Best speed for a 350 gr. in 45/70?

[flashhole]

Your lead will have to be pretty hard to get 1700-1800 fps in a short barreled Guide Gun. Leading may be a serious issue at those velocities.

I push a jacketed 350 grain bullet about as hard as can be pushed in the Guide Gun and get 1960 fps. With my range compensated scope I can stretch it out to 200 yards.

My cast bullets are 340 grains. The low end Varget and H-4895 loads shoot really well but my range is limited to about 100 yards.

The bullet you intend to use will give good performance on whatever you shoot. I would be more concerned about leading and a loss of accuracy when stepping up velocity.

[tdoyka]

i have a h&r handi-rifle in 45-70, i use 405gr fbfn over a charge of h4198(35.0gr). it goes roughly 1400fps. it will kill a deer or black bear. i am going to get a 350gr ranch dog and i think(oh c#@p, there i go thinkin again) it will go 1600-1800fps and kill a deer and black bear. but like clay m says, load it down. and it will "make it easy on yourself and the gun."

[GooseGestapo]

Try 25.0gr of #2400 for ~1,300 fps or 43.0gr H4198 for ~1,650 fps. I'm using a RCBS 300gr mold that casts to 320gr. Sized to .459" and lubed with SPG. My favorite load of late is 30.0gr of 2400. Also gets 1,650 fps. I recently put a Leupold 1.5-5x VX3 on it. Getting 2" groups at 100yds.
Its "enough"gun...

[Shooter6br]

H322 can do 1800fps with GC 350 grainer . Ranchdog data

[JesterGrin_1]

H322 can do 1800fps with GC 350 grainer . Ranchdog data

And be very scary accurate as well with the Ranch Dog 460-350Gr RNFP/GC

[Hickory]

I like to hear shooters praise the 45-70.
The 45-70 is by far the most useful big game cartridge out there. This cartridge has stood the test of time for good reason, it's just a great round.
A 350 gr. boolit at 1300 fps. will serve 95% of your needs in North America and do it without beating yourself up in the process.
The 45-70 is one of those special rounds that can do it all and be loaded from mild to wild. Or as a friend of mine referes to it, "The sledgehammer of death."
As some have suggested, start out with low velocity, and stop when you get an accurate load.

[flashhole]

The sledgehammer of death .... I like that.

[altheating]

Shot my Ruger #1 the last couple of days, NOE 350 at 1300 fps with H4198. Several 100 yard groups under 1". It's not to tough on my shoulder, you know that you touch it off but not bad for a 45/70. I just had shoulder surgery 7 months ago and it's not really punishing. I would not be afraid to shoot any game I'm going to be hunting with that load. I had to laugh yesterday, while shooting the back stop was water logged as a result of about 6" of rain and every time I shot the spray of mud that was thrown up when that big flat nose boolit hit the berm was impressive. Several people asked what I was shooting when they saw the mud fly.

[utahtrapper]

54 grains of H322 out of a 1895GS just shy of 2100 fps. Took a nice Miley Buck 350 grain Pile Driver Lite by Beartooth Bullets BHN. 21 you can eat up to the hole also 1 inch groups at 100yds

[JesterGrin_1]

54 grains of H322 out of a 1895GS just shy of 2100 fps. Took a nice Miley Buck 350 grain Pile Driver Lite by Beartooth Bullets BHN. 21 you can eat up to the hole also 1 inch groups at 100yds

For higher end loads I do not think there is a better powder out there for the 45-70 Government in a Marlin or Ruger No.1 than H-322. But then again I have said this many times.

[flashhole]

Please elaborate on why H-322 is so great for the 45-70.

[JesterGrin_1]

It offers a pretty clean burn and most of all H-322 can provide excellent accuracy with both Jacketed and Cast Boolits. Ranch Dog did pretty extensive testing with many powders for his boolit designs and above all of them he recommended the use of H-322 and he was right. He did state that Benchmark was close.

But again I would lean towards using H-322 for higher end loads in the 45-70 Government. This is the load I came up with for my JM Marlin 1895GS in 45-70 Government. 52.0 Gr of H-322 in a Remington case and a Fed LRP along with of course the Ranch Dog 350Gr RNFP/GC sized .460 of which with a 3x9 scope would give me under 3/4" groups at 100 yards. But be aware that in my humble opinion this load is a slobberknocker off of a bench.

[Hickok]

The only problem I have with my 1895 Marlin 45/70 is as the velocity of 350-400 grain bullets goes up, "the misery starts to overcome the joy."

[flashhole]

Jester - Thanks for the explanation. If the criteria is good groups for what constitutes the best powder I offer that that there are many. I like H-4895 for excellent efficiency and excellent accuracy. If the criteria is - I worked with this powder a lot. Meh, that hardly qualifies H322 as the panacea for powder selection. Ranchdog has done a lot of good work and he is very generous about sharing his findings but that data is not gospel. Good on you for stating it is your opinion. My opinion is different.

[JesterGrin_1]

Jester - Thanks for the explanation. If the criteria is good groups for what constitutes the best powder I offer that that there are many. I like H-4895 for excellent efficiency and excellent accuracy. If the criteria is - I worked with this powder a lot. Meh, that hardly qualifies H322 as the panacea for powder selection. Ranchdog has done a lot of good work and he is very generous about sharing his findings but that data is not gospel. Good on you for stating it is your opinion. My opinion is different.

And there is not a thing wrong with your opinion. If what you use makes you happy then by all means have fun with it. And it also goes to show that the old 45-70 Government cartridge can use many powders available to us with good effect.

I just felt that after using H-322 with the Ranch Dog 350Gr RNFP/GC and being able to obtain better than 3/4" groups at 100 yards as well as with the Hornady 350Gr RN then I saw no need to mess with other powders for the higher end loads.

But I will also say that because of the recoil I no longer have a 3x9 conventional scope mount due to blood taken at both ends Hog hunting one night lol. I now use a 2x7 scout scope set up. I also for grins have loaded up some of the Ranch Dog 350Gr RNFP/GC with some Unique of which after a little further sight in I plan to use it for Deer and Hog sometime this year.

[Ramjet-SS]

And there is not a thing wrong with your opinion. If what you use makes you happy then by all means have fun with it. And it also goes to show that the old 45-70 Government cartridge can use many powders available to us with good effect.

I just felt that after using H-322 with the Ranch Dog 350Gr RNFP/GC and being able to obtain better than 3/4" groups at 100 yards as well as with the Hornady 350Gr RN then I saw no need to mess with other powders for the higher end loads.

But I will also say that because of the recoil I no longer have a 3x9 conventional scope mount due to blood taken at both ends Hog hunting one night lol. I now use a 2x7 scout scope set up. I also for grins have loaded up some of the Ranch Dog 350Gr RNFP/GC with some Unique of which after a little further sight in I plan to use it for Deer and Hog sometime this year.

Two things you mention here are near and dear to my heart one Scout Scopes Imlove using them and think they are really effective for hunting. Quick target acquisition with out the need for trying to line up or focus on a rear and front sight.

Unique I have had great success with Unique and cast bullet loads in a variety of guns.

[FergusonTO35]

Shot my Ruger #1 the last couple of days, NOE 350 at 1300 fps with H4198. Several 100 yard groups under 1". It's not to tough on my shoulder, you know that you touch it off but not bad for a 45/70. I just had shoulder surgery 7 months ago and it's not really punishing. I would not be afraid to shoot any game I'm going to be hunting with that load. I had to laugh yesterday, while shooting the back stop was water logged as a result of about 6" of rain and every time I shot the spray of mud that was thrown up when that big flat nose boolit hit the berm was impressive. Several people asked what I was shooting when they saw the mud fly.

That sounds like exactly what I'm looking for with the Lee 340 in my 1895. So 31 grains is the charge?

[Tailhunter]

I shoot that noe 350gr bullet out of a Marlin GG around 1725 with great accuracy.

[flashhole]

That sounds like exactly what I'm looking for with the Lee 340 in my 1895. So 31 grains is the charge?

You mean like these? They will make you smile.

[Motard]

I am fairly new to levergun and to cast boolit. But I have some experience with reloading and various Bolt-action. Yesterday I brought at the range my first batch of casted with 430 gr lyman charged before 37 gr oh Viht N 130. Apart the one on the right that was a jacketed the three boolits performed with consistency. Good consistency. And low speed about 1360 fps