45/70 Round Ball load?

[vonfilm]

What would be a good 45/70 round ball gallery load using Trail Boss powder? This would be for a Marlin 1895 Guide Gun with Ballard rifling. What would be the right size ball for this?

[Charlie Sometimes]

I've been wondering if there were very many people shooting RB in their 45-70's.
RB would be a good small game field load in big bear country, I'd guess.
Excellent timing on this question- let's see what happens!

What sizes, etc.?

Here's another thread with the same subject-
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?p=790556#post790556

[troy_mclure]

if you go down to castpics button ot the bottom theres some .45/70 round ball, and multi ball loads listed there.

[Green Frog]

Not to hijack the thread, but Lyman has made a couple of runs of the "collar button" bullet mould that comes out about equal in weight to a round ball, but with a little conical point and a grease groove. This should be just the thing for the applications mentioned above.

Froggie

[vonfilm]

I have now read everything I could find on here about round ball loading, but I have not seen much on reloading round balls using Trail Boss. I just purchased some Trail Boss that I plan to use with some Oregon Trail Laser Cast 350 grain bullets and I want to try some with round balls too.

Also what would be a good commercial source for round balls in the .458-.462 range?

[vonfilm]

I thought I would try again asking about Trail Boss Loads in 45/70 using round balls. I have a box of .457 Hornady round lead balls and was thinking about working up loads using 6,7, and 8 grains of Trail Boss and seeing which is the most accurate at 50 yards. I would be using this in a Marlin Guide Gun and a converted Siamese Mauser.

Is this about the charge level I should be working from? With Trail Boss am I going to need to seat the ball down in the case and on top of the powder? I am also planning to coat the ball with my fingers with a little muzzle loader lube.

I also just loaded up some cartridges with 15,16, and 17 grains of Trail Boss with the Oregon Trail 350 grain bullets. I hope to test these at the same time.

[haven't got a clue]

years ago i messed with a load comprized of two 45 cal. round balls over 10 gr. of unique. Shot it out of my 45/70, if I remember correctly they shot to point of aim at 50 yds. with the two balls about 1 inch apart horizontaly.

[BrianB]

I have now read everything I could find on here about round ball loading, but I have not seen much on reloading round balls using Trail Boss. I just purchased some Trail Boss that I plan to use with some Oregon Trail Laser Cast 350 grain bullets and I want to try some with round balls too.

Also what would be a good commercial source for round balls in the .458-.462 range?

I don't know of a source for round balls in that size. But, the Lee .457 mold has been reported to drop them at .458 with straight wheel weights. I bought one recently for this same purpose, but have been too busy with other projects to start on this one.

If you do a search, this has come up several times on this forum. I just don't know if any of the data included Trail Boss because I was only paying attention to Unique loads.

[siamese4570]

i've loaded them with unique although i can't quote the load right now. the 457 ball is the correct size. it is the same size ball used in the ruger old army. i've got that mold but haven't miked them. must be 457 since they work in my roa. i cast them out of stick on weights.

siamese4570

[NickSS]

I have used a lyman mold that I have for my Ruger old army that casts .457 balls. All of them I have used are soft lead that I tumble lube with LLA. I only use either Unique or Red dot in quantities from 5 gr to 15 gr. All have the ball pushed down on the powder in unsized brass. The 5 gr loads shoot well out to 25 yards and the 10 gr ones do well out to 50 yards and both shoot very close to my sights setting for full power loads at 100 yards (trapdoor velocities). I have loaded 15 gr loads but they were not as accurate. Sorry but I have never used any trail boss powder to date.

[BrianB]

Here is one thread I found on it.

45-70 Round Ball Load (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=22804)

[vonfilm]

In searching yesterday I did find a thread where hs45/70 listed some Trailboss loads for round balls using 14,15. and 16 grains with the round ball loaded flush with the case mouth. His velocities ranged from 1300-1570 fps. These seem like good loads, similar to .45 round ball muzzleloader performance. These loads would be good for deer.

I am still wondering about a lighter Trailboss load of 6 to 9 grains for plinking and small game. What charges would correspond to about 800-1000 fps

[DLCTEX]

Can't help you with Trail Boss, but my Lee rb mould also casts 458 with WW. I tl them with alox. Also the Lee 225 gr. 457 boolit for the ROA works for plinkers.

[Leftoverdj]

Trail Boss is roughly equivalent to Red Dot so somewhere in the 5-10 grain range.

I've used .490 RBs forced through a .460 sizer 'cause that's what I had. They gave inch 25 yard groups. Another route would be to use patched .451 or .454 RBs in unsized cases.

[KCSO]

6.0 of trail boss and a 457 round ball with a dab of lube over the top.

[Cap'n Morgan]

I would use the largest ball a fired case will hold. No need to resize with these squib loads, and the ball will swage to size just fine.