45/70 load data

[mhat]

I'm using the Lee mold for a 45/70 340 grain bullet. Does anyone have any useful load data. This bullet is not gas checked. I'm shooting it out of a H&R handi-rifle. Thanks for any help.
Mark.

[chuebner]

Try 12gr. of Unique. Low recoil and accurate at 50 and 100 yd. out of my Numrich rolling block and my friends Marlin 1895.

charlie

[TCLouis]

10.5 of my Milsurp (think Unique) gives me 1105 and very nice accuracy at 50.

23.5 4759 yields 1290 FPS and great 50 accuracy.

50 yard is the max range I have here at the house and will cover much of my hunting area.

About 10 inches of drop out about 110 yards as I have tested when hunting.

[onondaga]

I really like that boolit and use it in .458 Win Mag.

My mold drops unusually large at .460" and I size to .459 as my bore slugs at .4570"

The Lee .457-340-RN-F Typically drops small and I lucked out and got one that drops large. In a 45-70, I have read people curse this boolit for shooting all over the place from a 45-70 because it is too small for their bore.

I recommend slugging your bore and micrometer checking your slug and cast boolits also. A boolit size .002" over groove diameter is terrific for cast.

If you have a decent fit you will be happy. The pressure / velocity range of plain based boolits like your Lee can be extended with the use of BPI Original ballistic filler. It acts as a quasi gas check upon firing and seals the base of the boolit. With that filler and H4895 in my ,458 WIN MAG I get less than 1" groups at 1610 fps and 1.5 inch groups at 2012 fps. at a distance of 50 yards. I cast in Lyman #2 alloy.

filler source:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=695248

Gary

[Rusty W]

I like 16gr of Trailboss for a light plinking load. I use IMR 3031 for a little more umphhh. around 48grs. I've worked up passed 52gr until the action started to open on it's own. I sold the handi rifle and purchased a #1 Ruger. I shoot around 30gr of IMR 4759 with a 457122 lyman boolit.

[tacklebury]

My 350gr. bullet load is 48 gr. Reloader7 with jacketed, but might get you some leading. The lowest listed load at Alliant for Reloader7 is 35 gr. Reloader7 in the .45-70 and I made my wife some trap door level loads using 325gr. FTX bullets using this load. Much nicer recoil, although brass gets a little dirty using Starline brass, due to insufficient pressure for complete expansion. Other than that though, you can work up and find a good level with a few ladders. ;) I shoot them from my H&R Buffalo Classic .45-70 and get terrific results.

[mhat]

Thanks for all the good ideas. I've got some IMR 3031, think I'll try it. Rusty W. do you use some kind of a filler with the trailboss?

[Bill Torzsok]

Thanks for all the good ideas. I've got some IMR 3031, think I'll try it. Rusty W. do you use some kind of a filler with the trailboss?

Trail Boss is a very bulky powder, you will not need a filler.
However it does not like to be compressed.

[Rusty W]

I haven't used a filler with Trailboss. It's a pretty bulky powder & fills up a case quick. I have a chronograph but haven't ran any 45/70 loads across it. I don't get too excited about velocity with the 45/70. I just want the boolit to hit where I look. When I had my handi rifle, 3031 was the powder it seemed to shoot the best with. I tried RL7, BLC2, 748, 5744, 4759, H4895, probably a few others I've forgot about. I could hit a oil can @ 100yds w/open sights. I shoot like I would when I hunt. I walk a little, sit by a tree or lean against a tree for awhile and watch. If I can use the tree as a rest I do, if not I shoot from a sitting positon w/my back leaned against the tree. When I was younger I learned the hard way about a Hawthorn tree, they don't make a good rest, for you or the gun.