What do you know about 45-70 forager rounds?

[RKJ]

jkit02, I for one am glad you brought it back up. I might not ever use my 1895 as a shotgun but it's pretty cool to read up on this sort of thing. Off topic but... I'm getting ready to tackle the 444 Marlin shot shells in my Stevens 311 410. I think that will be a lot of fun.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Forager rounds used small shot, not large balls. Think of a round designed to take grouse, turkey, rabbits, etc.

With large balls you really want the ball centered in the bore fairly well, or accuracy will be quite bad as 45-70s have rifled bores. I'd try a PE (Milk Jug plastic etc.) sabot before I tried hot glue as a sabot, and would suggest a 45 cal mold for 45-70, not 50 cal

[17nut]

Poplar splits nice and straight and is easy to machine.

I would make a (poplar) rod slightly larger than needed then drill the cavity with a razor sharp drillbit and machine the outer diameter to @.457 and cut it of (all lathe work!).
Load some 30-40grains of black a nice thick nitro wad and fill the capsule with shot. I would seat the cartridge on top of the capsule and when it bottoms out on the wad give it a good crimp.

I have shot loads of trap rounds in my 12 bore rifle and at 27yds there is a hole in the middle of the pattern a goose could hide in. Same with hadguns and shot loads, keep it close or aim crooked
With handguns (45LC, 45ACP and others) keep it at some 5-8yds or the void gets to large for a small critters.

[Dan1953]

Here are some for sale with good pictures -
http://www.mcpheetersantiquemilitari...6_item_058.htm