Gentlemen:

I put this in the black powder cartridge rifle section with only a couple of replies. Maybe this is the correct forum for my questions.

I have an old high wall single shot made in 1889 in .50-110. 30" no3 octagon barrel, crescent butt and target sights.

Is the short bullet in the .50-110 conducive for long range shooting? I have been told the short bullet of 300 grains has poor accuracy at mid to long range and the rifling won't stabilize longer 450- or 500-grain bullets.

What say you fellas? Is it a shooter or should I pass it on?
Cheers and thanks for your attention.
Cal

It may be a shooter with light bullets, but not long range.

simple solution - have biebs buy it and try it out - if he can hit the bard door it would be a shooter - then when he sells it in 2 weeks for 50% - you buy it

quote:

Originally posted by butchloc:
simple solution - have biebs buy it and try it out - if he can hit the bard door it would be a shooter - then when he sells it in 2 weeks for 50% - you buy it

Just to clarify Beib's shooting skills: will he be inside or outside of the barn when he shoots?
Cal

My suggestion would be a 450 to 500 grain for long range. I have never seen a barn door that could stand up to a bullet that heavy.
When shooting 45-70 bp the 400 grain worked best for long range in a 1-20 barrel. of course I have no idea what the twist is on yours.

quote:

Originally posted by Rolland:
My suggestion would be a 450 to 500 grain for long range. I have never seen a barn door that could stand up to a bullet that heavy.
When shooting 45-70 bp the 400 grain worked best for long range in a 1-20 barrel. of course I have no idea what the twist is on yours.

I have read and the twist is 1:54"
Cal

Winchester produced two versions of the .50-110, the first was the "Express" loaded with 300 grain bullets and the later one, also introduced in the 1886 lever rifle, was the .50-110-450. The only difference in the rifles was the twist rate. Unfortunately I have no definitive source on what the two rates were. Mike Venturino's lever action book says 1-60" for the "Express" and 1-54" for the 450 grain version, but that seems unlikely to me.

Best suggestion I have is to measure the twist rate in that hi-wall and see. If it is slower than 1-40" or so, like the 54-60 inch figures mentioned above, I'd guess it won't stabilize 450 grain bullets and that means you would be stuck with the lightweights, which don't have impressive accuracy levels in any reference I've seen.

That is correct; the 50-110 is not and never was, a long range cartridge; it was an Express cartridge using very slow twists and light bullets. By the time it came out, all the buffalo were gone and Sharps was out of business. And all the big cartridges shooting heavy bullets were not needed.

That twist rate will not stabilize a 450 grain projectile. Not a long range rifle.

Thanks, gentlemen.
I was going to try some long range shooting as I've never done this before but I guess this rifle (even though has wonderful original target sights) was not meant to do so.
I will be heading into town next week to depart for a hunt in Africa and will drop it off at a dealer to sell for me (along with a 10-bore English ble shotgun and a 4-bore shotgun with extra 8-bore barrels).
However, it was a nice dream while it lasted.
Thanks, again for your input.
Cal