Black Powder Cartridge Winter 2019

The wise saying, “Do not tolerate fools gladly,” has its origins in Saint Paul’s letter to the Church at Corinth. The King James Bible has the exact quote as, “For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are so wise.” Saint Paul was being cuttingly sarcastic to those he addressed, accusing them of being simply too weak to challenge obviously foolish behavior. Our contemporary use is defined as not putting up with the actions or words of foolish people. Either definition is thought provoking in these “interesting” times. ...Read More >

Our cover photograph in this issue comes from Fred Brouwer of the Netherlands and features USA team member Kenn Heismann doing his level best at the 12th MLAIC Long Range World Championships. The USA shooters finished with some impressive wins and kept alive the reputation of American excellence when it comes to accurate shooting and tough competitive spirit. We really applaud their exceptional efforts. ...Read More >

“If it were not for the cranks, experimenters, investigators, or whatever name they might be called by, the world would come to a standstill and cease to move, while the old fogy class might say, “No matter, things are well enough as they are.” The writer belongs to the first class, and is always looking for something new and novel, that is, at the same time, a real improvement”. These are the words of Rueben Harwood, written in 1893, summarizing his own viewpoint on progress. Harwood gave our ancestral riflemen the .22 Harwood Hornet, a pairing of his novel concept of a high-speed rifle bullet driven by black powder with the notion of necking-down an existing case (here the .25-20 S.S.) to accept a smaller caliber bullet. ...Read More >

In Black Powder Cartridge News (Fall 2019) No. 107 we examined the accuracy and shooting characteristics of the Sharps Model 1852 carbine, and now we will test the accuracy of the earlier and completely different Model 1851. I have never seen a thorough, modern accuracy test of the Model 1851, so I found a good ’51 to do some “experimental archaeology.” The question is, “How good did they really shoot?” ...Read More >

Pedersoli recently introduced another version of the old Winchester Model 1886, which they are calling the Model 1886 Sporting Classic. This new version represents the Winchester ’86 in its standard format, with no extra options, as it was when the original rifles first hit the market. The idea of no extra or added options really appeals to me because a rifle like this is probably what I would have bought if I had been a hunter back in those times. Even though Pedersoli has brought back the Model 1886 in its most standard version, this is still a copy of a rather rare rifle. ...Read More >

This will be short and to the point. Loading the .45-90 and similar capacity black-powder cartridge rifle calibers has, for me, evolved into a process that is repeated each time I crack a new case of black powder or begin a relationship with a new rifle. This is about how I load the .45-90 for long-range target competition, exclusively. It is not how I load other BPCR rifles for other types of competition. ...Read More >

While reading “History of the American Bison, Bison Americanus,” written by Joel A. Allen and published in June 1877, I decided to check some of his footnotes to determine where he was obtaining his information and what other details I could learn. Needless to say, I was surprised. I wonder if you will be, too. ...Read More >

A great rifle from C. Sharps Arms became mine in a rather quick way, even though it sat on the “ready rack” for about eight months before I had them put my name on it. The rifle is a standard Hartford Model; however, it does have the added option of a 32-inch, No.1 heavyweight barrel. It is chambered for the .44-70 cartridge, which we could call a black powder “wildcat” because cases are simply formed by taper-necking down standard .45-70 brass to accept .446 inchdiameter bullets. That appealed to me because I expected it to offer some good shooting along with lighter recoil than the .44-77 or the bigger .44-90. ...Read More >

Most of us in the single-shot world have rifles that utilize set triggers. However, I feel there are many misconceptions concerning set triggers even among those riflemen who have used them most of their life. Used in the correct fashion, set triggers can definitely help your shooting. Used incorrectly, they can promote bad habits and really create life-long mental shooting problems. ...Read More >

American Rifle Sights By Tom RoweWho among us has not wished for more information on irons sights since the publication of Nick Stroebel’s two books titled Old Gunsights and Old Rifle Scopes? Vintage catalog cuts and reprints are one thing, but To... ...Read More >

United States shooters again proved they are the best in the world shooting long-range muzzleloading target rifles at the 12th MLAIC World Championships in Bisley, England August 24-31, 2019. The U.S. brought home the Gold, winning the Overall Grand Aggregate for Mid-Range (300, 500 & 600 yards) and Long Range (900 and 1,000 yards). ...Read More >