Shiloh Rifle Forums

I hope to order a '63 Sporting Rifle soon but am on the fence as whether to get a .50 or .54. My initial though was to go with the .50 as it wouldn't require as much powder as a .54 but in doing some research I've learned that one can use pretty much whatever powder charge one wants to in a '63.

If that's the case is one better than the other?

I have a 63 sporter and a 59 carbine in 54 and use to have a 63 military in 45cal.If I was going to get another 63 it would be in 45cal as you have a lot more choices of bullets for the 45 though the bore size does makes it weigh a little more than a 54 sporter

Thanks for the input. After I posted I began to think about the .45 as well. A little less lead to throw around.

If I go .45 I may make it a carbine.

I d also go with a 24inch barrel if I went with a carbine or try to get a 63 sporter with a 26 inch barrel

I was thinking about a 24" barrel on a carbine. As for a sporter, I was thinking 28".

I m contemplating a another 63 sporter and I was thinking 45cal,26inch barrel,pewter nose cap and shotgun butt with checkered steal buttplate

What weight bullet will you use? My 54 uses a 470 grain and my 45 gets a 525 grain slug.

[quote=Amigo post_id=340554 time=1678074759 user_id=624]
I m contemplating a another 63 sporter and I was thinking 45cal,26inch barrel,pewter nose cap and shotgun butt with checkered steal buttplate
[/quote]

We're thinking the same way.

It seems that regardless of caliber a fella will use the same amount of lead and powder for these guns. That makes me wonder if, from a practical standpoint, there's really not a whole lot of difference in the shooting experience, save for the different weights in the guns themselves.

I have an original 54 caliber carbine and an early Shiloh 54 caliber "Infantry" rifle. I think the choice of caliber would all depend on your intended use of the rifle. The 45 calibers will undoubtedly shoot flatter and be better for longer ranges. The 54 caliber would be fine for 100 to 150 yards. A 50 would probably fall in between. If the intended use is hunting, where practical ranges are 150 yards or under, I would pick the 54 caliber as it makes for a much lighter rifle.

George

Thanks, George. That is precisely the kind of info I've been searching for. Living in South Carolina, aka God's Country, my opportunities to shoot more than 150 yards, for hunting or target shooting, are very few and far between. I have 100 yards on my property and 100 yards on a law enforcement range I have access to. That constitutes about 99% of my shooting.

Since .54's seem to be more available in used or originals, compared to .45's and .50's, and the distances at which I'm likely to shoot, a .54 would seem like a good choice.

Do the Farmingdale .54's tend to have very large chambers?

Jim,

I don't think I've shot either of my 54 percussion Sharps riifles at anything more than 150 yards. I've had two of Shiloh's infantry rifles. The first was made in Big Timber when Droege was the owner. The one I have now was made earlier in Farmingdale. I don't recall that the powder capacity is any different between them. I can't compare that to what Shiloh may be making now, as I've never had one of their new ones. I use the same paper cartridge in both the Shiloh and my original. They hold about 60 grains of powder and the bullet. I use a plugged base rather than tearing off a "tail" as it holds the powder in position. I make my cases just long enough to fill the chamber so it doesn't get cut when I close the breech. I've been using the Lyman 54 caliber minie bullet (about 450 grains) and it works pretty well, though is not really the "right" bullet. I just used what I had and have stuck with it over the years. These rifles are fun to shoot, and pretty economical as well.

George

I made a deal on a 3 digit Farmer in .54 today. Are the bore diameters of the Farmers pretty standard or should I slug the bore to make sure of what diameter bullet I need? I'm probably going with a ring tail made with a Lee mold. Has anyone used the Eras Gone Richmond bullet?

MY Farmingdale percussion rifle is serial numbered just over 1000. The land to land (bore diameter) is .528 +/- .001. The groove diameter is.540 +/-.0005. This compares very well with my original carbine which is .541 grooves and .525 lands. I was looking at getting an Accurate mould #54-440H which is very similiar to the Eras Gone Richmond bullet, but with two grease grooves. But never got around to ordering the mould. The Lyman 54 caliber rminie (533476) has worked well for me in both so I've just stuck with it. I do think the Richmond (or Accurate) bulet is easier to roll cartridges with.

George

I just looked at the Accurate 54-440H but the bands are only .537". However, I think Tom will modify it to the buyers specs. I do like the weight of the bullet.