as short as possible and still maintain velosity, sight radius ect.
Weight as light as possible to aquire sight picture quickly this along with barrel length are very important

Given the above traits, for me, I would choose a standard barrel. The heavier barrel may help a little long range, but the 38-55 is not a huge caliber anyway, and I think the extra weight would be a headache in a hunting rifle. You've already got a Target 45-70 for this type of shooting.

Give me your thoughts.

Texas Shooter

FWIW: I have been using a Winchester 1895, 24 inch barrel, 405 caliber. It's light, quick handling, and plenty accurate with good knockdown power.

[Parley Baer]

Not much that I can add. I agree that with the .38-55 I would go with the standard weight barrel. A 26 inch barrel would be fine for a hunting rifle. You might even consider a half octagon barrel. The Shiloh action is shorter compared to say a bolt action or a lever action. So the overall length will be shorter when compared to the other types of rifles with the same barrel length. This will help in the field.
I prefer the shotgun buttplate. However with a hunting rifle you will only be shooting a very few rounds and the type of buttplace is not as important. The choice of the Montana Rough Rider as the base rifle is a good one. You might consider the sling loops. About all that I can add. Parley

[Parley Baer]

Forgot to say that I would get the forearm bedded. This is an option. This seals the forearm and helps to prevent the wood from moving when it get wet. Parley

[nineteen76]

Frank,
I have a Shiloh Montana Roughrider, SNB442, with hard rubber shotgun butt in caliber 38/55.
This rifle has the 30" "Extra Light" full octagon barrel that Shiloh once offered. Barrel measures .910" just ahead of the "Tulip" at the receiver and tapers to .795" at the muzzle. Rifle weight is 8 1/2 pounds with an MVA Midrange rear and Shiloh #111 Globe front sight and points like an expensive shotgun.
If you plan to use your Roughrider 38/55 mainly for hunting and some casual target shooting, like Parley Baer said, I would lean towards the lightest weight barrel now offered (standard half octagon).
Good Shooting!
Chris

[boreal]

I've killed three deer with my 38-55 Marlin (have not gotten a 38-55 Sharps yet) with a Lyman 246 grain 40:1 bullet that measures 0.3785 inches in diameter. I'm not at home right now, so don't know the mold number. My load chronographs at 1170 fps and is accurate. On broadside shots with no bones hit, they just punch a caliber-sized hole through a deer. I double-lunged a whitetail buck (about 190 lbs-field dressed) last year that lived for over an hour, travelled several hundred yards, and took another shot to the neck to kill. Only one lung was collapsed. I would like more expansion (hollow point?) or bigger Meplat, 0.380 diameter, and maybe a bit lighter (200-225 grains?). I also have a Saeco 225 mold that I have not tried yet.
Any ideas about where to buy a good mold? Special order would be fine.

JoshA,
Who is Paul Jones/contact info?
Hey, I'm just a beginner.

[Josh A.]

Dear Boreal:
Jones' web page is below. The flat nose .40 that I had built for my Shiloh is very accurate. I am thinking about going to a softer alloy than 20-1 for hunting. I am punching holes straight through hogs from any angle. I shot a small hog last night and it entered on the front shoulder and came out a rear ham. They will run for a long way if you punch a hole broad side, no matter what you you hit. I have been shooting at them more head on lately to insure better kills. Last night I let two of them line up before I shot, the first one was DRT didn't find the second one.

Josh


http://www.pauljonesmoulds.com/