Black Powder Cartridge Spring 2020

By now, most everyone in the BPCR world has heard of the latest, and somewhat surprising development concerning the National Championships for BPCR Silhouette. The NRA Competitions Department has decided to hold the Nationals, not at the traditional location of the Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico, but at the Ridgway Rifle Club in Ridgway, Pennsylvania. ...Read More >

Our cover for this issue comes from Bill Mapoles and features two Sharps Model 1853 carbines with an issue sling and cleaning brush. ...Read More >

Q. What were the smallest and largest black-powder charges used in sporting rifles? ...Read More >

In the 1850s, if you lived in a dangerous area, you wanted a Sharps carbine. Likewise, if you were traveling through an area inhabited with hostile Indians, bandits and bushwhackers, you wanted a Sharps carbine. With your muzzleloader, you could only fire three shots a minute, even with paper cartridges; with a Sharps rifle you could fire 10 aimed shots in the same time. Loading your muzzleloader on a moving horse was extremely difficult; however, you could fire one aimed shot every 15 seconds at a full gallop with a Sharps carbine by clamping the buttstock under your armpit and loading with one hand, while holding the reins with the other. The only problem was that a ‘53 Sharps carbine cost more than one month’s salary for the average American, but it was still the biggest selling Sharps prior to the Civil War. It was all about firepower. ...Read More >

By the end of The War Between the States (Civil War), the U. S. military, as well as European armies realized that muzzleloading rifle muskets were obsolete. Because there were huge stocks of martial front loaders in good condition all over the world, many countries decided to convert them to breechloaders. As “economy” was the watchword, superior designs were often ignored in order to utilize existing arms. The British converted their excellent .577 Enfield by fitting the Snider action while retaining the original lock, stock and .577 caliber barrel. Various European armies used other breechloading systems to update their muzzleloaders. ...Read More >

In recorded history, Billy Dixon was known for his incredible shot at Adobe Walls, located in the Texas panhandle. At approximately 1,500 yards, Dixon, in June 1874, with a Sharps rifle, made what was probably the most famous long-range shot ever recorded. ...Read More >

In 1885, J.A. Allen wrote to the editor of Forest and Stream magazine asking for the readers to contribute any information they had available to help record the demise of the once-great buffalo herds. In this article we print his request, the request of the editor of Forest and Stream to the readers, and one reader’s reply, which I found most interesting. ...Read More >

This article is solely about the benefits of developing a load for shooting Long Range Black Powder Target Rifle Competition under National Rifle Association (NRA) rules at 800, 900 and 1,000 yards on a paper target with a 10-inch X-ring. It is a companion article to “Loading the .45-90 for Long Range Competition,” published in the Black Powder Cartridge News, Issue 108. The technique described in that article will get you in the ballpark. The idea of a “balanced” load is specifically the ability of the completed cartridge, used for this competition in any one rifle, to provide maximum accuracy over the range of conditions present during a match, and is determined by the performance on the target. What may work best in one rifle may or may not work best in another similar rifle. The two major variables are the ability of the individual shooter and the characteristics of the rifle. A balanced load must be compatible with these two variables. Too much recoil tires the shooter at the least, or induces a flinch at the worst. Too much powder causes a faster buildup of internal barrel heat and promotes hard fouling, which is very detrimental to long-range accuracy. Too little powder delivers an unstable bullet at the target under more difficult conditions. The ideal balanced load will perform at optimum accuracy potential for a specific rifle/shooter combination through a range of shooter, rifle and environmental conditions that occur during the firing of a match. ...Read More >

Once there was a time when openly airing the differing opinions of contentious personalities on the pages of sporting magazines was permitted and even encouraged. When the Savage .22 Hi-Power cartridge (and with it the smallbore, high-speed bullet concept) was unveiled in 1911, some wondered if it was actually the first rifle cartridge of its type. For answers, most riflemen trusted the authority and knowledge of Los Angeles writer E.C. Crossman, who at the time was published more frequently than Townsend Whelen. “Its parentage seems to be as much mystery-enshrouded as that of black powder,” Crossman wrote in October of 1911. He then made his case for the centerfire cartridge developed in 1909 by A.O. Niedner and Linwood Lewis of Dorchester, Massachusetts. The rifle was a rechambered Stevens Model 44-½ single shot and throated especially for base-banded bullets. The rifle and its ammunition received a fair bit of attention during the shooting season of 1909. ...Read More >

Shock Shield from Lyman ...Read More >

.44/77 Ammunition from Graf & Sons ...Read More >