I am a noob here, so if this is not the right spot let me know, and really this is the only thing I have shot a cast bullet in.....sorry all....I will come around.
45-70 Trapdoor.....questions.
First off I have reloaded for quite a few years, but I have not loaded for anything this old....and this "weak".....and I want to keep my face....for some reason the wife likes it....I really can't figure out why....
I am going to cross post this on several different forums....most of you guys roam around on different "gun sites" so you might see this same stuff in other places....also the reason it is G-rated.....can anything gun related be G-Rated....not sure in this day and age....anyhoo....here we go.
First off I am working under the impression that less pressure is better. This is why I am not even looking at things like Trail Boss....people tend to look at that for 45-70, but I don't think that is real wise....for my first reason in going the way I am going....
Pressure.
I am going under the thought that keeping the pressure as low as I can in this old girl is the best thing to do....all my loads are published to be under 20,000 CUP, 20k kept coming up as the don't go over this in researching Trapdoor loads......light trail boss loads are over 20k, same with most other "pistol" powders....I just don't think that is wise, and in my initial research the only reason people are using powders like trail boss is you use so little of it....well ok, but if I am going to pinch pennies like that I really should look at another hobby.
Below are the loads, FPS readings, and what the published CUP is for each....The "control" I used Remington Green and Gold box that is labeled "safe for all rifles".
So in looking at this....the first entry is the remington.
The second would be read as 46 grains of 4046 published CUP of 17900 and published FPS of 1534....My measured FPS readings are below this.
I only shot one round of 3031 as it was just so darn fast....I did pull one down and it is correct, but that fast I am a little worried about.....these loads are all with a 405 grain bullet out of a standard Trapdoor rifle, not carbine....The bullets are from Missouri Bullet....they are about 10 minutes from where I live.
I am going to move to BP on this rifle just to have that experience.....it is how this gun was shot in the day, and I really want to shoot it as it was issued.
I am planning on using this in a CMP match....I think this will be a bit fun....and who knows all that black powder smoke might give me an edge. I think it will be fun to shoot something that is not common in this game....I do tend to do this, it is the way I am wired. I have an AR and a Garand, but never shot them in CMP.....I like the odd and different stuff....to me the fun is taking something and using it where it is really an underdog....it also covers up my poor shooting
Looking for thoughts on all of this.
Here we go....
Remington green and gold box:
1183
1213
1214
46 Grains of 4064 CUP 17900 at 1534
1462
1459
1450
45.6 Grains 4895 18900 CUP 1496
1565
1592
1559
40 Grains Varget 15600 Cup 1392
1227
1264
1245
1245
45.5 Grains 3031 17300 CUP 1597
1721