Shiloh Rifle Forums

Im getting ready to order a 14# bull barrel rifle from Shiloh. I was considering going 34” long, as this will be a dedicated target rifle for informal shooting. I shoot PP loads almost exclusively in three other Shilohs, the longest of which is 30”. No issues with muzzle fouling in any of them, but I've read many accounts of greasers running out of lube near the muzzle on long barreled guns.

With the popularity off PP shooting these days, whats the consensus on this issue from those shooters? Im not settled on the chambering just yet, but leaning 40-82 Shiloh because I dont have any 40’s. 45-90 would be my second choice.

Having a couple of 34 inch barrels I used for pp target shooting I wipe every shot. No problems. If I was building a hunting load I would use grease wads. How thick to be determined with shooting experience. I use bees wax and bear grease or DGL lube with thin cards on bottom and top. No hard fouling. BACO has a few grooved bullet molds that look like they could hold enough lube for a 34 inch barrel. I have not worked up a grooved bullet load for my long barrels. My hunting rifles all have 30 inch barrels.

I thought I read where the 14 and 16 lb barrels only come in a max of 30"

My Tollofson class rifle has a 34" 14 lb. barrel in .45 2 7/8 patched rounds, and I have to wipe. My target rounds don't have a lube wad. Blow tubing is a waste of time. Especially here in Arizona. My preferred barrel length for long range targets is 32" and 26" for silhouette. The thinking (at the time) of going with the 34" barrel was to burn up all the powder of the .45 2 7/8 105 gr. I think a 32" barrel would have been just as good.
Dennis

bryany wrote: ↑Mon Aug 23, 2021 6:50 am I thought I read where the 14 and 16 lb barrels only come in a max of 30"

Just spoke to shiloh about this. They’ll do lengths over 30” in 14 and 16 lb, but it will cost you $1000 instead of $750.

I've got a 25lb 34" 45-110 and a 16lb 30" 40-70. They both shoot well as configured. In general, I like 32" barrels best for sight radius and fouling management.

I don't think it's a matter of running out of lube at the end of the barrel but more likely the accumulation of heat and fouling that wiping fails to address Even wiping sometimes takes an extra patch to manage the fouling in the 34" barrel.

I have a .44-2.6 Shiloh that has a un-tapered 1.3" X 35" long barrel and I have no problem with fouling in low humidity locations.
Like Bryan mentioned you might run another patch through but then you will also have to do this with the shorter barrels shooting a long string of fire. Usually one wet followed with a dry takes care of mine.

Thank you for the replies. Sounds totally manageable. Guess i’ll be going long then.

I have one 34" barreled rifle, and I will not do another one.
They are a pain to get into & out of the safe.
Keep on hav'n fun!
MikeT

MIke T,
That was a pain with a 34 " barrel into the safe?
Just think, my Colt 1863 Spl Contract Musket barrel was, I think 48".
Had to tilt it in the safe to clear.
Needed a 54" gun case for it.
beltfed/arnie

Just a thought of my own on longer barrels, that is, anything over 30”. I have three Shilohs: (2) 16# 45-110’s, and a 12 # 45-90. All have the 30” barrels. I may be wrong in thinking this. I shoot nothing but pp. I use 9# paper, and shoot my rounds on the warmer side. I’ve always thought using a mix of one part Napa milling/cutting oil to nine parts water to wipe the barrel clean between shots left a little lubricant in the barrel, opposed to straight water. Of course, I push a clean dry cotton patch through the barrel, and wipe the chamber dry, before firing again. This is just a thought of mine. Our summer heat in eastern WA State is extremely dry and hot. I’ve been wanting to increase the oil ratio a little more to experiment with this. In a longer barrel this just may be a good idea shooting pp loads.
Just my thinking,
Robert

I'm also in E WA state and yes it been really hot and dry. I'm still, and will continue, shooting GG and do not wipe. 34" is about 4" to long for what I do. As matter of fact, there's 3 or 4, 4" long piece's of barrel on my shooting room shelf.

Those offending pieces were removed from rifles I've purchased used. Possibly the original owner also had a fouling problem? Decided to sell a fouling rifle?

I also prefer to 30" for offhand shooting. As is always the case get what you want. You can cut off a 34" but it's expensive to stretch a 30"!!

34 inch barrels can be a problem when using lubes not up to snuff and poor blow tube routine.
Wiping between shots sometimes takes close attention to the patch condition when coming out the muzzle.

I understand the attraction of longer barrels for sight radius. I only shoot scope due to old eye, so would a shorter barrel help in the fowling department?

We have only used a blow tube in our 30 inch barreled 40-65 rifles, but at Raton the dry climate seems to make the fowling harder.

We are going to the range next week and try wiping the barrel after every shot , something Jeanne said she would never do , but we need to adapt I think.

I have some Shilohs with 34" barrels. They shoot really well for me, pretty much the same as my shorter barreled ones. I only wipe between shots so fouling management hasn't been much of a problem. With that said, at long range on a hot day I'll sometimes see that my shots will start going a little low near the end of a string. I then switch from my usual 3 damp patches to 4 damp patches between shots and the problem goes away. A clever fellow from Wyoming gave me that idea . I have had the same thing happen on my 30" barreled heavy Borchardt though, so maybe it's nothing to do with barrel length.

Personally I like the looks of a 32" barrel, although I like 30" on a bull barreled Sharps.

Chris.