45-70 question.

[Chris Smith]

I've been reloading my own ammo since I was 12. That's been a while ago. Anyway, I have shot my trapdoor for years with black powder but recently got a Ruger #1, also in 45-70. So now I can pump up the volume a bit and in loading various powders(R7, 4198, 3031) with the 300 grain JHP I notice various amounts of unburned powder in the bore after each shot. The rifle shoots very well but should I be concerned about the unburned powder or just ignore it. I have never noticed it in the smaller bore rifles.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Chris, I have noticed some unburned powder in some loads and with some powders. However, as pressures increasem the amount of unburned powder decreased.

I have hunted with a 45/70 #1, for the last two hunting seasons, and have 3 deer and one elk at this point. All with cast boolits.

I'd sure encourage you to buy cast boolits if your not into casting yourself. There are a number of good boolit makers available.

Just make sure you choose a boolit design with a Wide Flat Nose -WFN - and go with boolits over the 400gr weight.

I know that lots folk use and like the lighter boolits, but during my search for a boolit that would shoot better then my origional 355gr LBT/WFN I found that boolits of over 400gr just tend to shoot better in the 45/70.

I am currently shooting a 465gr WFN, and there is no other word then AWESOME when it comes to taking game with that boolit at 1600 - 1700fps.

Forget hollow points and cast boolits with soft nose for expansion, as you simply have no need for them with the WFN.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[No_1]

3031 & 4198 will get you to the full house level & 400 + grain bullets will never let you down. I shoot 50 grains 3031 under a 420 grain boolit. My #1 has a mercury tube in it which makes it tolerable longer. I have 4 other 45/70's but the #1 is my favorite.

[Chris Smith]

I have a good assortment of molds for the .45 caliber but started on jacketed loads in this rifle since it can handle the hotter loads. I have the Lyman 457193 which drops a 420 grain (or there about) bullet from wheel weights. I generally shoot them unsized in my trapdoor but might actually size them for the Ruger. My favorite for destroying milk jugs and deer shoulder is my Lyman 457122 hollow point. Cast from soft lead it is actually too much when fired at over 1300 fps or there about. I also have a Marlin 1895 that shoots it very well. Although accurate in my trapdoor the 535 grain Postell design has little in the way of expansion unless something hard is hit and the 500 roundnose is about the same. I had never noticed the unburned powder in the Marlin and with black powder in the trapdoor ...well we all know about that. I was just wondering if a bit of filler might clean it up or should I just ignore it. Thanks for the reply!

[NSB]

I get more unburned powder with the lighter bullets and it's more noticable with certain powders. I've found that the heavier actually shoot more accurately than the lighter ones and I've played around with different primers and using fillers. I've found a hotter primer and a pinch of polyester fiber fill will get a better burn. I got most of this from off of here from guys that have been doing this for a lot of years. Some good advice to be gotten off of here. Good luck.

[EDG]

The unburned powder means you have a combination of the following

1. low pressure
2. short barrel
3. light bullet
4.slow powder

[Longwood]

Will a crimp help burn all of the powder with a light bullet?

[StrawHat]

Do you still have the Trapdoor? If so, I'd advise you to keep all loads at the level the TD can handle. Eventually, one of the "Ruger Only" loads will get chambered in the wrong rifle.

[stubshaft]

3031 burned best for me when I loaded it up to around 51.0grs. I have found 2400 to be a very clean burning powder and very accurate in my guns behind a 400 - 425gr boolit.

[myfriendis410]

Two more good powders: Benchmark and IMR4895. I load the latter with a 300 gr. Barnes ('cause I have to). I second heavy bullets.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

AS with most all firearms, they can be a rule unto themselves.

In the powder department, 3031 has to this point not worked well for me.

The problem, -------- the powder column was too high to allow for seating of the 355gr LBT boolit I was using.

Now with the 465gr boolit which has proven to be much better in the consistancy and group department, I have not tried the 3031.

With the lesser amount of powder and lower velocities, it might work OK now.

However, there was just too much powder to allow the boolits to properly seat and when it did, there was damage to the boolit from the pressure needed to attempt to seat the boolit.

H335, although I hear little about it, has at this point been the winner in the consistancy and group department. AS recommended by Bruce - Babore.

Just cast 300+ new 465gr boolits last Saturday, and after I test some of the lubes currently on hand, I will likely give some powders a second chance with the better boolit.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Chris Smith]

After installing a great Burris scope I had I can now shoot the rifle a lot better. I don't see as well as I once did. Anyway, IMR-4198 seems to be a pretty good choice and I got several groups that were around an inch or a bit less at 100 yards(3 shots). I'm kinda sore as I fired 50 rounds and some loads were in the stout category. The unburned powder seems to have no effect on anything.

[hydraulic]

I notice that Midway has jacketed .45-70 bullets on clearance and they only cost about $1.00 apiece. Ye Gods, guys, what kind of money are you making?

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Chris,

Get someone to build you a "sissy bag" or maybe buy one.

My wife made me one, and before that I had for years used a sand bag between me and the butt on anything much bigger then the 243.

Love to shoot and work up loads, but am not and never have been much into pain.

My sissy bag has lead shot front and back and I can have a good long session on the bench with no problems.

I try to just never let a rifle hurt me, and in that way, never have a flinch problem when hunting.

Recall back a lot of years, rushing to get a 300 ready for elk season and shooting a lot of rounds over the top of a rig. I was soooooooo sore from the day after day pounding!

Bench is much better then over the top of a rig, but the sissy bag really helps with the 45/70 and anything else.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Hydraulic,

My thinking exactly!

With good WFN cast boolits being so very effective on game critters, I could never justify spending that kind of bucks for the jacketed 45/70 bullets.

OUCH!!!!!!!!!

Give me cast boolits!

CDOC

[Chris Smith]

When you arent having to answer to a wife it makes things easier. I spend most of my money on guns, boats, hot rods and frozen dinners, the rest I just waste. I have a recoil pad that goes over my shoulder and is pretty effective but I am not a big person so the pounding gets to me a bit quicker than somebody that weighs more. And most of the loads were tested with cast bullets. One which I wont brag about was with the 300 JHP and was quite stunning in performance and mild on my shoulder. When I figure out how to post a picture I'll let it do the talking.

[NSP64]

My 45-70 is a pistol. I like 230 gr boolits over Trailboss. Easy to handle/no pain 1300 fps loads (16gr)

[MtGun44]

Use 10-15 gr of Unique under the light 300 gr boolits and you will get accurate loads
with no unburned powder.

Bill

[Chris Smith]

[Chris Smith]

The target on the left is 30 grains of IMR-4198 and a Lyman 420 grain flat nose cast from soft lead and sized .458, lubes with Lyman super moly. Fired at 100 yards. The middle target is 5 shots 25 grains of 5744 with a dacron filler and the Lyman "postell" 535 grain bullet lathe turned to 505 grains with a .350 meplat on the nose. The target on the right is three shots fired at 100 yards, 33.6 grains of IMR-4198 and a Hornady 300 grain JHP. It measures .761 inch. It will be used for all social situations. The rifle has a Burris compact 2-7 x scope and all shots were fired with the scope on 2x. The rifle is 1970 production and has no modifications.