Roundballs in a Sharps

[Erwan]

Paper patch. Chuckle

Paper patched bullets....
Yep, that could be, saw this somewhere, I don't know if I didn't do that long time ago and in another life for other calibers than the .54 Sharps....
I think I didn't do that for round ball, and you ? Rire...

 

[satwel]

Before I managed to find a Rapine Christmas tree mold, I tried shooting .545 round balls in my Shiloh New Model 1863 Sharps. I didn't use a paper cartridge. With the muzzle pointing down I just dropped the loose ball into the chamber and poured loose powder in behind. Results were disappointing. I could not get shots to group worth a damn. Very inconsistent. As soon as my Rapine mold arrived, I threw the remaining .545 balls into the pot and molded them into Christmas tree bullets. I then learned to roll combustible paper cartridges and never looked back. You can shoot your Sharps with a round ball but you probably will not be able to achieve any kind of reproducibility with them.

 

[toot]

in my IAB, SHARPS, I have shot RB, & loose powder in it for years. just tap the RB into the chamber with a wooden dowel to seat the ball, add powder cap it and have at it!

 

[Elkhorse]

in my IAB, SHARPS, I have shot RB, & loose powder in it for years. just tap the RB into the chamber with a wooden dowel to seat the ball, add powder cap it and have at it!

What size round ball?

 

[Crow-Feather]

Paper patched bullets....
Yep, that could be, saw this somewhere, I don't know if I didn't do that long time ago and in another life for other calibers than the .54 Sharps....
I think I didn't do that for round ball, and you ? Rire...

I did have a 59 Sharps. It was an early model, thus was 56 caliber. Didn't shoot to well until I sent it to Charlie Hahn. With a relined barrel and the Hahn's device, I was punching 1.5 inch 5 shot benched groups at 100 yards. Ended up trading it foe a Gibbs.

As to the patched round ball, I had those brass cartridge type cases that were the exact length of the rifle's chamber. If I pushed a patched ball down the bore, I believe that the brass case would have stopped it at the end of the chamber. I never tried it as I never thought of it. Would be interesting.

 

[Dave Orchard]

Does anyone have experience shooting roundballs out of a sharps?
Mine calls for .544 and there are .545 balls.
Maybe make paper cartridges, would save on lead for plinking.
Thanks

Does anyone have experience shooting roundballs out of a sharps?
Mine calls for .544 and there are .545 balls.
Maybe make paper cartridges, would save on lead for plinking.
Thanks

In a very similar Starr .54 carbine I loaded loose .56 ball and loose powder(50 years ago)
As long as the ball can be pushed up against the rifling then pour chamber full of black powder seemed to work better than my attempts at nitrated paper cart. and roundball.
You could push some tallow or LPG lube ahead of the ball(?)

Davo

 

[wb78963]

As a matter of fact yes I shoot pure lead balls in my Pedersoli Sharps.
Caveat : this bore has been lapped with JB compound and JB polishing compound and is very slick so leading is not a problem. Otherwise you may get some lead fouling. If the bore is rough you may get a lot of lead fouling. so stop now and lap the bore until it is slick.
This makes a nice 50 yard plinking load. These are my suggestions subject to your modifications.
Using the "Musket Matters or Duelist 1954" method, with a ball dropped into the forcing cone, measure for the tube length.
Using "Duelist 1954" technique,make a paper tube.. My tubes are tracing paper and are made the same inside diameter as is used for an Accurate #54470S bullet.

Figuring "grain per caliber" load with 50 grains FFFg powder ( because I have a lot of it ) and glue a thin wad in place over the powder.
Just before firing fill the open space in the tube with lard or other soft lube
FIRE!
Respectfully submitted
Bunk

 

[wb78963]

And if you cast w/ wheel weights it will bump it up hair on the diameter.
MY REAL .540 mold spits out the bullet a hair larger in diameter than the soft lead so it's tighter in the chamber.. Making the cartridge the paper also acts to fill the voids.

Using wheel weights makes,I am told, bullets that are hard as my X-wife's heart that do not work well in BP guns so I stick to pure lead.
Bunk.

 

[toot]

What size round ball?

54CAL. .530, RB. in mine. don't use a patch when you push it into the mouth. just the lead ball.

 

[toot]

I use 30, GRS, of BP. in mine. that is plenty enough to punch a hole in paper.

 

[wb78963]

54CAL. .530, RB. in mine. don't use a patch when you push it into the mouth. just the lead ball.

exactly no patch just the bare ball and a load of lard to keep fouling soft. The barrel is lapped with JB compound and JB polish so there has been no leading problems at all.
This is my experience I offer no guarantees.
Bunk

 

[toot]

exactly no patch just the bare ball and a load of lard to keep fouling soft. The barrel is lapped with JB compound and JB polish so there has been no leading problems at all.
This is my experience I offer no guarantees.
Bunk

thank you for the reply, to the newbie's! stay safe.

 

[wb78963]

thank you for the reply, to the newbie's! stay safe.

I do make a paper cartridge long enough to hold the ball against the forcing cone. The ball is separate from the paper powder container. Powder, wad to protect the powder, and a load of lard.
I am on a learning curve with the Sharps and sharing experiences is what this forum is good for.
Yr' Obt' Svt'
Bunk

 

[Elkhorse]

54CAL. .530, RB. in mine. don't use a patch when you push it into the mouth. just the lead ball.

A .530 round ball rolls right out of my..544.

 

[toot]

maybe go to a .540 or .545? mine is an IAB.

 

[Elkhorse]

maybe go to a .540 or .545? mine is an IAB.

.545

 

[Erwan]

Hi,
You take what you want of it, I've nothing more that can help : my best friend have an IAB Sharps and I make he's bullet casting (he's living downtown in small apartment) and the cartridges he makes with the bullets out of my mold Pedersoli (Christmas Tree) are working nicely...

 

[Stantheman86]

I've heard of people dropping .540 round balls into a Sharps and pouring powder from a flask. I don't imagine they're getting great accuracy

 

[Erwan]

I've heard of people dropping .540 round balls into a Sharps and pouring powder from a flask. I don't imagine they're getting great accuracy

That's normal because in that case and putting the powder in the chamber in this way you can't get a regulation of the pressure and flaming, but, other way, I know some persons shooting with round balls in paper cartridges who don't obtain excellent results in accuracy, but it is good enough for plinking...

 

[Stantheman86]

For plinking I just drop .530 or .540 balls down the pipe of my .58 Indian Enfield, not using bullets in a Sharps is kinda handicapping a rifle known for its accuracy.