Harry the modern day Creedmoor matches in America would definitely permit that rifle.  The rifle can weigh 15 lbs and DST's are fine.  I wouldn't want to shoot a full 2 day match with a .50-90 though.  But I'm sure it's been done!

Chris.

gunlaker wrote on Jan 22^nd, 2016 at 6:15pm:


I think it is a shame that competitions have become degraded over time. The original Creedmoor Competitions called for a rifle weighing no more than 10 lbs., and with a trigger pull of a minimum of 5 lbs., and no dst's.
Why the change in the rules?. To make it easier to shoot perhaps? Hardly in the spirit of the original competition.

Similarly I watched a Cowboy Action competition on YouTube where the competitors used period pistols, rifles and shotguns with loads that produced no perceptible recoil, 44/40 Winchesters with no recoil or muzzle lift, their loads were pipsqueak rounds. Why? Surely it's debasing the sport, in a way it's a form of cheating in my opinion. The opinions of others may however, vary.

Harry.

Shiloh does not recommend 'smokeless' in this caliber rifle.
Call'em to confirm.
LG

Lumpy, no manufacturer will recommend anything but black for cartridges that have no SAAMI standard for pressure. For example, the Browning BPCR in 40-65 says black only whereas the 45-70 does not - the 45-70 has a SAAMI standard and the 40-65 does not.

oneatatime wrote on Jan 23^rd, 2016 at 5:24pm:


Plus the fact, it was never/ever factory loaded with smokeless either.....
LG

I have to agree with Harry here. The 50-90 case was designed for black powder use it. Using a case the size of a small sewer pipe and putting a dab of smokeless powder in the bottom of the case brings it’s own set of problems.

Premod70 wrote on Jan 24^th, 2016 at 1:36pm:


Premod70,
ASSRA doesn't exist to make modern nitro powders more popular. It exists to shoot single shot falling block and similar actions made between approximately 1865 and WW1. That means in most instances, lead bullets pushed by black powder. Generally speaking gas checks are not allowed because they did not exist during that period and they weren't needed for use with BP. The vast majority of the rounds used were designed as BP rounds only and whilst nitro powders were introduced during the 1890's they were so corrosive to barrels and thus wore them out much faster than BP rounds did. 

Nitro powders didn't have to be used in bulk with some of the larger cartridges they were much more powerful than BP but that caused problems and fillers of various sorts were required to hold the powder charge next to the primer to avoid flashover when the primer ignited more powder than was safe and subsequently raised pressures which, if it didn't blow the rifle up, made accuracy a sometimes thing, and that's no good when target shooting. A certain amount of duplexing took place with target loads, but it was in the main to reduce fouling in the smaller BP calibre sizes and permit target shooters to get off three or four shots before cleaning instead of wiping after every shot.

When it comes to BPCR then it's BLACK POWDER only. That's the name of the game. I doubt if any owner of a 50/90 original BP rifle would want to fire it with a full Nitro Load.

Harry