45-70 loads

[686]

just got a 23 in. tc 45-70 barrel. i do not know the twist. who has one and what loads does it like? does any one have a load with imr 4227 powder? i have 8 lb to use up. i found it listed for jacketed but want to load cast. i have some 325 gr 405 gr. and a few 565 gr. the 565 gr has a long nose about .450 , it could fit in to the riflings, should it be used that way? it looks like a missle. i just found out my thompsion continder barrel has a 1-14 twist. fron this would a 325 gr or a 405 gr bullet be best? thanks

[AZ-Stew]

You should be able to find what yu need in the Lyman Handloading Manual, the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook or, if you can find a copy, the RCBS Cast Bullet Handbook.

Regardless of the info you get here, be sure to verify it against published data for safety. The other day someone on this forum posted a load of 53 grains of a particular powder in the cartridge being discussed at the time. Later, he corrected his post to show the load he intended to post, which was 35 grains of that powder. It was an innocent typographical error, but one that might have had serious consequences.

Whatever info you get, be sure to check it against known, good data to be sure it's in the right ballpark before making your loads.

Regards,

Stew

[Larry Gibson]

What is 'best" is going to be determined by what you want to use it for and how much recoil you want to put up with. The 14" twist will handle most any bullet you'll want to use. I'll suggest the lighter bullets for most shooting such as plinking, target practice, small game or medium game here in the lower 48. For plinking, target practice and small game the Rapine 458-250, Lyman 457191 or the RCBS 45-325-FN are all good PB bullets. Over Bullseye or Unique and loaded from 1050 to 1300 fps they will do fine. For medium game hunting I would look at two bullets; for a PB bullet the Lyman Gould HP 457122 is hard to beat. For faster velocity the RCBS GC 45-300-FN can be cast soft for expansion and driven to 1700+ fps in your TC. With either of those bullets 4227 will worl quite well, check the Lyman manual for loads. For longer range target loads or bear/elk loads a 400+ bullet is best. I'd look at a GC mould with a large meplat, cast soft for expansion. The 4227 may do alright with those also unless you want a top velocity load for your TC then a slower powder may be better.

Were it me I'd get the RCBS 45-300-FN GC to use with all that 4227. Somewhere between 30 and 35 gr with a dacron filler would give me about 1700-1750 fps, excellent accuracy and about all the fun I'd want with a TC in 45-70. That is based on another TC carbine I helped a friend develope loads for.

Larry Gibson

[Wayne Smith]

I'm in somewhat the same boat, except mine's the 20" Katadin barrel. I now have the 457122 Gould hollow point and the NEI Collar Button (#322? - I don't have my catalog in front of me) that casts out to 150gr. Plinking and playing, maybe squirrel hunting if I get enough accuracy! I'm also in line for the Redo of the group buy 405 gr boolit mold. Enough molds for one barrell? Oh, I've also got the 457125 and the Lee 405 molds as well.

I haven't yet, but I plan to cast the 457122 with a lead round ball replacing the HP pin. We'll see how that flies.

[44man]

4227 shoots OK in my BFR with the 1 in 14" twist. But I never got the extreme accuracy I like. With 8# to use, I would go for it but for the best accuracy in mine, I found SR 4759 puts every other powder to shame. I have had 5 shots in 7/16" at 50 yd's and many, many sub 1" groups at 100 yd's. I would expect the TC to do better.
I found your boolit weight range is about right too. Mine will shoot from 300 to 385 gr's super accurate but too heavy of a boolit will enlarge groups. I went to 530 gr's and the gun just likes lighter boolits.
Barrel length might change that though so you need to experiment. Mine is 10".