During my first 3 years of shooting BPCR, I shot a 40-70 Sharps Straight built by Cody Ballard on a high wall rifle. It has a 16 twist Badger barrel and shot extremely well out to a thousand yards if I didn't go too overboard on choosing bullet length. I was loading 69 grains of Swiss 1-1/2 and .030" fiber wad. I ended up using a bullet at 1.42" long. A bullet length of 1.45" was too long and showed signs of tipping at 900 and 1000 yards.

If we could just get Starline to make up a batch of cases the length of the 405. They would be good for so many different calibers. I would certainly gobble up some.

Deadeye Bly wrote on Jan 28^th, 2025 at 4:46pm:



I don’t see the 405 listed on the web page.
Bob

bobw wrote on Jan 29^th, 2025 at 12:39pm:


I shoot all those in both 14.5" and 16" twist barrels, and can't see a difference at any distance I shoot. I also shoot a Pacific in .40-85 using those same bullets and it's a 1:20" twist and shoots them great. I'd not bother with a fast 14" twist again as I don't think the cartridge needs it.

For what it is worth, I had an Axtell 1877 with a sporter weight barrel and wanted to make a target rifle out of it. In those days, Green Mountain was getting in making a lot of BPCR barrels and trying to get going in the market. They sent me a trial barrel 40-14.5 twist and it was installed and chambered 40-70SS for the 405 brass. I had trouble finding an accurate, reliable match load for it until I tried a long, heavy Hoch 440 grain bullet. Then it shot great but I learned I wasn't really a sharps guy. 
I also had an original 1885 highwall 32-20 that came off a farm and was used up. On the recommendation of the DanT I got a 13 twist Lilja 40 cal barrel and had the same reamer chamber this rifle too. 
Short story long, soon after, I thought I had made a big mistake going with that fast twist. That rifle acted like it wanted to shoot but just never was trustworthy to shoot a match string and not have a shot or two disappoint. 
After much much blood, sweat, tears, powder and lead, I tried Buffalo Arms heavy 464grain 40 cal Creedmoor in it and that rifle really came alive! 
Now, I can't keep my hands off it. It is accurate with no bad habits! It has become my go to rifle for silhouette and midrange. 

On a different subject, Bob asked about twist rates of the old rifles....
I have an old Hepburn 40-70 SS that needs a stock and the barrel is not in great shape but I can at least check the twist in it if that would be of interest.

Thanks for the additional information CW and LD1.

LD1, I don’t know much about paper patching but would your gun be chambered for it with those specs?

Hi Bobw
My rifle came to me as a barreled receiver with a missing tang. I put it back together with parts gathered all over this  country, barrel is 30.5 inches long 
Tapered octagon 1.25 at the rear and tapering to 1.125 at the muzzle, bore looks like a sewer pipe with rifling. Wally Springer RIP gunsmith told me that most buffalo hunters pissed down the bore to flush out the black powder fouling as up in this country there is very little water that was drinkable.
The only way I got this Sharps to shoot fairly well was to drop a lubed .413 bullet into the chamber followed by a shortened 30-40krag case that was tight against the bullet, it would hold a 4 inch group a 100 yds. 
I've been following you on your Hepburn build, very nice work!!!
Later LD1