Sharps or spencer?

[Eric F]

Ok over the past few months I have been looking to buy a sharps.....no wimpy 45-70 either......I was looking at 50-90. But looking at powder bullet and brass prices I was wondering if that was a poor choice. Runner up a new spencer in 56-50. Over all cheaper to shoot brass is about the same but uses way less powder and lead.

What I realy want is some thing no one else has
hunting potential for deer size critters
economical
and something I can load bp for.

So Any one have some thoughts for me thanks

Ok misprint on poll shoutd be 50-90

 

[cane]

Really this is an "apple or Orange" question. The Sharps is a single shot, the Spencer is a repeater. The Spencer round was originally a rim fire, but modern replicas are center fire. The sharps uses much longer, more powerful cartridges. Both are fun to shoot.

 

[PTK]

Someone makes a new Spencer? My wallet is going to hate me, but who makes them?

 

[Eric F]

Armi sport of italy makes them for taylors but buffaloarms.com has the best price. Starline brass is the only source for brass though
right around $1100 for the rifle

 

[PTK]

Where would you find load data for the .56-50?

 

[Eric F]

not too sure for smokeless but bp and bp substitutes would be easy enough fill case to capicity less wad and bullet
there is some smokeless info I found but I do not trust it enough to put the info out here as it sounds really whacked

 

[PTK]

Well, at least I don't have to worry about spending money. If I can't run smokeless (even TrailBoss) through a modern replica cartridge gun, I don't see the sense in spending over $1k.

 

[Eric F]

I think trail boss has some load info on their site now that you mention it. I thought it was a bp sub???

 

[PTK]

Hodgdon's Reloading Center doesn't show any .56-50 loads. Also, TrailBoss is simply a high-bulk smokeless.

 

[Colt46]

I wouldn't consider the .56-50 for hunting

Spencer was designed as a military weapon and lacks the kind of long range you could expect from the sharps.

 

[Eric F]

My mistake there is some thing on reloadersnest but I can not access it from work

 

[PTK]

Oddly, AmmoGuide doesn't list a single load for the Spencer.

 

[Gator]

There's a Spencer board here. A Spencer replica would be very cool (they make one in .44 Russian!) but for hunting I'd go with a Sharps in .45-70; there are lots of good bullets and loads for the .45-70, and the .50-90 would be like lobbing mellons. The Spencer would be equivalent to a pistol caliber carbine.

 

[PTK]

9.2gr Trailboss
1.62" OAL
335gr (modified Lee) bullet
933fps +/- 15fps. (most shots were right at 933-940fps)
Shot point of aim 100% of the time

There's a load I found, and it sounds correct, as well. 335gr lead bullet at 900+FPS will ruin a deer's day, if placed correctly.

 

[Eric F]

yeah not to mention a .515 wound channel

 

[PTK]

.509 to .512, by all reported slugging results.

 

[Eric F]

my mistake sliped on the key board again.

 

[alemonkey]

I love my Sharps, even if it's just a wimpy 45-70. Most fun I've ever had with a rifle.

 

[cane]

I've shot a Whitetail deer, an Axis deer, and 2 hogs with my 56-50 Spencer. I admit all were within 100 yds, but that didn't hurt their taste. Brass is $1.00 each, and loaded ammo $2.00 each, so I load my own. The previous Trail Boss load is pretty close to what I use. Would I buy one for hunting, no, the Sharps is a better (cartridge wise) rifle. I use mine for CAS also, in fact that's why I bought it.

 

[Chuck R.]

A while ago back when the wait was 4 years for one I ordered a Shiloh # 1 in .45-100. While waiting I bought a used C-Sharps in 45-70, then bought a guys order from Shiloh and had my .45-100 built to my specs saving about 2 1/2 years of waiting. I kind of forgot about the one I’d ordered, till I got the postcard from Shiloh saying it was about to start production and to send them the $4300 for it. At that time there was no way my wife was going to put up with another 4K plus single shot, so I gave the order to a friend of mine in exchange for my $50 deposit back.

He kept the specs the same #1 Sporter 31" Barrel, except changed the caliber to 50-90 with the intent of making a long-range rifle out of it. The problem was/is to get similar trajectory to a .45 you had to move up to 600-700 grain bullets and at around 1200 FPS it took all the fun out of shooting it. Brass is costly, more than the $1 per I paid for 45 2.6”. It was also way more difficult for him to work up a load, could have been the flinch though. It's amazing to watch him shoot silhouette with it because when hit the animals fly off the rail.

Even with a big .45 effective range is limited due to the trajectory and effects of conditions on the trajectory. I usually end up using 3-4 sighters to get on a pig swinger at 300 meters and that’s at a known distance, with my sight setting for that range. I own a .45-100, .45-90, and a .40-70, for a hunting Sharps I’d buy a .45-70 and never look back.

Chuck

 

[db_tanker]

I agree with what Chuck R. said...however I would think that the 45-90 would be a neat choice as you could shoot both 45-70 OR 45-90 (much like the 38/357, you would have to watch fouling, plus the rather long "leap" from the throat to the rifle lands)


But as an owner of a 45-70, you can be certain that you will lay low anything on the receiving end of that bad boy...and sometimes lay yourself low as well.

 

[1200 meters]

I vote the Sharps 50-90. I have quigley 45-100 my wife baught for me a couple of years ago. Ilove it , when things are crappy I can go to the range and shoot it and everything is alright. I only say the 50-90 because of the famous Billy Dixon shot at Adobe Wells where he knocked an Indian Medicine man off his horse at 1538 yards. Distance was surveyed by Army mapping engineers.

 

[Onmilo]

I see Buffalo is offering a 30" .56-50 rifle,(hands wringing).
I have a bunch of SR4759 powder,,,,,,,,,,,,17 grains and a 350 lead flatpoint should about do the trick.

I'm going to call these guys today.

 

[Eric F]

Well I decided to go with the sharps this year and the spencer next year. Just ordered reloading supplies for 50-90