Military Stocks and Recoil???

[Ken Hartlein]

Do any of you shoot a 50-70 with the military stock. I have one ordered but I'm kinda wondering about the recoil with that calibre and the military stock??? What do you guys that shoot one think about the recoil?? I'm going to shoot the original loadings of 450 grain grease groove and the 470 grain paper patch bullets.

[crazeyiven]

Ken-

My brother has an original 50-70 allen conversion (trapdoor). He shoots the 450 with both smokless and blackpowder.

I have shot the rifle a lot and it is very comfortable. We went through 60 rounds one afternoon with no ill effects...would have shot more if we'd had more loaded (these were all blackpowder). We were clipping off steel targets (18" round) at 200 yards pretty regularly, with the original military sights.

His 50-70 is a lot easier to shoot than my 50-90!

Hope this helps.

[OLReliable]

Ken,
I have a .44 Shiloh Harford Model with a military butt and it has never "stung" me, and is VERY comfortable to shoot. Along with a straight grip, a military butt just plain looks right on a Sharps. I think you see so many fellas ordering Sharps with shotgun-style butts because they shoot silhouette from the prone position. That's where a shotgun butt is helpful. Otherwise, I feel it is purely a matter of taste.

OLR

[gpeak]

Hi Ken,
I think the answer to your question is mostly dependent on the weight of your rifle. I have a Quigley with the military stock in 45-70 and the recoil is absolutely no problem. On the other hand a buddy has a much lighter Sharps and the recoil is noticeably sharper. In 50-70 the difference in recoil should be slight. You can always use a recoil pad on you or the buttstock(slip-on)
Of course the other issue is the position you shoot from. Prone will give you the most felt recoil. All in all I don't think the buttstock style is a major issue in your caliber/load.

[Ken Hartlein]

Thanks guys, I just love the looks of the Montanna Roughrider on page 10 of the 2004 catalog, so that's what I ordered, in 28" heavy half, 50-70, semi-fancy wood, full buckhorn rear, and the stock just like the one in the picture. I thin I'll just stick with it. It's going to be uses 99% for hunting and 1% for plinking and fun shooting. Thanks.

[BuckeyeShooter]

I have two military buttstocks. One on my 45-70 Hartford and the other on a #3 Sporter 45 2 7/8. The only time I have had a problem was shooting prone and the top of the curved buttplate would tend to dig into my shoulder. I solved this problem by using a Shooters Friend recoil pad. The 45-110 is a 16lb bull barrel and the recoil on it is less of a problem that the 45-70 though. As a side note if you go to the recoil pad, I've found that for offhand shooting the recoil pad is a bad idea. You can get a more solid hold without it.

[JAGG]

You can buy a slip on recoil pad if you need it ! I used it with my Postal 45/70 loads along with a shoulder pad at times ! JAGG

[TYRVR]

My ol' pal John Weaver has an original carbine in 50-70 with the ring and bar attached, it has about 95 percent of the finish and the bore is decent so......we shoots it! as long as the loads are kept down in the 60 something grains with a 535 Gr. bullet...it ain't bad, BUT.....use a heavier bullet or charge and it will smack you blind and then smack you again for not looking! I ain't a Wuss I shoot a 50X2.5 in competition, but that square edged butt plate wears! 5-10 shots ain't too bad......but up around 30 or so and you start looking for a reason to quit shooting, the last time we shot it, we decided it might be best to not shoot it real often......you know....it being so rare and all?....not because it hurt....no definetly not because it hurt......He'd be willing to trade for a nice Shiloh 50X70 with a pistol grip and shotgun butt plate.....

[Todd Birch]

Hey TYRVR

I have a Farmingdale Shiloh '74 Military Rifle in .50-70 in transit as we speak. It will be a companion piece for my Farmingdale '63 .50 Military Rifle.
Both have that puny curved, military butt plate. I don't find it too much of a trial with the '63 with 55-60 grains behind a 425 bullet even in shirtsleeves.
Yesterday I loaded up the first 20 rounds of .50-70 brass in anticipation of the '74 .50-70 with 65 grains and the same bullet. Using one Walters .060 wad, that was all I could get in the BELL cases with 1/8" compression. I expect that once-fired cases will take a full 70 grains.

In conversation with Dave at Lonestar Rolling Blocks, he told me that he favours the .50-70 as a hunting round and for casual BP shooting as it doesn't kick the snot out of him and give him a recoil headache. He recommends it as a good non-competition choice.

I can't wait to find out!

Todd

[TYRVR]

Todd:
One of My Heros, Red Hall has got a new 50-70 from that OTHER Montana Sharps builder, that he has installed a MVA scope on and is shooting in matches, I'm unaware what load he is using but I suspect it is a heavy bullet and some concotion of Swiss and 2Fg, he likes to tinker with mixed powders, He is getting decent groups, but is thinking he can do better, He read or talked to some big name shooter that was using this combination, when I see him again, I'll try to find what his load is and pass it along,
I don't use a real heavy load in my match gun, 535 or 685 Gr. bullet with 95 grains CTG ....shoots better than I can hold.
I hope to live to see the day when all true MEN will shoot a fifty of some sort.......and those little gopher guns can be retired back into obscurity,

Ol'Tye,

[Todd Birch]

TYRVR

How are you managing to get all that powder behind a 535 or 685 grain bullet in a .50-70 case? Hydraulic compression?

Since I don't intend to shoot with sights other than those on the rifle (as issue military), if I get minute of Bambi or Bullwinkle at 100 and 200 yards, I'll be happy.

I have toyed with the idea of breechseating the bullet as I do with my .50 '63 percussion and inserting a compressed case full of powder with a wad on top.

It sure pays off with the '63.

Todd