Shikari Combo

[Jon in TN]

My friend calls the other night and says his neighbor has a 45/70-10 ga. combo. I tell him if it's an SB-2 I'll take it. He calls me back yesterday to tell me it looked great and both barrels locked up tight, so he got it for me. I ask him about the SB-2 and he got quite. He said it didn't have SB-2, but it had Shikari on the side....

I really didn't know anything about them, but from what I've read there good shooters. But I was really just lookin for a woods gun and had no use for the 10 gauge.

I'll probably try to trade it off later, but I'm wanting to shoot it around a little first. Does anyone know of some factory loads they would recommend? Also, what's the typ. value of this combo in vgc?

Thanks,

Jon

[quickdtoo]

The M155 Shikari was offered in 44mag and 45-70 from 1973-1981, but not in a factory combo that I've seen, 10ga may have been added as an accessory or self installed, no SB1/SB2 then, just the cast iron frame. Value is what you want to pay, a really nice Shikari may go for as much as a new modern SB2 45-70, maybe more, great cast bullet shooters, but rated only for trapdoor loads.

Tim

[Jon in TN]

The M155 Shikari was offered in 44mag and 45-70 from 1973-1981, but not in a factory combo that I've seen, 10ga may have been added as an accessory or self installed, no SB1/SB2 then, just the cast iron frame. Value is what you want to pay, a really nice Shikari may go for as much as a new modern SB2 45-70, maybe more, great cast bullet shooters, but rated only for trapdoor loads.

Tim

The 10 ga barrel (176 3 1/2" Mag) came with a matching forearm and fit tight, so I didn't doubt him... It's an AP model receiver.. Please excuse my ignorance, but by "trapdoor", do you mean black powder or I'd hate to damage it.

[quickdtoo]

There are three 45-70 load levels, trapdoor level at a SAAMI max of 28kpsi which are loads safe in any 45-70 rifle, intended to limit pressures that are safe in original trapdoor 1873 Springfields, next is 1895 Levergun which run up to 40kpsi, and the highest which is Modern rifle/Ruger No1 which run up to 50kpsi in Hodgdon and Hornady data, Barnes even runs it up to 55kpsi. You'll see a mix of other ratings that are lower  than these from Lyman, Speer and Sierra, which is kinda confusing. 

Tim

[Spanky]

Trapdoor loads with cast bullets will take any game in North America and won't pound you to shoot them.
That's all I shoot out of my 45-70's.
Shikari's are nice guns. Enjoy it.



Spanky

[geezer56]

I bought a shikari combo from a member here, several yrs ago.  It has a 45-70 barrel and a 28 inch 12 ga barrel.  He said he bought it that way, don't know if it was all factory or added on.  It shoots great though.  Great cast bullet gun. 

[Sourdough]

jon in tn:  The 10ga will make a good Turkey gun for those elusive Tennessee Turkeys.  45-70 for Deer and Hogs, 10ga for Turkeys.

[Curt Dawson]

A 10 ga. slug ought to get a pigs attention.

[Jon in TN]

A 10 ga. slug ought to get a pigs attention.

With a 45/70 on hand, I won't be shooting any 10 ga. slugs!

[LC '92]

That little straight gripped, skinny stock on the Shakari comes back like a rocket in .45/70! And that hard plastic butt plate does nothing to help.

I have had a dozen or more .45/70's and .450's, but nothing came close to that little boogers recoil. Also made that little brass cleaning rod under the barrel pop loose.

They have come a long way in stock design and recoil pads since the Shakari.

I shot one of mine extensively using 350 grain Magnus bullets and 43 grains of Rx-7. I used a Lee Loader back then. Shot it off the high banks of the Brazos River all one summer in 1994. Mostly at ranges from 200 to 300 yards. From the high vantage point you could see your misses in the water and walk the shot onto the target.

At one time their was an old washing machine beached on the other side. Probably 250 yards or so. I walked the shots onto it and once elevation was established you could lay them in there all day. It was easy to see the holes in that old white porcelain washers side.

I hope you enjoy your Shikari as much as I did the ones I owned. I had one of the carbine Shikaris in .44 Mag. too.