45-70 and varget ?

[jetsfan-24]

how does varget do in a 45-70 my buddy really likes a 300 gr soft point and 60 gr,s of varget ?

[buckshotshoey]

That's what I use. I cast 340 grain flat points from an RCBS mould (mould info claims 325 gr with linotype). I settled on 50 grains for my Henry. Accuracy is good. Kick is about 12 gauge-ish.

Could go to 56gr according to Lee info that came with my dies. But 56 didnt improve anything but the bruise on my shoulder! Lol. Ok.... it wasn't that bad, just a joke. But a whitetail wont know the difference of 6 grains at the ranges I shoot.

I did notice some unburned powder at the starting loads. But at 50gr, and using a good crimp, it burns pretty clean. Some will argue that there are better powders to use in a 45-70, and they could be right. But I have a large supply of Varget for the .223 and .243 at hand. So I prefer to use it in the 45-70 instead of having to stock another powder.

I get ALL of my shooting done using just 3 powders. H Universal, 700X, and Varget. Takes care of all my needs for 9mm, 12ga, 20ga, .223, 243, and 45-70.

[osteodoc08]

I use 50gr with a 405gr WFNGC and it’s MOA at 100 yards and takes anything cleanly so far I’ve launched it at. A few years ago I harvested a doe with it and was hoping I could get 2 lined up. Never happened so I took the heaviest looking doe. She was quartering away at this point so it went behind the left ribs and out the front shoulder. She ran/slid 50-60 yards and piled up. Sure was some good eating.’

[NSB]

In my experience, the 45-70 seems to like any powder you can safely use in it. I've been loading this cartridge for several years now, and doing it in a number of different rifles. I have yet to find a powder that I could say "just didn't work" with this cartridge. I have found a good number of bullets that don't work well, but I could always find one that worked well with about any powder. The caveat to this is this: try to use things that won't double charge unless you put the powder in each case as measured/weighed. I've even played around with Bullseye and it shot good (I don't recommend this powder for this very reason....it was just an experiment). Also, its' nice to use what you already have, but not always economical to do so. With some powders going for around forty bucks a pound in some areas/places it's something to consider.

[Bfr taday]

Varget works ok all depends what you are doing it burns a lot cleaner then I thought it would for as slow as powder as it is. Like nsb said 45-70 rifles just seem to work with any powder I like imr 4064 with the remington 405 imr 3031 with hornady 350s 4198 with the ftx bullets. But ask any one what ever the first powder they picked they tend to use because it works.

[Norske]

It's up to your rifle, not you or I. Mine likes Reloader 7 or Ramshot Exterminator. IMR 3031 works well for factory equivalent loads, not so good at higher velocities.

[Swamp Fox]

It’s what shoots best with cast in mine. I’m taking my load hog hunting next week for the first time. 48 grains of varget and a 405 lee bullet, shoots at 1500 FPS. Shouldn’t have any problem putting a hog on the ground.

[44Blam]

I like varget I'm my Marlin 1895. I've got a 400 grain mold from NOE that I cast cup points from and I think they drop around 385 grain. I put 52 grain of varget under that and I get a nice clean burn, great accuracy and the spread of how fast they are going is pretty small. I shot 10 of them through a Chrono and they were between 1803 and 1830 fps.
The thing I like about varget as opposed to a faster powder like 4198 is that the recoil is more like a push than a snap.

[Rick Hodges]

I tried Varget and found it dirty and accuracy was just so-so in my 1895 Guide Gun. Mostly I hunt with 300gr. Rem. JHP at 1850 fps. I use H322, it burns cleaner and is more accurate at that velocity level. I am told Varget will clean up with more pressure and velocity. That may be so but 1850 fps. does all I want with it for deer. 150 yd. point blank range and acts like the hammer of Thor on impact.

[EDG]

I began loading for modern 45-70s in 1972 long before there was Varget.
I used 3031 for heavy loads and eventually got enough of that. What hunting I did with it used 4198.

Eventually I quit hunting with it and shot a lot of targets. In light rifles I use Unique and 300 grn cast bullets. You have to develop fool proof work habits to prevent double charging with Unique.

For heavy rifles I use SR4759, 4227 or 5744 and heavy cast bullets for best accuracy.

Any load going 1100 fps out of a 45-70 will kill any deer you hit. You don't need much velocity or recoil for complete penetration. On the other hand you can't really make the trajectory flat with higher velocities. The extra power might help on elk or other very large animal but it is wasted on deer.

[Oily]

I know you were asking about Varget, but Shooters World Buffalo rifle is the powder to use in 45/70. Close to ACC 5744 in burn rate but pretty clean burning. 1600 fps with 34.5 gr with a 405 gr boolit.

[RugerFan]

In my Marlin 1895 GS I found that the following cast bullets shoot best with the these powders....

RCBS 45-405-FN with Varget.

RCBS 45-300-FN with 5744

RCBS 45-500-FN with IMR 3031

NOE 460-530-FN with REL 7

[shootsblanks]

when i had my 1895gbl it seemed to shoot well with 45gr varget, a .7cc scoop of COW and a plain base NOE460-405