Favorite 45-70 load using 325g Lee boolet and Varget

[wolfe28]

Good Morning;

Okay, so I'm a little giddy right now. Most of my casting equipment showed up in the mail yesterday, I pick up my first load of wheel weights tomorrow, and I just put a new Williams Peep Sight on my 45-70 TC Encore (24 in barrel). Once I get things loaded up, this will be the first time I've shot this barrel. So, does anyone have any suggestions for a relatively accurate load using the 325g lee projectile and Varget (Starline brass and Winchester large rifle primers, if your interested in the rest)?

I just want a starting spot to go from so I can start to sight in the barrel and then start load development.

Thanks,
D

[Echd]

I seem to recall Varget was quite dirty in my .45-70s with lighter bullets (heh, how often do you get to call a 325 light?) but I didn't spend a lot of time playing with it as a result. Completely secondhand I've heard it does better with heavier bullets, but I use a lot of 3031 in mine and am happy with that.

In all things your mileage may vary, good luck with your new toys.

[XTR]

I tried quite a number of powders for cast. Varget is way too slow for a bullet that light, it's too slow for 405s. Look down the bore and it will look like you poured half a teaspoon of powder down it after the shot.

I had good success with Rx7, 4198, and mixed results from 3031. IMR3031 did OK if you fill the case, but the velocity is too high for cast.

[Mike Brooks]

You'll have to have a fairly slow twist to shoot that bullet. I don't have any guns that shoot any lighter that a 405 well. Varget is a good powder, I use it often for heavier .45 cal bullets.

[wolfe28]

Good afternoon;

Varget is kind of my go to powder for many of the rifles that I have. That said, I also have some 3031 and some 4198 lying around. So, any suggestions with those?

D

[Shooter6br]

Varget and H322 with a 350 RD work well in a Ruger No 1 .1500 fps range

[45-70marlin]

wolfe, are you sure its 325 gr.? I thought the lightest bullet for 45-70 in Lee was 340 gr.

[wolfe28]

wolfe, are you sure its 325 gr.? I thought the lightest bullet for 45-70 in Lee was 340 gr.

That is correct, it is the 340g. I told you I was giddy.

D

[EDG]

You need a Lyman cast bullet handbook

[NickSS]

I do not have the lee mold but I do have an RCBS 325 gr mold and have shot many hundreds of them in a variety of 45-70 rifles. Most of my loads are light target loads shot at 1 and 2 hundred yards. Some loads I have used with good results are 27 gr AA 5744, 24 gr of 2400, 30 gr IMR 4198, 15 gr Unique, 70 gr FFG Schutzen. For a hunting load using that bullet in a Marlin I used 45 gr IMR 3031.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I have used 15 grs of Unique behind the 457122 Lyman 330gr boolit and it will shoot 1 1/2" groups consistantly at a 100 yards. I shoot that load in my Sharps and my Rimington Rolling Block. That load will hold well out to 200 to 250 yards but after that the accuracy starts to drop off. From 300 yards on out you need a heavier longer boolit. Sorry but I have never used Varget. So my answer may be moot.

[curator]

The Lee .457-340 boolit is a problem in all my .45-70s. None shoot it very accurately. It casts too small (.457 + or- .001) and has lube grooves that don't hold enough lube for most rifle barrels over 18". I have had good results with this boolit in .45 Colt loads where the weight was not an issue and velocity allowed the use of LLA for lube. Most .45-70 rifles need a boolit diameter of at least .459 to .460 to shoot accurately, and some even .462 or larger.

[lovedogs]

Varget does burn dirty with light boolits in my .45-70 but it sure shoots good. One of my light bullet loads is a 300 gr.GC (large meplat) and 53 gr. Varget. It runs just over 1800 FPS and shoots into an even inch at 100. They do destabilize at about 200 yds. and accuracy gets erratic but it's not a big deal because past that the drop is too much anyway. Cast with 20:1 it absolutely blows the back side of a coyote away. I've yet to try it on deer but think it'll work well. Kind of like a .454 on steroids.