Favorite bullet and load for a 40-70 BN ?

[elk hunter]

Anybody have a favorite bullet and load for the Sharps 40-70 bottle neck?

[freakonaleash]

What twist?

[Chill Wills]

I wasn't daring enough to have the bottleneck chamber. I have two rifles chambered for the Sharps Straight.
Not helpful, I know.

[elk hunter]

What twist?

1 in 21" according to my cleaning rod.

[Don McDowell]

Ild keep the bullet length to 1.1 maybe 1.2 inches long. 1 1/2 powder should prove to be good and don't be surprised if 1f doesn't do real well. No experience with that bottle neck, but have a lot of trigger time with it's bigger brother the 40-90, and it's cousin the 40-70 straight.

[Jeff Michel]

I use a 330 grain paper patched or a RCBS 300 CSA in a grease grooved bullet. With Black, 1.5 F has had the best showing. Smokeless IMR4198. FWIW, twist is 1-16, Green Mountain.

[John in PA]

You can always dig up the old Greenhill formula to decide twist rate appropriate to bullet length in "calibers." Also, I'd consider refining your measurement of twist rate, as 1:21 is almost certainly an "oddity" at best.

[elk hunter]

You can always dig up the old Greenhill formula to decide twist rate appropriate to bullet length in "calibers." Also, I'd consider refining your measurement of twist rate, as 1:21 is almost certainly an "oddity" at best.

John;

The 1 in 21" did seem odd so I measured it twice.

I have a bullet that measures 1.085 long and .408 diameter taken from an original 40-70 round of unknown manufacture. I slugged the bore and it measures .401 - .4085. I thinking I'll try my 405 Win bullet, a .311, 300 grain, 1" long, round nose and load 65 grains of FFG Goex for a start.

[Don McDowell]

If that bullet for the405 will chamber it should work good in your rifle

[elk hunter]

If that bullet for the405 will chamber it should work good in your rifle

I made a lube/sizing die today that size the 405 bullets from .411 to .4095. That should be .001 over groove diameter. I'm going to try the .411 diameter to see if they chamber and shoot decently. No sense in going to an extra step if it isn't needed.

Thanks to all for your responses.

[Don McDowell]

Looking forward to how that works out