45-90 load for original 86 Win

[Win86]

A few years back I found a great condition 86 Win circa 1891 and my first ever 45-90, trouble was I never took the time to work up loads so accuracy with earlier first loadings were just average and due too having a few other 86's I sort of put this one aside shooting the others. So now, and after the past few weeks of trying three different bullet molds plus casting several hardness levels and working up powder charges with my favorite powder, AA-5744, things are looking up with the 45-90. With bullets made from soft lead and up to BH13-14 then lubed as cast from the RCBS 300 mold, 28.5 grains with the harder bullets printed several 5-6 shot groups of two-plus inches and better and at 100yds, needless to say I am very happy! One thing though; this bullet seats into the Lands when crimped right at the bullet crimp groove so trimmed cases back to shorten cartridge OAL - Bullets weigh 323 grains with lube and GC applied. Chrono vel is 1403-fps average for 5 shots.

Win86

[TXGunNut]

I'd start with 80 grns of KIK 1.5Fg or 82 grns Swiss FFg and a .060 wad.

[TXGunNut]

All kidding aside my .45-90 seems to prefer a heavier boolit. I wish it would shoot the 330 Gould boolit but it seems to prefer the 405's and bigger. Giving some serious thought to 5744 in my .45-70 but the .45-90 is strictly a charcoal-burner for me.

[Win86]

Different loads for different rifles of same caliber are always a mystery to me. In one 45-70 made in 1889, I use 26.5 of 5744 with TP wad and 330 gould bullet getting touching hole grouping for most shots at 50-75yds pending light conditions for open sites. I use this same load behind boolits dropped from two old original Winchester molds found at local gun show, both rusty and very sticky condition. Once cleaned up and run through the bead machine they worked great dropping bullets 304 and 357 grains with my lead mix. This heavier bullet may have been for SS rifles as the meplat is quit small plus having tiny lube grooves with one more groove than normal for lever boolit molds I see still, it works safely through lever guns and shoots pretty well in this rifle. Another 45-70 wants and increase in powder charge with the same bullets but recoil also goes up more than I care for as creasent butt plates never feel good IMO-

[TXGunNut]

Different loads for different rifles of same caliber are always a mystery to me.-Win86

Amen to that, my friend. Good thing I enjoy a good mystery.

[mroliver77]

Win86,
When meplat diameter is looking small for a tube fed gun I set my Lyman lubesizer up with a flat top punch and then give it some extra force at the bottom of the throw to upset the "point" and give a larger meplat. I have even put flats on round nose and semi pointed boolits this way. If the depth is set right it will bottom out and put the same amount of squish on every boolit.
J

[Win86]

MROliver;
Now that is a first for me and something I will try, great idea!

Win86