 The standard factory loads, produced and sold by the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company and the Sharps Rifle Company were .50/100/425 (.50 caliber/100 grains black powder/425 grain grease grooved bullet) and .50/100/473 with a paper patched bullet.Factory loads manufactured by any of the Sharps companies were mostly hand-loaded which made them expensive to produce.This naturally invited competition.