Unique again in .45-70

[tacotime]

Anyone finding good luck with 13, 14 or 15 grains in the .45-70?

Anyone going above that level?

Know of any loading tables for Unique in .45-70?

I'm using a .350gr hard cast (Oregon Trail).

Thanks.

[groovy mike]

Are these plinker loads? Hunting loads?

[smkummer]

I am using 14.6 grains with the 350 cast Lyman bullet (1300 FPS). This was close to max. for a trapdoor in the Lyman 45 edition and is very accurate in my H&R repro officer model trapdoor. Using a leather slip on recoil pad, I find it comfortable for 50 rounds per range session. More so than the same charge and the 405 grain bullet (1250 FPS).

[Skipper]

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

Scroll down on the left and find your caliber/weight

[tacotime]

Thanks, and well... mainly for some plinking and if the load is sweet, then for casual hunting the smaller hogs and occasional coyote.

Thanks for the load chart link, interesting. He did not go above 12gr with Unique. Is that just because he was not concerned with higher loads?

[Skipper]

Thanks, and well... mainly for some plinking and if the load is sweet, then for casual hunting the smaller hogs and occasional coyote.

Thanks for the load chart link, interesting. He did not go above 12gr with Unique. Is that just because he was not concerned with higher loads?


From the author's notes........looks like they were not looking for MAX loads:

In the beginning there was a question, and it was interesting - can one define the necessary and sufficient conditions such that hard cast bullets will shoot well from Marlin lever-guns with Microgroove barrels? That was 1996.

Thirty thousand bullets launched downrange later, we concluded that we had a reasonable handle on the question. In 1999 we published our small treatise on the results and topic - Modern and Historic Developments in CAS velocity loads "The Use of Pistol Powders in Rifle Cartridges" .

Since then another 50k bullets have been launched downrange. Some might say to confirm and further refine the previous observations; others might say it's been entirely in pursuit of the "art of flying slow", yet others might argue that it's all been an effort to more finely tune the gmdr internal ballistics predictor [an IBP specifically designed to predict low pressure and low velocity loads]. Maybe there's a bit of truth in all.

The data on the attached pages represent a record of what we saw - the good, the bad, and the truly ugly. Reiterating: the data on the attached pages is chronograph data, ie, these are the components we used, this is the firearm, barrel length and twist, these were the ambient conditions, and these are the results.

[Scharfschuetze]

I checked my loading logs for something similar to your request and found that I'd not gone over 12 grains of Unique with a 350 grain plain base boolit.

In my H&R Officer's Model Trapdoor, my load for a 10 shot string was:

350 grain cast PB boolit
WW cases with a moderate crimp
Fed 210 LR primer
12 grains of Unique

Velocity: 1110 fps
ES: 50
SD: 15

Accuracy: 2 MOA out to 200 yards

My goal was to produce an accurate load with only moderate recoil at about the original velocity for the Trapdoor cavalry carbines for general shooting and plinking. I haven't shot it beyond 220 yards or so, but I'm sure that it would hold well at longer ranges given its 2 MOA performance at 200 yards and the fact that it's subsonic throughout its flight.

[d garfield]

I shot 15grns Uniqe in my Pedrisole Qugley sharps, I do not use any filler and it will kill anything you want to point it at.
I don't under stand those people that load so hot that the gun is not even fun to shoot.
If you want a magnum then buy a 600 nito.
I can shot about 50-50 rounds of bullets before it begins to lead up.

I shoot 330 hp, 405 and 475 pointed, I use the same load in them all 15grns, Uniqe
I I also shoot an 1888 springfield trap door and use the 475 grns with 10 grns of uniqe
nice mild load and enough for the old gun.

[tacotime]

Good info, thanks. Now I found my records and had tried 13 and 14 before, and the 13 did a 4 inch group at 100 and the 14 wider, so I stopped Unique there and moved on. I'll try 12 and 15 though, because now I plan to shoot open sights under 100yds.

The real problem is probably that the gun just doesn't like the Laser-Cast 350gr. I've shot 50 or 60 different loads with that and just a very few loads could get to it to 1.5 inches at 100.

[groovy mike]

I shot 15grns Uniqe in my Pedrisole Qugley sharps, I do not use any filler and it will kill anything you want to point it at.
I don't under stand those people that load so hot that the gun is not even fun to shoot.
If you want a magnum then buy a 600 nito.
I can shot about 50-50 rounds of bullets before it begins to lead up.

.

I agree with there not being a need to kill on both ends. Am I understanding your post that you shoot a load that leads the barrel? If so, why would you do that?

[Shooter6br]

12.5 with 350 g Ranchdog .Excellent load.About 1200 fps out of my Ruger No1 (50 yds)

[d garfield]

yes lead will coat your barrel and the more you shoot the more lead. even copper jacketed bullets leave copper in your barrel and that is harder to get out. I use the Lyman orange lube it works as good as anything.[smilie=l:

[swheeler]

yes lead will coat your barrel and the more you shoot the more lead. even copper jacketed bullets leave copper in your barrel and that is harder to get out. I use the Lyman orange lube it works as good as anything.[smilie=l:


I've got rifles that have 1k rounds of cast through them, no lead that i see;)

[waco]

proper boolit fit to barrel and good lube = no leading

[TCLouis]

10.5 Milsurp #105 (Unique speed, NOT the fast version) 350 Ranch Dog Boolit 1105 FPS and ACCURATE at 50.

Have not tested beyond 50, that is the max distance I have for accuracy testing here at the house. Beyond that and it is plinking off small rocks on the hillside to about 110 yards.

I did try more powder up to the max listed and the 10.5 was much more accurate

[Wally]

In my Marlin I use the RCBS 82236 325 Universal (RNF) and 15.0 grains of Unique with a poly filler. I use a TC die with it. I size to .460"....very accurate. I have used heavier charges and all was well when doing so.

[tacotime]

I will test it out then!

[Slow Elk 45/70]

Good thread , I like it when folks stay to the question and impart usable info for the rest of the crew/.....

[EDG]

Lyman's various old manuals (44 and 45) list loads using Unique.

[35Whelen]

I am shooting 16 grains of Unique with a 405 grain cast Bevel base. This is .5 of a grain short of max...mind you , this is in a RUGER #1 and develops 38,000 cup and getting 1250 fps....just don't shoot this in a trapdoor or Marlin according to the Lyman cast bullet manual. Very comfortable load with what I consider tolerable recoil...more of a big shove that a hard kick.

AGAIN..this is a Ruger No. 1 load and should not be used in other weaker actioned rifles.

[warboar_21]

I have been using 15gr of Unique with a 405gr hollow base out of my Rossi Rio Grande. Haven't shot it over a chrono as I am only using this load for a plinking load at the range. I got the wife to shoot it and she was able to tolerate three before she decided she had enough. Of course she is all of 100lbs and not one who likes any type of recoil. The AR-15 or .204 Ruger is about all she cares to shoot.

[JackQuest]

95450Bump:

Just finished my Ruger #2 and while single digit temps are not conducive to precision bench work, I still got out and broke a few caps. Running 14.0 grains Unique behind a water dropped RCBS 45-405-GC delivers about as much recoil as a 6mm Rem. or .243 Winch! What a hoot!

I will be working up an accuracy load with this bullet sized .459 with WC844, the same powder I run in my M1A SOCOM. Right now burning 55.5 grains behind the RCBS and it salutes the shoulder smartly.