Rifle · Proprietary · Not SAAMI standardized · Not standardizedObsolete
.40-70 Sharps
Sharps black powder cartridge for target shooting and medium game; came in both straight and bottlenecked versions, a popular Creedmoor-era long-range choice..
- Caliber
- 0.403″ · 10.236 mm
- Introduced
- 1872
- Case
- Rimmed
- Primary use
- Hunting
- Status
- Discontinued
- Obsolete
- Obsolete
- Introduced
- 1872
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Sharps Rifle Company
- Manufacturer
- Sharps
- Standard
- Proprietary · Not SAAMI standardized · Not standardized
- SAAMI
- Not SAAMI standardized
- Obsolete
- Obsolete
- Status
- Discontinued
- Availability
- Rare
- Case capacity
- 78 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:17
- Primer
- Berdan Large Rifle
- Case type
- Rimmed
- Max pressure
- 22,000 CUP, SAAMI crusher
- Eff. range
- 200 yd
- Max range
- 4250 yd
- Recoil
- 23.3–27 ft·lb
Ballistics
Velocity only, no drag model: no published ballistic coefficient is on file for .40-70 Sharps, so this is the shape gravity alone gives the advertised velocity. Drag would steepen it. The tool below solves real loads through their published G1 or G7 model.
Open in Ballistic Compare- Parent case
- —
Representative trajectory — modeled from a single velocity input (no published BC for this cartridge yet).
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
SAAMI · approximate| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 10.24 | 0.403 | · |
| Neck ⌀ | 10.77 | 0.424 | ~ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Shoulder angle | n/a | ||
| Base ⌀ | 12.88 | 0.507 | · |
| Rim ⌀ | 15.29 | 0.602 | · |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.65 | 0.065 | · |
| Neck length | n/a | ||
| Case length | 63.50 | 2.500 | · |
| Overall length | 81.28 | 3.200 | ~ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .40-70 Sharps is highlighted below.
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Firearms chambered in .40-70 Sharps
Lineage
Connected reference
History
A mainstay of 1870s long-range shooting competition, the .40-70 Sharps was chambered in Sharps single-shot rifles for Creedmoor-style matches and medium game hunting. The bottlenecked version gave slightly better velocity than the straight case, and both were popular through the early 1880s.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .40-70 Sharps use?
- .40-70 Sharps typically uses a 1:17 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .40-70 Sharps?
- .40-70 Sharps uses a 0.403″ (10.236 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .40-70 Sharps still in production?
- .40-70 Sharps is discontinued; typical availability is rare.
- What is .40-70 Sharps used for?
- .40-70 Sharps is primarily used for hunting.
Sources & provenance
- Manufacturer Buffalo Arms — 40-70 Sharps Straight Black Powder Ammo .403" 330 Grain (for Original Chambers) · grain weights, bullet ⌀ archived
- Reference Gun Digest Books — Cartridges of the World (Frank C. Barnes, 16th/17th ed.) · grain weights, velocity, year, bullet ⌀
- Secondary Wolfe Publishing / Handloader (loaddata.com) — Reloading Data: .40-70 Sharps (Straight) / .40-65 Sharps (1876) · velocity, grain weights archived
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →
