45-70 does it again this year.

[TheGrimReaper]

Well, first day of rifle season. Took this little tender 5 point with my Marlin 1895 45-70. Shooting a 405gr Lee cast Boolit. Backed by 13.5grs of IMR Trailboss. Staline Case, CCI primer. Shot at about 20 yards, and he ran for about 20 feet!!!!

[samwithacolt]

Rub it in why don't ya!
I had my Marlin .45-70 cowboy on the floor beside my pack this morning but I chickened out and grabbed my scoped .308.
Shot a buck at 60 yds, would have been an awesome shot for the .45-70.
Your load sounds sweet too!

[pworley1]

It is hard to beat a 45/70.

[FergusonTO35]

Are you sizing those 405's? What kind of lube are you using? This weekend I'm planning to try the 340's in my 1895 unsized, dipped in LLA, over 31 grains Hodgdon 4198.

[Dthunter]

I was shooting my 45-70 T/C Prohunter with the Katadin barrel last week end.
I was having velocity and grouping issues with every powder I tried. It was getting frustrating!
There was always a significant number of powder grains left in the bore after each round fired. Velocities I wanted were being achieved, but accuracy really sucked! I was getting 2-1/2 to 3" 5 shot groups at 100.

My goal was to develop an accurate load with my 418 Grain Lyman flat nosed RN. I was hoping to get around the 1350-1450fps range in order to keep the recoil down in this ultra light package. This velocity would be more than sufficient for most hunting here in Alberta.

My powder choices eventually "lead" me to try IMR SR4759.

My bullet was Lyman lube-sized to .459" with Lyman Super Moly.
Boolet alloy was 18lbs. of wheel weight lead + 8 feet of 50/50 lead tin solder. Cast about 10 years ago.

I tried to seat my boolets firmly into the rifling to help get my ignition pressure higher, and hopefully get the powder to burn cleaner and more consistantly.
At this seating depth I could not get a good solid crimp due to the top bearing band being located right at the case crimp line.

Even with IMR SR4759's faster burn rate, it burnt dirty as heck!

After much frustration, I finally decided to try some Dacron between the powder and bullet base. This technique worked wonders in my 308Win, so I figured it should work here.
I also Seated the bullet to the crimp groove again and crimped it heavily as well.

Right from the first shot I feel and see the difference! I fired the first 5 rounds (24.0 Grains IMR SR4759) and managed to print a 1-3/4" group. With 3 of 5 inside 1-1/4". The bore was as clean as though I patched it!
My Standard deviation was 10.76fps (1330fps velocity). I was pleased with the improvement.

The load at 25.0 Grains of IMR SR4759 shot into 1-1/2" for 5 rounds, giving me an average velocity of 1388fps, and a standard deviation of 8.83fps! wowzers! I know this is only a 5 shot sampling, but it still started to show a positive trend. The bore once again was clean as a whistle!

My final load of 26.0 Grains of IMR SR4759, and it gave me a five shot group of 1.25"!
4 of 5 rounds were within 3/4"! Average velocity was 1431fps, Standard Deviation was 3.16fps, Extream spread was 8.11 fps! Bore was clean again.

At 26.0 grains the velocity was around my ideal goal range, and recoil was just on the upper side of comfortable. Perfect!
Now to go out another couple of times to prove the load!

After confirming the load again, I am very convinced of the merits of Dacron on ballistic uniformity! Printing nice tight groups with a large bore ultralight is a riot!

Here is a picture of the rifle I am working on at this time. It isn't the traditional buffalo style 45-70, but it is a fun compact little package! Hope you like the picture!

[nagantguy]

I was shooting my 45-70 T/C Prohunter with the Katadin barrel last week end.
I was having velocity and grouping issues with every powder I tried. It was getting frustrating!
There was always a significant number of powder grains left in the bore after each round fired. Velocities I wanted were being achieved, but accuracy really sucked! I was getting 2-1/2 to 3" 5 shot groups at 100.

My goal was to develop an accurate load with my 418 Grain Lyman flat nosed RN. I was hoping to get around the 1350-1450fps range in order to keep the recoil down in this ultra light package. This velocity would be more than sufficient for most hunting here in Alberta.

My powder choices eventually "lead" me to try IMR SR4759.

My bullet was Lyman lube-sized to .459" with Lyman Super Moly.
Boolet alloy was 18lbs. of wheel weight lead + 8 feet of 50/50 lead tin solder. Cast about 10 years ago.

I tried to seat my boolets firmly into the rifling to help get my ignition pressure higher, and hopefully get the powder to burn cleaner and more consistantly.
At this seating depth I could not get a good solid crimp due to the top bearing band being located right at the case crimp line.

Even with IMR SR4759's faster burn rate, it burnt dirty as heck!

After much frustration, I finally decided to try some Dacron between the powder and bullet base. This technique worked wonders in my 308Win, so I figured it should work here.
I also Seated the bullet to the crimp groove again and crimped it heavily as well.

Right from the first shot I feel and see the difference! I fired the first 5 rounds (24.0 Grains IMR SR4759) and managed to print a 1-3/4" group. With 3 of 5 inside 1-1/4". The bore was as clean as though I patched it!
My Standard deviation was 10.76fps (1330fps velocity). I was pleased with the improvement.

The load at 25.0 Grains of IMR SR4759 shot into 1-1/2" for 5 rounds, giving me an average velocity of 1388fps, and a standard deviation of 8.83fps! wowzers! I know this is only a 5 shot sampling, but it still started to show a positive trend. The bore once again was clean as a whistle!

My final load of 26.0 Grains of IMR SR4759, and it gave me a five shot group of 1.25"!
4 of 5 rounds were within 3/4"! Average velocity was 1431fps, Standard Deviation was 3.16fps, Extream spread was 8.11 fps! Bore was clean again.

At 26.0 grains the velocity was around my ideal goal range, and recoil was just on the upper side of comfortable. Perfect!
Now to go out another couple of times to prove the load!

After confirming the load again, I am very convinced of the merits of Dacron on ballistic uniformity! Printing nice tight groups with a large bore ultralight is a riot!

Here is a picture of the rifle I am working on at this time. It isn't the traditional buffalo style 45-70, but it is a fun compact little package! Hope you like the picture!

That sir is the rifle dreams are made of, at least mine! Don't know.what it'll do.that my others won't but after seeing your picture I just went to mid South and put that barrel in my cart, pay day is Friday and I've sold the potatoe crop and the encore will get yet another face lift.

[Dthunter]

NAGANTGUY:

I am very glad you like the action/barrel combo! It carries sooo well through the bush and hills! This little rifle has FLATTENED a 6X6 Bull elk at about 20 ft a few years ago. Can hardly wait to get the new load tested on some big game!

[Dthunter]

A few years back I Loaded my 45-70 with Triple seven and these 418 Grain cast bullets. It shot fairly well (2-1/2") at 100. It was fun too!

[TheGrimReaper]

Are you sizing those 405's? What kind of lube are you using? This weekend I'm planning to try the 340's in my 1895 unsized, dipped in LLA, over 31 grains Hodgdon 4198.

No I'm not sizing them and am using liquad Alox as lube.

[taco650]

After confirming the load again, I am very convinced of the merits of Dacron on ballistic uniformity! Printing nice tight groups with a large bore ultralight is a riot!

Are you sure its the Dacron that's giving the good results or the fact that you used a good crimp in the crimp groove or a combo of both?

[John Allen]

45/70 is my favorite rifle cartridge. I just can not get enough of it.

[Dthunter]

Are you sure its the Dacron that's giving the good results or the fact that you used a good crimp in the crimp groove or a combo of both?

I tried crimping with "EVERY powder and load I have available".
the only change was the Dacron.
The fact that the powder never really burnt cleanly and my velocities were inconsistant before I added the dacron says something to "ME". The instant the Dacron was added, the loads shot more accurately, AND the S.D. & E.S. was dramtically improved.

In another few weeks, I will retry a few more loads to see what the load stats reflect.

The great thing is that I now have a go-to load (in the velocity range I was looking for) that shows some "ballistic stability".

[seaboltm]

The 45-70, delivering for 142 year! I love my 45-70 but truthfully I am falling in love with another oldie that is just a wonderful all around cartridge: the 38-55 Winchester.

[taco650]

I tried crimping with "EVERY powder and load I have available".
the only change was the Dacron.
The fact that the powder never really burnt cleanly and my velocities were inconsistant before I added the dacron says something to "ME". The instant the Dacron was added, the loads shot more accurately, AND the S.D. & E.S. was dramtically improved.

In another few weeks, I will retry a few more loads to see what the load stats reflect.

The great thing is that I now have a go-to load (in the velocity range I was looking for) that shows some "ballistic stability".

Sounds good. I just wondered about the crimp because in your original post you mentioned seating the bullet out past the crimp groove so it would just kiss the rifling to cause a higher pressure in hopes of getting a more complete burn of the powder.

[Dthunter]

Sounds good. I just wondered about the crimp because in your original post you mentioned seating the bullet out past the crimp groove so it would just kiss the rifling to cause a higher pressure in hopes of getting a more complete burn of the powder.

Yes, I tried that as well. It was getting frustrating to find a satisfactory load combo! In every other 45-70 I have ever owned, it was relatively easy to find a good, accurate load.

i can hardly wait till I get back home to do some more shooting!

[OhioBeekeeper]

Nice job! I'm hoping to blood my Marlin 45-70CB later today during gun season!