45/70 PB speeds

[Auscaster]

I have my eye on a H&R Buffalo Classic in 45/70. I have been looking at the lee 405gr PB mould and the lee 340gr PB mould. I have had no exprience using plain base projectiles, the boolits i use in my 30/30 and 303 are all gas checked. What would be the max velocity i could push these PB boolits? I'll mainly be punching big holes in paper, but i'd like to be able to work up a hunting load that doesn't have too big a rainbow tragectory.

[2Tite]

My experience is that your shoulder will give out before you reach max velocity in that lightweight rifle. I'm sure you could expect 1350 to 1400 fps without difficulty.

[Guesser]

I'm shooting the Lee 340 gr. at 1500 from a Ruger #1, pleasant to shoot and accurate, even with my old eyes and the #1 sight system. I cast them from WW and air cool. I'm using R-P cases and 29.0 gr. of SR4759.

[45-70 Chevroner]

With the Lee 405gr. at the fps mentioned by 2Tite and Guesser will kill anything walking in the US. including Alaska.

[XWrench3]

i was told by another member, of whom i resect and trust, that for hunting, do not worry about barrel leading. the chances of you shooting more than 2 or 3 shots (at least with a 45/70) at any game animal is very very slight. in 2 or 3 shots, you are not going to put enough lead in the barrel to affect accuracy at any velocity. of course, i believe that we both are thinking that the boolit would have at least some lubricant on it. a completely dry projectile at 2200 fps might be ugly!. basicly what he told me to do was work up a good load with hard boolits, then just cast up a few out of pure soft lead, and load it the same as the good load you worked up. the little bit of weight difference will not be enough to mess things up enough for hunting.

[Auscaster]

Thank you all for the input. I think i might settle on the 405gr PB, i have a listed load that will give me 1500fps using H4198, and as the biggest thing i'd be hunting for now would be wild pigs, i'm sure it'll be plenty enough. I will probably get the 340gr mould as well. The 45/70 seems to be such a good cartridge to experiment with load wise, i'm sure it will keep me occupied for years to come. Damn these cast boolits are addictive :)

[softpoint]

45/70's can be addicting. That Lee 340 will kill anything in the USA that you need it to, if you want go a little easier on the lead supply. Want speed and expansion, cast a few of those same boolits out of pure lead and size .457, wrap 2 times with tracing paper up to the crimp groove, and resize again at .460. I get over 1900 fs. with these with no leading and great accuracy. I'm trying to get a linen disc to work on the boolit base in place of a gascheck, and I am having a little success at that too. The 405 grain Lee is also a good choice, as as are all of the offerings by RCBS.

[giz189]

Buffalo Arms Company sells a nice leather lace up recoil pad that makes the Buffalo Classic much easier on the shoulder. 1500 fps with a 405 gr bullet may not sound like much but it will certainly get your attention after 10 - 15 or less shots.

[4570guy]

I shoot the 340 gr Lee out of my Marlin 1895 over 23 gr of SR4759 and get about 1300 fps with good accy. I'd not worry about hunting anything in North America with this load. Higher velocity in the 45-70 just means more recoil with very little meaningful gain in trajectory.

[HangFireW8]

I have my eye on a H&R Buffalo Classic in 45/70. I have been looking at the lee 405gr PB mould and the lee 340gr PB mould. I have had no exprience using plain base projectiles, the boolits i use in my 30/30 and 303 are all gas checked. What would be the max velocity i could push these PB boolits? I'll mainly be punching big holes in paper, but i'd like to be able to work up a hunting load that doesn't have too big a rainbow tragectory.

Assuming smooth barrel, proper hardness (not too much, not too little), bullet fit, good lube, and enough pressure, you don't have to worry about the 1200fps plain base "speed limit" with the 45/70.

Thanks to Largom for pointing this out to me, after I thought I was getting away with something!:D

And as 2Tite says, your shoulder will give out (or you'll reach pressure or loading limits) before you have velocity issues. It's like, I dunno, the 45/70 was made for cast boolits or somethin'!

-HF

[BrianB]

I've cast the 340's with wheel weights, water cooled and Alox lubed. Shot them at 1,600+ with no leading issues and very good accuracy out of a 22" Handi-Rifle. When I went to hotter loads, the recoil escalated more than I was interested in. Ouch!