Quote From Chuck Hawks--- "The .50-90 Sharps came about when buffalo hunters clamored for more powerful loads with increased killing power. The .50-90 became one of the mainstay cartridges of the buffalo runners. Its case is a rimmed, straight taper type with a base diameter of .565" and a neck diameter of .528". Case length was 2.5" and COL was 3.2" It used .509" diameter bullets."

Actually the bullets that Jason Simpkins recommended I buy are .511 in diameter. The Woodleigh's are solids, round nose and cased, and weigh in at a whopping 535 grains; the Performance Casts (PC) have a very flat nose (Metplat) are solid lead, and weigh 525 grain; there is also the LOW WEIGHT load and it is a Performance Cast that weighs in at 435 grain, also with a flat nose, solid lead. The low weight PC's are also being Regulated in this gun.... someone else mentioned a bullet with about 75% of the weight and lower (and a different) powder can be regulated to hit at the same point of aim as a regular, heavy hunting load.

The Woodleighs are being regulated to be buzzing at over 2000 FPS which means Muzzle Energy in the high 4000's. A bit under 5000 pounds!

Jason is working on regulating the barrels for a nice composite group at 75 yards. I do not know what the energy would be at 75 yards but I suspect it will still be carrying a hell of a wallop.

I primarily want this as a 0 to 50-60 yard gun. A stopper gun when I shoot the Woodleighs or the heavy PC's for hogs to big cats, and a double gun I can shoot lower weight bullets (ie the 425 grainers) with much less powder and use it for deer, etc.

I really am looking forward to seeing how it carries with those 20 inch barrels, esecially because I often hunt in heavy cover... The trick is to see how well she points with those 20 inch barrels...

I suspect this gun as a stopper gun with full loads (535 grain round nosed, Woodleighs with about 90 grains of Reloder 15 smokeless powder tossing that bullet at over 2000 FPS ) would be able to take down just about any animal on the planet. As we all know placement is key but there is certainly reason to see, ballistically, the 50-90 at over 2000 FPS does rival the better known African loads. A .511 diameter and weighty Woodleigh flying that fast is a profound killing round.