45-70 Powders?

[olereb]

As some might know my next purchase is going to be a older Marlin(JM)lever 45-70,i wanted to ask y'all what 2 powders would you have on hand for the 45-70 caliber,i plan on using one for light(target loads) and one for heavier,faster hunting rounds on mostly deer at around 100yrd's. I have a lot of Unique already since I have read a lot saying they like that for target loads and I use it in my 45colts. I will only be shooting cast boolits in the Marlin. Thanks a lot for any opinions,i greatly appreciate the input.

[btroj]

I would use 2400 and H322.

So many choices that would work on either end, those are just the ones I use.

[Larry Gibson]

I use Bullseye with 210 - 270 gr cast in my light target/small game loads in my 45-70s. I prefer 2400 or 4759 with 300 - 350 gr cast and 4895 or RL7 with 400+ gr cast bullets in the 45-70.

[NSB]

Reloader 7 and 4579

[grumman581]

For light target loads, you can get by rather cheaply with some of the shotgun and handgun powders. I use 13.0 gr of Red Dot. It's called "The Load" by C.E. (Ed) Harris.

http://members.shaw.ca/cronhelm/TheLoad.html

http://www.gmdr.com/lever/4570g405_dat.htm

[olereb]

Thanks for the replies so far guys,i appreciate it. I should also mention that the target rounds will be 350-360g boolits,didnt know if that would help any. Thanks again.

[00buck]

Black Powder

[chuebner]

Case full of 2F GOEX or Schuetzen, 500gr cast on top and yer good to go.

[Jailer]

4198 is another good choice.

ETA: I do prefer my duplex loads though.

[Mr Peabody]

I'm with NSB. Reloader 7 and SR 4759

[warboar_21]

Unique and Reloader 7 for me

[Rick Hodges]

another vote for H-322 for the hunting stuff.

[olereb]

To those that like the BP I do have a lot of 2F Goex and Schuetzen and will be doing some good ole BP loads.

[MtGun44]

12-14 gr of Unique and 57 gr of W748 work well for me. 748 load is Trapdoor
pressure level but drives a 405 gr boolit or jbullet at about 1750 fps, definitely
effective as a hunting load.

Bill

[Green Lizzard]

buy 4759 in big can

[fouronesix]

Guess I'm in the Rel 7 and 4759/5744 crowd :)

Rel 7 for the beefier loads and 4759/5744 for the BP equivalent target loads. Been winnowing down my 4759 supply since I prefer 5744- but they are very similar.

[PbHurler]

I'm very partial to IMR 4198 & IMR 3031. Covers the highs & lows well for me. NBC (nothing but Cast)

[groovy mike]

H322 for plinking and 3031 for hunting for me.

[KCSO]

IMR 3031 has given good accuracy from 1200 to ??00 fps in the Marlin for me it's my one go to powder for 45-70 smokless. But I did get good accuracy from FFG black with a little work.

[725]

30 gr @ 4198 + a filler, or 40 gr 3031 are what I use with a 415 cast boolit. Awesome accuracy and DRT performance every time.

[joec]

Here are my choices and what I've used. 4198, 3031, RL7, 5744, Trailboss, and FFg black powder with all kinds of bullet weights all cast.

[41 mag fan]

Varget so far thru my Remlin, and 3031 so far thru my Browning. 300gr GC casts so far, after lining these up, it's off to the 400-425gr casts

[Larry Gibson]

I'm with NSB. Reloader 7 and SR 4759

With 350 - 360 gr cast this would be an excellent choice.

Larry Gibson

[runfiverun]

i'm cheap and have a lot of 2400 around.
the 45-70 responds well to loads from about 900 fps through 17-1800 fps with it.
sometimes I use a filler, sometimes not.
littlegirl really likes a 435gr gas checked lee boolit at 1650 fps in my browning.
this is easily accomplished with 2400.
maybe if the rifle didn't have a steel crescent buttpad I would want to bump the load a bit more and need a different powder.

[NSB]

i'm cheap and have a lot of 2400 around.
the 45-70 responds well to loads from about 900 fps through 17-1800 fps with it.
sometimes I use a filler, sometimes not.
littlegirl really likes a 435gr gas checked lee boolit at 1650 fps in my browning.
this is easily accomplished with 2400.
maybe if the rifle didn't have a steel crescent buttpad I would want to bump the load a bit more and need a different powder.
I also use a good bit of 2400 in my 45-70 loadings. It's also one of my favorite powders (sometimes). I use a very little bit of filler over the powder which I've convinced myself tightens up my groups just a little bit. However, I could be wrong. I have my good days and my bad. I too find that I have a power limit on my loads. Too heavy a bullet, too light a gun, and a wimp behind the trigger just tops out at around 1650fps.

[TMSCU]

I have always used 5744

[Foto Joe]

Don't ever shoot Black Powder out of a 45-70, you'll never be able to put that new fangled smokeless stuff in it again.:Fire:

Realistically though, if you're looking at a Marlin chances are it has the "Micro-Groove" rifling in it instead of a Ballard type barrel, if it's MG then it will be clearly stamped on the barrel. The reason I mention this is that if you do plan on using Black Powder in a MG barrel you will find out that after about the third round it's anybodies guess as to where the boolit will go, the Micro Groove rifling just doesn't work well with Black Powder. It's a shame too 'cause I've got a '95 that I love to shoot BP out of, the problem though is that by the fifth or six round I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn from inside the barn.

[olereb]

Don't ever shoot Black Powder out of a 45-70, you'll never be able to put that new fangled smokeless stuff in it again.:Fire:

Realistically though, if you're looking at a Marlin chances are it has the "Micro-Groove" rifling in it instead of a Ballard type barrel, if it's MG then it will be clearly stamped on the barrel. The reason I mention this is that if you do plan on using Black Powder in a MG barrel you will find out that after about the third round it's anybodies guess as to where the boolit will go, the Micro Groove rifling just doesn't work well with Black Powder. It's a shame too 'cause I've got a '95 that I love to shoot BP out of, the problem though is that by the fifth or six round I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn from inside the barn.

I'm not buying a Marlin with micro groove,i'm going to get a older used one without the micro groove. For what I am going to shoot through it its worth the wait to find a decent older one,i love BP so I have to be able to shoot that through what I buy. I have several BP rifles and pistols and love them,i bought 50lbs of BP 6 years ago and its been one of the best things I have ever done.

[olereb]

Thanks a lot everyone for all the posts!!,I have several manuals that I always look at before asking but its always nice to hear real world opinions. I'm gonna get a few of the powders mentioned here for the different loads that i'm going to work up,some are also going to work good in my other rifle calibers that I have.