45/70 and Unique

[43PU]

I want to shoot my handi rifle in 45/70 I have the lee 450 flat nose, the lee 500 grn and a Lyman 457193 but I would like to focus on the lee 450. I would like to get around 1300fps is that possible? I searched everywhere but I couldn't find anything on here for this data.
Thanks
43pu

[Randy C]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?167169-Unique-and-45-70&highlight=45%2F70+and+Unique

I did a search this was the first one to come up,

[Jupiter7]

The handi rifle is rated for loads up to the "lever action loads" in most manuals. Found this link in another thread, maybe useful to you for work up. If you're not using a chrono, its all a guess. Best to work it up in your rifle.

http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm

Defintely possible with other powders.

[warboar_21]

I have used the Lee 450 paper patched with 15grs of Unique out of my Rio Grande. Shot nicely but i'm not sure on the velocity as I couldn't set up the chrony that day due to wind. I have since beagled the mold so it throws a larger diameter bullet and I don't really need to PP anymore. I haven't shot anything due to the triple digit heat right now though. When it cools down I will try and get out and do some shooting again.

[DrCaveman]

I ran 12.5 gr unique with the 405 gr lee boolit, and it was a nice shooter but not quite the velocity youre looking for. Especially with your heavier boolit and less case being filled by boolit body than with my 405

I found the velocity range you are looking for using Varget. With my boolit, 52 gr gave 1678 fps while 45 gr gave me 1368 fps so i bet the lower figure would launch your boolit about how you want

Varget was easy shooting too, somehow the barrel length of the handi seems to prefer it over say 2400 or reloder 7 for me.

Im planning to try to 'substitute' imr4064 for varget soon. Need to do more homework first but i think it will be a good powder for 45-70