120 Sharps

01 April 2003, 05:39

<Lee S. Forsberg>

120 Sharps

Anyone have loading data for45x120 Sharps? Shooting it in a Sharps. Looking smoakless as well as Black Powder. Thanks

06 April 2003, 06:55

Brent

quote:
Originally posted by Lee S. Forsberg:
Anyone have loading data for45x120 Sharps? Shooting it in a Sharps. Looking smoakless as well as Black Powder. Thanks

I would never ever load smokeless in a 3.25" sharps. For several reasons. First, it's a black powder rifle. Why have a bp rifle and shoot smokeless? Never understood that. Besides, there have been quite a few stories of over sized cartridges blowing up when partially filled with smokeless. I don't claim to know the details, but severely reduced loads can apparently detonate.

As for bp loads, there are no "loads" per se.. Assuming you are shooting groove diameter grease-groove bullets figure out how deeply they need to be seated to be just off the lands, or just on it if you wipe between shots, fill case sufficiently to meet the base of the bullet while allowing for a card wad, then fill the case (via a drop tube), add a card wad, reseat the bullet, do not crimp, or crimp lightly at most. And have at it. Next, load a grain or two more powder, compress, with a compression die, NOT a bullet, and repeat. Continue this until you have run up loads that will provide about 1/3" of compression and compare group sizes. Generally, the best groups will be attained around 1/10" compression or a bit more with Goex Powder or just about zero compression with Swiss, but there are exceptions.

Do not use a smokeless lube on the bullet, such as Alox. Use SPG, Black Magic, Lyman Black Gold, etc. But not Alox.

As for powder, most would use 1fg Goex or Swiss. 2fg is sometimes preferred, but you have plenty of velocity as it is.

Brent

07 April 2003, 18:47

MagnumP5

Lee, go over to Shiloh sharps.com and look at their discussion forum. XMP5744 will work fine if you stay within the operating range specified by AA (31,000). You will only be 60% or so filled and DON'T USE A WAD!!!!!!!!! (makes you wonder about powder position ans that really big air space, heh? Still I have to agree with most of what Brent said though.

You can speak directly with Kirk from Shiloh and get learned from the folks at Shiloh. Be advised though that using smokeless in a Shiloh is sacrilege(sp). Be safe and do some research.

08 April 2003, 00:30

Bad Ass Wallace

45/120 Sharps - 112.5gn Swiss FFG, wax wad, grease cookie, card wad, 525 gn Lyman postel as cast(0.4595) but finger lubed with SPG.
My rifle is fitted with an old Lyman "All American" 10X and will group 2" 10 shotters at 100m.