45-70 gallery loads

[Lethemgo]

So I've been thinking about some light loads to shoot out of my trapdoor and my sharps just for the heck of it. plus at the price of lead using a .457 round ball is sounding better on the wallet. I mostly just go to the range and have a time with friends and family so something the wife and daughters could have a hoot with sounds more promising everyday. Of course will still load up stuff to reach out and touch someone. Shoot anywhere from 50 to 100 yards and still be accurate. Now I've read 2 or 3 grains of unique to blackpowder but maybe stay away from black on these just because...love my blackpowder but going to try to do smokeless just for ease of use. So not sure but heard put lubed ball with LLA all the way down on top of light load of powder to just get it started and do a light crimp to hold it in place. I've done the 405 with 10gr of unique and it worked very well but cost wise the round ball sounds good. So what have you guys used just for kicks plus it might get me shooting my sharps more ad man do I need that.

[dlbarr]

4-5-6gr Trailboss behind a RB. Sometimes 10gr Unique behind the same.

I have one of these moulds: http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.php?cPath=42_147 10gr Unique makes these alot of fun.

I also had a HBWC swage tool made by a forum member here. It was fashioned after an article I came across in an issue of the Single Shot Rifle Journal. Used to have a copy of that article...if I could find it, I'd post it here. They are fun to shoot.

[Duckiller]

Have never shot round balls in my 45/70 but light loads of Trail Boss is a kick.

[Michael J. Spangler]

I’ve loaded a single .490” RB that was sized down to .460” and rolled in alox.
Shot well but never did any real testing. I’m guessing the bearing surface of the .490” sized down will give better accuracy.
Oh that was with 5 grains of red dot and the ball seated half of its diameter into the case. Roll crimped.

[M-Tecs]

I have had far better results using a collar button bullet than round balls.

[longbow]

Not .45-70 but .44 mag. Marlin. I started out with 0.440" RB's sized to 0.434" and they worked not badly over up to 10 grs. of Unique out to 50 yards or so but accuracy wasn't real good. Some testing of loads and powders might lead to better groups at low to moderate velocity.

I decided to buy an Accurate mould I got Tom to scale down from .45 to .44 ~ the 43-165B. No regrets! It works well for me.

.45-70 has much faster twist than the .44 (1:38") so could be an issue if you are thinking of 100 yard shooting. I think you'd be better off getting a collar button mould or a light boolit like:

http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_...=45-165C-D.png

A little heavier than a round ball but more bearing surface and... it's a boolit!

Longbow

[Greg S]

+1 for the collar buttom mold and 8-10g of Unique.

[osteodoc08]

+1 for the collar buttom mold and 8-10g of Unique.

Or trailboss 12-15gr.

[hockeynick39]

I think this would be a neat little slug for that purpose:

http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_...=46-224D-D.png

[DocSavage]

I've a Saeco mold that cast a 250 gr wadcutter that I use in my 45/70s. They cast ar .456 but for shooting at 50 yds they are reasonably accurate.

[RedlegEd]

I think this would be a neat little slug for that purpose:

http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_...=46-224D-D.png

+1^ this, and also this one: http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_...=46-275R-D.png. Larry Gibson recommended this bullet, which is a copy of the Rapine 460255, over 8gr of Bullseye (no filler.) It's a great load and can be fairly accurate out to 200 or 300 yds. Ed

[725]

I regularly shoot .457 RB over 9 grains of Unique. Fun, quiet & cheap. Zips right along, too.

[Michael J. Spangler]

I loaded some of these little guys. I haven't had a chance to test for accuracy though.
It's a cool little mould I picked up off the forum. Someone did a really nice job modifying an existing Lyman round ball mould.

[HARRYMPOPE]

6g unique and the 457130 in my trapdoor is about 900 fps.one hole at 25 yards sometimes,under 2" at 50 and about 3-4"at 100 yards.
very quiet and makes a neat "whooosh" sound as it goes down range.i just tumble bullets in Lee Alox or carnauba wax.

pic is two groups at 25 yards and one at 50.pretty typical for the rifle.

Attachment 233401

[1Hawkeye]

Iv'e been using 6 grs of unique with the old lyman collar button and noticed that it was position sensitive which surprised me. But if the powder was up against the back of the case it would shoot the same hole at 25 yards. I might have to try some trail boss and see how that works.

[GARD72977]

Are you guys using 6grs of Unique without fillers.

Also intrested in red dot loads.

[Larry Gibson]

I've found both Bullseye and Red Dot to be better for such loads than Unique. As previously mentioned in my TDs I use 8 gr Bullseye under the 460250 Rapine bullet and 6 gr of Bullseye under the Rapine 460210HB bullet. Red Dot does as well with the same charges.

[HARRYMPOPE]

Are you guys using 6grs of Unique without fillers.

Also intrested in red dot loads.

no filler. And if filler gave me half inch smaller groups it wouldn't be worth the time because it's just a gallery load basically.

[dlbarr]

I loaded some of these little guys. I haven't had a chance to test for accuracy though.
It's a cool little mould I picked up off the forum. Someone did a really nice job modifying an existing Lyman round ball mould.

That's a nice looking little boolit. Would you consider sending me a PM with contact info for the guy that did the work?

[Michael J. Spangler]

I don’t know who did the work unfortunately. I purchased it this way.