1874 Military 50-70

[Luke]

Well, I've not had a chance to shoot it yet, hopefully I'll get out to the farm this week and put it on paper. The load I intend to use is my "Milspec" load I use in my #3 Business rifle, 1/22 twist. This bullet http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_det ... t=52-450L2
over 70 grains OE 2F, (drop tube and compression die) LRP, Starline Case. This has been a capable field load in the #3, (it will turn an armadillo inside out) and I expect good things in the slower twist (1/36) carbine. This was also an excellent load in a Chiappa 50-70 carbine I had previously, so I know what to expect in terms of recoil. The 50 Govt has a surprisingly gentle recoil impulse. I have a couple hundred of these loaded, and a 2 gun match in 2 weeks!

(FWIW my "Target" load in the #3 uses the Accurate 51-630R, and holds 1.5 MOA at 200 yards off bench sticks if I do my part)


And they really did put some nice lumber on it. The picture is a bit washed out, it's darker than that with some really nice figure in it. I've always got standard wood and never been disappointed.

[Luke]

And I'm down to 8 lbs of OE 2f. Estes better get that production back on line!

[Cabinfever35]

I’m curious what works in a 50-70 all I have is 1F Goex and I’m starting to getting low.

Bart

[Luke]

The short answer is just about anything. David Higginbotham considered the 50-70 to be an intrinsically accurate cartridge. Use what you've got, you'll enjoy the results.

[Luke]

Out to the farm today and it's a shooter. Seems to love my Milspec loads, gentle recoil off hand, line of sight/point of impact cross at 25 and 100 yards with the base sight, just about ideal for a combat match. Took it through a steel plate rapid fire run I have set up and didn't miss. Oh man this thing is great!

But you knew it would be.

[Cabinfever35]

Need to get mine out maybe next weekend does a 1-36 twist have that much less recoil then a 1-22 in a short barrel. I will bench mine at first just to get it on target then practice off hand.

Bart

[Luke]

Recoil I would say no, though I can tell it has less torque on firing than my 1/22 #3. Also interesting is that the 1/22 uses a left hand twist, while the 1/36 is a right hand twist. I believe the 50 cal. 1/22 is the only left hand twist Shiloh uses, why I do not know.