Pedersoli Sharps

If I were you, with the limited knowledge you have at this time, I'd hire someone to bring this project to a conclusion. There are a number of places in Canada where there are very knowledgible shooters and I'd guess there are some in Europe as well. As a former corporate manager, when I needed something done and didn't have the resources in house, I would hire consultants to come in and direct the project. In the long run it's a lot cheaper and the time is better spent. In the process, you will learn what you need to know. I don't believe this would cost much, if anything to do. Shooters are an odd lot, they love to help other people out and enjoy showing what they have learned and can do. I think the cost would be mostly expenses. Just my two cents worth.
 
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I'd suggest you either try to locate commercially built ammunition, or find someone who already knows the field & can do what you need for you.
You're starting out with no knowledge base whatever, and you're not going to achieve the results you want either quickly or easily.

Learning that gun, caliber, and big bore BP rifle loading is not something you'll do in a couple weeks.

You would have been better off buying a .45-70 for your purposes, but you CAN still shoot .45-70 loads through your gun. I don't know how far you need to shoot for the camera, but you may be able to get sufficient accuracy with a .45-70 load to show what you need to show.
They may be easier to locate even in Europe, it's a much more popular caliber.

.457-459 bullets are available from a number of sources, check the Internet & find out who'll ship to your location. Not knowing your bore, best to stick with .458-459.

Still think there's something wrong if you can only get 80 grains of BP BY VOLUME in a 110 case.
How are you measuring that grain weight?
Denis
 
We are shooting to 1000 yards . And now know we are in for a long learning time. It will be more of a hobby for one of our team till it comes together.
We are looking at size of bullets but also need a proved dealer (after the last one !) As said, if it was a double rifle, we know a man that can, this is a whole new thing.
Would it be ok to change to fff powder ? we are dropping powder by volume and when we change bullet we are hopeing this to be the start.
Thanks.
Tony
 
Thanks for the help, have fireded off a couple of emails to recomended molders and will await responce. Will let you know as we stumble along!
May be of use to some one in the same fix when ever.
Have been looking at bullet lubes, there are a few idea's as to the best one !
we will try as many as we can, original info was " rub with candle wax, any candle will do."
A long road a head here it seems.
Thanks,
Tony
 
Tony,
If you're starting from scratch & expecting to hit anything at 1000 yards anytime soon, I think you're in for disappointment.

I sold an unfired Shiloh Sharps to a buddy a few years back, it took him months to find his thousand-yard load in that gun. And he was an experienced reloader with several friends who were also experienced with BP, hand-loading, and Sharps rifles. He knew the basics & had access to some very knowledgeable shooters.
You have none of that.

"Rub with candle wax"? :eek:
Where are you getting this stuff from?
There are BP-specific lubes, SPG has an excellent reputation.

Stay with .458 or .459 bullet diameters. .457 may be undersized & doesn't always (depending on the bullet alloy & hardness) bump up to engage the rifling fully. It may or may not, but if you shoot .458 or .459 it will engage fully for sure & can always swage itself down if it's tight.

3F powder is more appropriate to smaller calibers in handguns.
I'd stick with 2F.
Primers can make a difference, what will you be using?
Have you looked into fiber wads?

I don't mean to give you a hard time, but you don't just buy one of these rifles & expect to be hitting at a thousand yards later the same afternoon. :)
You may want to revise your initial plan for the gun on film.

Denis
 
I would use Fg or at most Swiss 1 1/2 Fg (Their numbers 4 and 5 in the home market) in a 2 7/8" just to keep the recoil manageable. FFFg is most often used to try to gain a little extra velocity in a shorter case or to try to refine accuracy. Not a first choice.

As said you need the right diameter bullet and a good lubricant. There are formulae available if you cannot get SPG or DGL. But rubbing a bullet with a candle is not the way to go and your "expert" is an idiot.

Shooting .45x2.1" (.45-70) in a .45x2 7/8" (.45-110) is a waste of time and ammunition if you want to do good target shooting.
 
Jim,
My suggestion of trying .45-70 loads was based on better availability & just trying to give him SOMETHING that would make noise and not keyhole at 30 yards.
Agree it's not the best way to go, and certainly not for 1000 yards in a 110, but it'd be something he could put on film.
I'd think a commercial .45-70 load would be available somewhere in Europe, and if the camera distance was somewhere around 100 yards, it should be do-able.
Denis
 
I am not much confident that a .45-70 bullet would jump 3/4" through the longer chamber and still land right way on. But it might be worth a try just for foto effects.
 
Many thanks, it is becoming quite clear that the person that sold us this rifle, as "good to go" and with the correct bullets was obviously not such an expert as he led us to believe!
We will not be filming this rifle any time soon, and we have passed it on to our resident armourer, who is more at home with more primitive weapons.
We are introducing to this forum and to the others recommended, he is keen hunter and shooter, and although this is not he's forte, he is hoping to get to grips with this problem. He also understands it's not a "comeback tomorrow, and all will be well". I think he is personally looking forward to the experimentation, and trying many of the "recipes" out there, to trying achieve success.
I'm not sure and do what tab he will sign in as, but I look forward to putting him on this thread.
Again thanks for the help,
Tony
 
Hi, new to this forum, and trying to reload for this particular type of gun as well. It's now my project and have just joined the ASSRA forum as well, on advice from you guys. I'm looking forward to a interesting time trying to develop and shoot this particular piece.
The my background is more mediaeval, I have built several 14th century, barrel construction, breech loading cannons, tuned a few flintlocks and dog locks. Then I'm afraid apart from collecting reproduction Colt Walker's ( 7 and counting) my knowledge leaps to English double centrefire express rifles. I understand this is going to be a interesting learning curve. I'm hoping to pick up as much information as possible, to reduce my factors, but understand there is probably many contradictory sources out there, and a lot of it will comedown to,pull the trigger and see.
Hoping to have my first crack at this tomorrow.
Wish me luck.
 
Tony,
As long as you understand you won't be filming next week, if you have enough time to allow experimentation the rifle can be interesting.
I think I might be tempted to go back to the con man who sold it to you & express an opinion or two of him....

Nitro,
Good luck, you're somewhat handicapped in your European location & it sounds like the rifle will be quite different from your normal background, but if you stick to it long enough a good load should be achievable.
Denis
 
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