45-90 Sharps
King of Creedmoor
feature By: Rick Moritz | December, 25
Americans have been fascinated by long-range shooting since the Irish challenged them to the first international long-range rifle match, held in September, 1874. The Remington and Sharps rifles used in the competitions were the first Creedmoor rifles. The word “Creedmoor” is not a recent creation by marketing wizards promoting contemporary cartridges and associated bolt-action rifles. Mr. Creed was kind enough to permit the construction of a 1,000-yard range on his Long Island, New York, property in 1872. A “moor” can refer to farmlands or meadows, and combining the landowner’s name with a description of the type of ground (Creed’s Moor) led to the term “Creedmoor”. From that point onward, the term became synonymous with long-range shooting, generally referring to distances of 800, 900, and 1,000 yards. The earliest matches saw many shooters using hand-loaded cartridges, paper patched .44-caliber bullets and a charge of 85 grains of black powder.
This is not surprising, as the .44-caliber, 2¼ inch bottleneck was the first metallic cartridge used in the Sharps sporting rifle. Its popularity at the time made transitioning to the target range easy. “The great majority of match rifle barrels up to about 1895-1898 were cut with very shallow grooves, especially for use with paper-patched bullets.”1 By 1900, grooved and lubricated bullets proved to have equal accuracy to paper-patched bullets.1
Late in 1876, experiments culminated in the development of long-range .45-caliber ammunition using a straight cartridge, measuring 26⁄10 inches in length. The load featured a 100-grain charge of black powder positioned behind a 550-grain bullet. Unfortunately, this cartridge case lasted only eight months. By late 1877, the cartridge was shortened to 24⁄10 inches, while the load utilized in the 45-100 (26⁄10) was retained for the 45-90 (24⁄10). The development of the 45-90 coincided with the introduction of the Sharps Model 1877. Due to the reduced weight of the action in the 1877 models, it became feasible to employ a heavier barrel profile, thereby adhering to the 10-pound weight limit for target rifles. After 1877, large .45 caliber rifles gained popularity for Creedmoor matches.
My intent with this article is to outline what is needed to successfully shoot one of the large .45 caliber cartridges in Creedmoor or other long-range competition. I will primarily deal with the 45-90, as I have shot this cartridge for many years and have the most experience with it. I own a couple of 45-70s, but no 26⁄10 or 27⁄8 rifles. However, what I share regarding the 45-90 applies to the large .45-caliber cartridges. To clarify my philosophy regarding long-range cartridges, I believe that no other cartridge size can match the performance of a large .45 caliber. I have worked diligently with the 45-70, 38-70, and 38-72. And yes, I won some local matches with those cartridges, but not any significant ones. I once had a fellow tell me that the 38-55 will shoot to 800 yards, implying that it was a long-range cartridge. I responded by telling him so will the 22 Long Rifle; it is printed on the box. I should have kept that information to myself, as it strained the conversation.
We want a rifle and cartridge combination that consistently knocks the 10-ring silly under reasonable conditions, not just hits the target. That is why I am a proponent of large .45-caliber cartridges for long-range use. They simply work.
My favorite black powder cartridge is the .38-50 Remington Hepburn. I have used it in many midrange target rifle matches and found, however, that it places me at a distinct disadvantage when shooting at 600 yards. When using a .45 caliber rifle, I can consistently achieve higher scores. I have studied the ballistic coefficients for similar .38 and .45 caliber bullets. Theoretically, they should perform similarly, but they do not. With the help of some friends who are smarter than I am, I discovered that the reason is “angular momentum”. The rifling imparts angular momentum (AM) to the bullet, increasing accuracy over longer distances. The AM is a product of the bullet’s angular velocity and moment of inertia. In a nutshell, the bullet’s radius, mass, and velocity define AM. Larger diameter bullets, which are heavier, have more AM. Using bullets of the same shape and velocity, a .45 caliber bullet has 25 percent greater AM than a .40 caliber bullet and 55 percent more than a .38 caliber bullet.
The AM can be thought of as a flywheel effect. Larger bullets are larger flywheels. The effect is more noticeable at extended ranges. I do not see as much difference between a .38 caliber and a .45-caliber bullet on a silhouette range. The furthest target is the ram at 500 meters, and the good news is that the ram is a reasonably large target. A hit anywhere on the target is a good hit; there are no X-rings.
The other .45s are equally good; the 45 26⁄10 and 45 27⁄8, and they have historical significance in our sport. Although I do not own a 45 26⁄10, I appreciate the cartridge case because it can hold a large powder charge and allows the bullet’s grease grooves to be fully seated within the case, which is an option with obvious merit.
It’s challenging to be competitive at 1,000 yards with the .45-70. Yes, it can be done, but the degree of difficulty increases significantly. In the future, I plan to work on giving the 45-70 “longer legs” for long-range competition. Out to 800 yards, the 45-70 has few faults and remains a solid choice for gong matches.
If the .45s are good, bigger must be better…right? I was fortunate to score for individuals shooting the 50-90 Sharps cartridge in two Creedmoor matches. I watched with great interest as I wanted to see how the “big fifties” performed. They were undoubtedly competitive. One of the shooters appeared to dig his toes into the dirt just before touching the trigger. The bullets were nearly 700 grains – more recoil than I care to take for a match. There are some 600-grain elliptical bullet moulds available for the .45 calibers and I’ve heard good things about their performance. They do have a higher ballistic coefficient, along with increased AM.
Getting Started in Long-Range
For a moment, let’s imagine that we want to engage in long-range shooting but only have a 200 or 300-yard range nearby for load development. What can we do at these shorter ranges to develop a long-range load? We should remember that testing at longer ranges will be necessary at some point, but a significant portion of the development can be completed at moderate distances. Loads developed at short ranges may not be finely tuned for long-range shooting, but they will help us reach our ultimate goal.
The following guidelines are provided to help develop a competitive long-range load.
Appropriate Velocity
A long-range load should be based on a .45 caliber and have a velocity of nearly 1,300 fps as a starting point. Dave Gullo, proprietor of Buffalo Arms Company and a winner of multiple national and international Creedmoor matches, believes that a velocity of 1,300 to 1,350 fps is the preferred range. When the velocity exceeds 1,350 fps, the recoil becomes harsh, and the potential for barrel fouling increases due to the large powder charge required. With my current lot of Swiss 1½, I can achieve 1,285 fps using a charge of 88.7 grains with a 525-grain Money bullet. This is slightly below the 1,300-fps threshold, but the accuracy is so good that I am reluctant to adjust the charge. I used this load to win Target Rifle National Matches and placed first in the first two years of the American Creedmoor Cup, held at Ben Avery in Arizona. This match took place at 800, 900, and 1,000 yards with no coach or spotter allowed. A scorekeeper sits behind you, calling out the score while recording it. I share this to demonstrate that this is a bona fide load based on real-world performance.
How would these velocities compare with historical information? Within Perry’s book Modern Observations on Rifle Shooting, sight settings are presented for the Sharps long-range rifle, Model 1878.2 No estimated velocities are presented. I was curious to see how my actual sight settings might compare to those presented in Perry. Black powder charges used by 34 competitors at the September, 1879, Long-Range Tournament at Creedmoor were from 93 to 115 grains.2 Bullet weights were listed as 550 grains except for one shooter using a 530-grain bullet.
Using my sight settings for an elevation of 5,000 feet, my load would appear flatter than the “typical” Creedmoor range load. This didn’t make sense given the larger powder charges they were using. However, the Creedmoor range on Long Island, New York, is located at an elevation of approximately 300 feet, so we needed an adjustment. Using a ballistic program, I converted my sight settings from 5,000 feet (second column) to sea level (third column), and we can see that their velocities appeared greater than mine. This aligns with my expectations. I’m sure a ballistician would challenge this comparison, but I was curious how our current black powder cartridge loads would stack up. The historic loads had a flatter trajectory, going from 600 to 800 yards, 800 to 900 yards, and 900 to 1,000 yards.
Using the same ballistic coefficient and adjusting my load’s velocity until the sight setting in Perry’s Book matched, I determined that the “typical” Creedmoor load of the late 1800s, was 1,350 feet per second. For those interested, I ultimately used a ballistic coefficient of 0.425 for my 525-grain Money bullet cast at 20:1. I have heard larger values discussed at rifle matches, but I have my doubts about them. As an additional data point, the Lyman Postell No. 457132 is listed as 0.402 in both the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook and Mike Venturino’s book Shooting Buffalo Rifles of the Old West. This indicates the Money bullet shoots closer to the wind by a reasonable margin.
In 1879 - 1880, the Frankford Arsenal “dipped its toe” into the Creedmoor game by developing the Springfield Long-Range rifle.3 Velocities from the special 24⁄10-inch long case were 1,310 to 1,330 feet per second for the 500-grain bullet propelled by 80 grains of Oriental brand black powder.3 This also falls into the previously presented velocity range.
Bullet Selection
Since .45 is a standard caliber, numerous bullet moulds are offered in various weights and shapes. Most shooters prefer a Money-style bullet or an elliptical shape, typically weighing over 500 grains. I tend to favor bullets that have some taper. This design provides enough powder space to achieve the target velocity of 1,300 fps. Since they have ample capacity, a straight-sided, no-taper bullet might be preferable for larger cases, such as 45 26⁄10 and 45 27⁄8. I have presented the band dimensions for four typical bullets, along with a sketch illustrating the possible loaded length in my rifle. Your required seating depth may vary depending on how your rifle is throated and the actual dimensions of similar bullets. The 45-90 can operate over a range of velocities by using different bullet configurations.
Barrel Twist Rate
I found a table presenting Professor Greenhill’s required twist, which is based on his formula.4 It presents the necessary twist for a known bullet length using 16:1 lead-to-tin bullets and can be used to determine the allowable bullet length for a given twist. This chart simplifies the calculations and applies to a standard alloy commonly used by long-range shooters.
I will use a .45 caliber Jones Money bullet, which is 1.447-inches long, as an example of utilizing the chart developed by Greenhill. The math is as follows: 1.447 divided by 0.450 (bore diameter) equals 3.2. Finding this value in the first column, length of Projectile in Calibers, gives us 47.04 calibers for one turn of rifling. Since this value is in calibers, multiplying by 0.450 provides a required rifle twist rate of 21 inches. My rifle has a twist rate of 16 inches. The Greenhill formula serves as a guide; we should have two inches of extra twist beyond the Greenhill value. In this case, we have five additional inches. Even with an 18-twist barrel, we would have three extra inches. Either twist rate would work, but it requires a comment. We have a significantly higher twist rate than specified by Professor Greenhill, and we would have sufficient twist unless we were shooting bullets over 1.65 inches in length. This assumes a 16-twist and still maintains two inches of additional twist. In reality, 16 and 18-twist .45 caliber rifles provide adequate twist for bullets in the 525 to 550-grain weight range and perhaps even heavier.
Are our bullets overly stabilized, or is this necessary for long-range accuracy? Before introducing the Money bullet (a Dan Theodore design manufactured by Paul Jones), I shot the Lyman Postell with excellent results. My Lyman mould produces a bullet that measures 1.40 inches. I had an additional six inches of twist following the Greenhill method – is that too much? At 1,000 yards, the Postell bullet would leave wad-cutter holes in the target. Since our bullets typically start supersonic and remain in the transonic region up to 1,000 yards, they may need this extra twist.
One caveat. Would even faster twist barrels be better? Probably not, as I have tried a 14-twist .45 caliber barrel and had mixed results. The groups were round but always hollow, like a doughnut. Later, I discovered that a friend also tried a 14-twist barrel. Out of curiosity, I asked what sort of groups he obtained. He stated, “They were nice and round, but no holes in the group’s center.”
Bullet Stability
With the correct barrel twist, bullet stability should not be an issue… if only life were that simple. In my view, it is necessary to test your ammunition to ensure that your bullets do not tip. The easiest way to test for bullet stability is to shoot holes in heavy cardboard at a distance of 200 yards or beyond. If any tipping is apparent, determining the cause is necessary. A tipped bullet will show the base impacting on one side of the bullet hole from the nose. In severe cases, the hole will resemble a figure eight.
A bullet with a nose very near the bore diameter is necessary for proper bullet alignment as mitigation against tipping. You will note within the Creedmoor Sample Bullets Chart that all bullets shown the No. 1 band (on the nose) are within 0.001 inches of 0.450 inch or greater than 0.450 inches.
The total run-out of the bullet in a loaded cartridge should not exceed .003 inches. Bullet misalignment can occur when reloading dies are not correctly aligned (it does happen). Alternatively, the neck tension may be excessively high or nonexistent. Using the bullet to compress the powder charge can cause it to tip due to the distortion and bending of the bullet.
Once your long-range loads cut nice round holes in cardboard at 200 yards, you can follow up by checking your bullet holes during a long-range match. Have someone you trust who knows what they are looking for, and not some jasper who does not know the difference between bullet holes and knotholes. The issue with a tipped bullet is that its ballistic coefficient is significantly diminished. They also tend to wobble and wander during flight and are unlikely to strike within the center of the group.
Wind Drift
What kind of wind drift can you expect at 800, 900, and 1,000 yards? The values for a 10 mile-per-hour full-value wind are 8, 9, and 10 minutes, respectively. Although a 10 mph hour change is substantial, it might be more useful to remember the values for a 5 mph change, which would be half the stated values. Remembering the adjustment is easy, but reading the flags, mirage, and smoke to determine the wind velocity is the challenging part. You might find your windage values do not match mine. Drift can vary depending on the bullet type, wobble, and wind speed.
After gaining experience shooting at long range, you will develop a knack for assessing conditions and estimating adjustments (guess-timation). A notepad or a “wind rose” can help you jot down a quick note to help you remember the wind values and required adjustments.
Spin-Drift
A right-hand twist barrel causes the bullet to drift to the right at long range. This phenomenon is not noticeable at 500 or 600 yards; it is so slight that it is difficult to detect. However, it becomes readily apparent at longer distances. The twist, essential for bullet stabilization, induces the nose to yaw and point slightly to the right with a right-hand twist barrel. Without compensation, a 525-grain bullet with a starting velocity of 1,300 feet per second will impact 2 minutes of angle to the right at 600 yards and 3 minutes at 1,000 yards. A tang sight is beneficial for compensating for this effect. Tilting the rear sight to the left by 1.5 degrees while keeping the bubble centered in the front sight assists with compensation. By tilting the rear sight to the left, I also needed to have my group six inches to the left of my aim point at 500 meters with my rear sight on mechanical zero during calm conditions. Using this method, my mechanical zeros for 800, 900, and 1,000 yards were spot on. This is extremely useful if you shoot on both sides of zero during twitchy conditions. This adjustment closely resembles what was done with the old Springfield Buffington sight, which incorporated spin-drift compensation as part of its manufacturing process. An alternative method is to use an adjustable front sight and set the correct compensation for each distance. When using a scope, it might be necessary to jot down the spin-drift compensation for each distance. Adjusting the rear sight for spin-drift is part of fine-tuning your rifle and load. This might seem unnecessary, but “the devil is in the details” regarding long-range shooting.
Supersonic, Subsonic and Transonic
From a ballistic standpoint, typical velocities for Creedmoor shooting are the worst possible place to be. The initial velocity is supersonic, greater than 1,125 feet per second at 68 degrees Fahrenheit. At approximately 300 yards, the velocity drops below the speed of sound, becoming subsonic. This sounds reasonably straightforward, except that the transonic velocity is from 0.8 Mach to 1.2 Mach, “Mach” being the speed of sound. This means from 900 feet per second to 1,350 feet per second, the bullet is firmly in the transonic range and does not drop below 900 feet per second until approximately 1,000 yards. As if it could not get any worse, during transonic velocity, the bullet is subject to supersonic and subsonic airflow around it. This, of course, can vary slightly depending on the ballistic coefficient of your bullet and atmospheric conditions, including temperature, air density, and elevation, which are interrelated.
The good news is that flat-base, short bullets (yes, our lead bullets are considered somewhat short, especially when you look at some of the modern, sleek, golf-pencil designs) are less affected while in transonic flight. Creedmoor bullet designs are 150 years old and still function as well now as they did in the past.
Reloading Notes
I don’t want to delve into the fine details of loading the 45-90 (or other 45s), but there are a few things that the reader might find helpful.
All fired cases should be cleaned with hot water and a brush, focusing on the neck area. Once I have removed all the fouling, Lemi Shine is added to the cases with hot water and allowed to dissolve and neutralize any remaining fouling. After drying, any cases that require trimming are trimmed to 2.395 inches. In my view, having the inside of the case neck clean and smooth is beneficial to accuracy.
I prefer a 45-100 sizing die for 45-90 brass. It reduces the case enough for easy chambering and does not overwork the brass. I always test-fit a sized case in my rifle to ensure it’s the right size. Cases are expanded and belled before a rock tumbler’s final cleaning with ceramic media. Using Starline brass, a 0.460 expander yields light neck tension on a 0.459 bullet.
Cases are primed with Federal Large Pistol Match primers, and I use 0.090 LDPE (low-density polyethylene) over-powder wads. This material is sold as 3⁄32-inch. I use a mechanical drop tube equivalent to a four-foot conventional drop tube. The powder charge is compressed as a separate step using a compression die, not the bullet.
The overall length should allow the bullet to engage the rifling by 20 or 30 thousandths of an inch. I do not use a camming tool, crowbar, or other lever to push my ammo into the rifle. We aim for ammo that drops into the chamber, with the bullet gently kissing the rifling when fully seated. It should be easy to remove the cartridge after loading if needed. The bullet should not stick in the chamber and remain behind when the cartridge is extracted.
Conclusion
It is very satisfying to have a rifle and load combination that maintains accuracy out to 1,000 yards. The journey is as much fun as shooting in a long-range match. Once you have a combination that is working, obtain a zero at 500 meters on your local silhouette range. To get on paper at 800 yards, add 40 minutes of elevation to the 500-meter sight setting, and you are ready. Good luck!
References:
1 Roberts, Major Ned. H. and Waters, Kenneth L., The Breech-Loading Single Shot Rifle. Wolf Publishing Co., Inc. March 1987
2 Perry, Edwin A., Modern Observations on Rifle Shooting. Third Edition, E. Remington & Sons, 1880
3 Waite, M.D. “Bud” and Ernst, B.D., Trapdoor Springfield. The Gun Room Press, 1980
4 Money, Captain A.W., et al. Guns, Ammunition, and Tackle. The MacMillan Company, 1904
5 Sellers, Frank., Sharps Firearms. Beinfeld Publishing, Inc., 1988
