Pedersoli Sharps .45-70 alloy hardness for smokeless powder.

[Hamish]

Something I have found shooting the .45-70 cartridge with both black powder and smokeless powder: Black powder loads nearly always shoot best with lead/tin alloy (BHN 8-10) at or over groove diameter by .001"-002". Smokeless powder loads seem to prefer Air cooled wheel weight alloy plus 2% in (BHN 12-15) at .002 or even .004" over groove diameter. Smokeless powder appears to burn much hotter and even if pressures are similar. is more prone to leading. Fillers like Cream O wheat and Plastic shot buffer can help with this when shooting softer alloys but shooting smokeless powder loads accurately requires attention to preventing any gas blow-by.

I am going to assume (yes, I know,,,,) that you implicitly mean plain base bullets, owing to the relative ease of shooting cast with a gas check when it comes to leading at moderate velocities, yes? Sometimes it's aggravating dealing with them, but boy, it sure makes things easier sometimes.

[Hamish]

If you keep your velocity under 1250 FPS, you can avoid the transonic inaccuracies at midrange, usually around 700-750 yards. Trajectory may not be as flat, but those mid range targets can put you in the money at a competition.
Air cooled wheel weights work fine for me.

I guess I'm getting old, anything in the 45 2.1 that has the mass for long distance, I don't want to shoot more than one or two if they're going fast enough to go transonic,,,,,.

[samari46]

For my Ruger #1 in 45/70 just plain wheel weights with 2% tin added is fine. Estimated velocity is about 1350-1400 FPS. Bullet is the 486 grain semi round nose 45 rifle bullet with gas check. Slugged the barrel and it's .459 and my mold only comes out at .459. Have a Pedersoli 1874 Sharps infantry rifle also in 45/70 but haven't shot it yet. Probably get an accurate mold at or near 500 grains w/gas check about .463 in diameter and maybe the same for the sharps. The Ruger wants to shoot but with an oversized bore a fatter bullet is needed. Frank

[Ozark mike]

In my bfr and 1895 a heavy dose of h322 and a ww pb 500rnfp (which will knock the socks off of most unless you can handle a 500sw mag with one hand) produces no leading at all but Im also at .001+ overbore. So if you're worried about leading w bp use a grease cookie

[Larry Gibson]

Fisher

If you want to push that Postel bullet 1500 - 1600 fps with smokeless powder and stay within 29,000 psi I suggest Lyman #2 alloy, a 93/3/3 alloy or at the very least a 16-1 alloy. I also suggest you try a smokeless powder such as 4895 or similar if available.

[Fisher]

Fisher

If you want to push that Postel bullet 1500 - 1600 fps with smokeless powder and stay within 29,000 psi I suggest Lyman #2 alloy, a 93/3/3 alloy or at the very least a 16-1 alloy. I also suggest you try a smokeless powder such as 4895 or similar if available.

Thanks for the reply Larry, but just to clear things up for me, is that 93/3/3 parts? If it is in percentage, where do I add the 1% that is short?(I suppose to the lead)