2439 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr
40 - 45 grains seems like a Dragoon pistol load to me rather than a carbine load.
I believe different makers used different chamber sizes. My 1863 Military rifle takes 68 grains of FFg while my old carbine held a little over 50 grains of FFg. Both are/were Shilohs. A friends older Pedersoli carbine also took 50 grains. His other carbine hold around 45 grains. A Chiappa I think.
Saw a video about a fellow using a Shiloh Sharps rifle which is as close to original specs as can be. Their parts are interchangeable with an original - very nice rifle. He repeatedly hit a target at 782-yards with it and I think he said he was using a 65-gr. load. They have about a 2½-year waiting list if you want to buy one from them. The one he has is an 1874 model and he's using 120gr. in the cartridge. And of course, he has to reenact that part of the movie, but hey, he makes a 782 yard freehand shot! You've got to love it when you make a shot, hit the target, and clang from the metal target takes 2-seconds to get back to you after seeing the target fall. So it takes 4 seconds from the time you fire until you hear it hit.
Phil, I really like the rifle in your photo. I would be interested in reading anything you would care to say about it.In military rifles and carbine I used / use 60 grains with a few different slugs. In a sporting rifle I’ve used up to 100 grains. For hunting and post matches they work good, I never shoot paper matches.
It's an 1874 repro, which used cartridge's. He loaded it with 110gr. of BP. Original shot from the movie was using 120gr. But you know, you are right. I would have expected more smoke. Wind could disperse it quickly but I doubt he'd be able to hit the target repeatedly at that distance in windy conditions. In any case I thought it was an impressive shot, and one that my eyes could never do through iron sights, even a peep sight. I don't think I could see something that far away!
