.45-70 Handi Rifle range report

[tinhorn97062]

Hello all,

A while ago, a member sent me a box of 430gr boolits to try out (Accurate mold 460-430 VG). I was finally able to get to the range yesterday and was pleasantly surprised. To date, about 1.5" groupings have been the best that I could get from this rifle....but not anymore. The load I used is as follows:

New R-P brass
CCI 200 primer
40grs IMR 3031
430gr WFNGC sized at .460 and lubed with TAC (water dropped WW from Accurate Molds 460-430VG)
COAL 2.53 (hits the lands in my gun)

I was testing for accuracy, so I didn't chronograph anything. Recoil was pretty stiff I went up to 44grs, but the recoil loosened the screws on my scope mount, so I called it quits for the day and decided 40grs worked good enough for me.

Attached is a picture of the grouping, and one of the boolits next to a 124gr 9mm.
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/07/19/070703ef3a9e4cf1492fd16def578a6c.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/07/19/9e3d3cc693c690c935939d67a68cabad.jpg

[Catshooter]

Nice report. Ya I bet the recoil was a bit stiff. You're more of a man than I.

My 45-70 Handi amazed me the first time I took it out. I'd had it about ten years before I shot it. Once I got on paper the little bugger put three rounds into an inch and an eighth at 100 yards. I don't go over Trapdoor level loads. Five hundred grains at 1,200 feet plus is a thumper enough for me.

Welcome to the forum.

Cat

[Frank V]

Thanks for sharing with us.
I think you have the load! That is a pretty group.

[rosewood]

Your pic reminded me of this pic I took.


The big ones are the bullets the US Government used against the enemy in 1873. The smaller ones are the one that we use today. Apparently our current enemy is easier to kill??????

144982

[rosewood]

Hey, when it loosened the scope mount screws, did it loosen you teeth fillings also?

[tinhorn97062]

Your pic reminded me of this pic I took.


The big ones are the bullets the US Government used against the enemy in 1873. The smaller ones are the one that we use today. Apparently our current enemy is easier to kill??????

144982

I always enjoy the way the conversation turns when you bring a heavy cast .45cal boolit to the discussion.

[tinhorn97062]

Hey, when it loosened the scope mount screws, did it loosen you teeth fillings also?

haha...I've got nothing to prove. I wasn't too upset about putting it away for the day. :violin:

Those screws happened to be locked in with my wife's "Hard As Nails" finger nail polish (neon coral, to be exact).

[GrayTech]

The blue loc-tight thread locker will prevent screws loosening at any recoil level. It works for me in many applications.

[jmort]

I love the .45-70, but the recoil can be brutal. As noted, and I agree, that is more "gun" i.e. the load data you used, than I would like to set off. Nice report. Love my Handi Rifles, .30-30, .308, .223, and .357

[gwpercle]

I always wanted a trap door Springfield 45-70, until a fellow at the range let us shoot his carbine replica....One shot cured me, that curved steel butt plate is wicked.
Gary

[tinhorn97062]

I love the .45-70, but the recoil can be brutal. As noted, and I agree, that is more "gun" i.e. the load data you used, than I would like to set off. Nice report. Love my Handi Rifles, .30-30, .308, .223, and .357

I'm going to take a chrono with me the next time I go out. I'd love to be around 1500fps with this boolit, but I doubt I'm anywhere close right now. That powder charge under a 350gr Laser Cast gives me 1330fps, (chrono'd). I may just leave it alone though, as it's quite accurate and likely still able to cruise right through both shoulders of an elk at typical .45-70 hunting ranges.

edit: Does anybody in here have Quickload?

[Frank V]

I'm going to take a chrono with me the next time I go out. I'd love to be around 1500fps with this boolit, but I doubt I'm anywhere close right now. That powder charge under a 350gr Laser Cast gives me 1330fps, (chrono'd). I may just leave it alone though, as it's quite accurate and likely still able to cruise right through both shoulders of an elk at typical .45-70 hunting ranges.

edit: Does anybody in here have Quickload?


Accuracy counts way more than speed!
I'd go with the one that shoots REALLY well & I could shoot well!

I think it was Mike Venturino who once said (he was talking about 405gr bullets) that once you reach 1300 - 1400fps the only thing more velocity achieves is a bigger divot in the ground behind Bison?;)

[rosewood]

Has anyone noticed your casting pot goes empty really fast when casting 400+ grain boolits? :)

[waco]

I have the Accurate 460-405V for my Marlin 1895. The rifle is still at my gunsmith getting a recoil pad installed. My boolits are a little lighter and are plain base. I loaded up 50 rounds with 26gr of SR4759 to test when i get the rifle back. Should be around 1400fps I'm guessing. Great looking boolit!

Tinhorn.....Where in Oregon are you? I'm in Springfield.

[tinhorn97062]

I have the Accurate 460-405V for my Marlin 1895. The rifle is still at my gunsmith getting a recoil pad installed. My boolits are a little lighter and are plain base. I loaded up 50 rounds with 26gr of SR4759 to test when i get the rifle back. Should be around 1400fps I'm guessing. Great looking boolit!

Tinhorn.....Where in Oregon are you? I'm in Springfield.

Tualatin.

That 460-405V was another one that I was looking at closely. My gun seems to really like things on the heavier side. I've noticed a drastic difference in accuracy from 300/350gr to 400gr+. The exception to that is a 300gr JHP running at 2000fps (51gr H4198).

[waco]

Good luck with that one! I hope my rifle likes mine!

[Echo]

I always enjoy the way the conversation turns when you bring a heavy cast .45cal boolit to the discussion.Them's not boolits, them's boo's. The little ones are boolette's...

[Frank V]

Has anyone noticed your casting pot goes empty really fast when casting 400+ grain boolits? :)


I have, you can watch the level of the lead drop!

[dlbarr]

Nice shootin' tinhorn. I have shot a very similar load & similar results from my own 45/70 Handi.

It's hard to pick an absolute favorite gun or rifle, but my 45/70 HR is definitely in the top three!

[tinhorn97062]

Nice shootin' tinhorn. I have shot a very similar load & similar results from my own 45/70 Handi.

It's hard to pick an absolute favorite gun or rifle, but my 45/70 HR is definitely in the top three!

Thanks!

[dodgyrog]

My Handi Rifle in 45/70 recoil sheared the scope rail screws AND the Gorilla glue. Anybody suggest a better method of securing the rail short of TIG welding it!
I use 405 grain flat nose boolits (cast of course) which make a wonderful SMACK as they hit the target.

[Frank V]

Boy if you are shearing screws that's a lot of torque. If screws aren't tight to start with they could shear, but you've checked that.
A friend says he puts iron sights on rifle bbls with liquid steel & has never had one come off. He's used that method on .375H&H & never had one come off.

[Catshooter]

If it were my screws that were shearing I'd install more of a bigger screw. Usually scope rail screws are very small, like #6s.

Or go with a lighter scope.


Cat

[sharpsguy]

44 grains of 3031 is a lot more powder than you need. Back it down to 38 grains and enjoy a lot less recoil and smaller groups. It will still give complete pass through on the shoulders of an elk or buffalo. Yeah, I know it's a bison, but I have a haed time typing or saying the word.

[kfarm]

I had a handi 45-70 with synthetic stock, it kicked so hard I was even afraid of it. Now I have a 1895 guide gun and a h&r Buffalo Classic neither of which kick as hard as the little synthetic handi.

[JimP.]

i have two 45 cal handi's one is a syn stocked 450 marlin, the other is a wood stocked 45-70. to reduce the recoil on the 450 marlin, i have slipped a limbsaver recoil over the factory pad, this helps very much and i only shoot one load. I load the Lyman 457125 bullet,which is their 500 gr round nose bullet with 26 grs of AA5744. Mounted on the rifle is a Bushnell red dot scope with 4 different reticles. I like the cross hair recticle the best. Perfect set up for my woods hunting. The 45-70 has a Bushnell 30 mm 1.5 X 6 scope and is sighted in for a 420 gr FP GC bullet using RL-7 at 1550 fps, which gives good accuracy and plenty of power. So far the scope has held zero and the scope base is still nice and tight. Personally i like the 450 marlin best with the 500 gr bullet, it really smacks hogs. I use the 500 gr bullet with 26 grs of AA 5744 in my 45-70 1873 Springfield SRC and it is a blast to shoot. it also has a slip on recoil pad.

[tinhorn97062]

i have two 45 cal handi's one is a syn stocked 450 marlin, the other is a wood stocked 45-70. to reduce the recoil on the 450 marlin, i have slipped a limbsaver recoil over the factory pad, this helps very much and i only shoot one load. I load the Lyman 457125 bullet,which is their 500 gr round nose bullet with 26 grs of AA5744. Mounted on the rifle is a Bushnell red dot scope with 4 different reticles. I like the cross hair recticle the best. Perfect set up for my woods hunting. The 45-70 has a Bushnell 30 mm 1.5 X 6 scope and is sighted in for a 420 gr FP GC bullet using RL-7 at 1550 fps, which gives good accuracy and plenty of power. So far the scope has held zero and the scope base is still nice and tight. Personally i like the 450 marlin best with the 500 gr bullet, it really smacks hogs. I use the 500 gr bullet with 26 grs of AA 5744 in my 45-70 1873 Springfield SRC and it is a blast to shoot. it also has a slip on recoil pad.

That's my next purchase...a Limbsaver pad. I'm right in that same neighborhood as your 420gr load...maybe 100fps slower. My Handi is the wood stocked version and the recoil is stout with the 430's loaded up.

[Frank V]

The limbsavers are great recoil pads, I think you will like it.

[Moonie]

Has anyone noticed your casting pot goes empty really fast when casting 400+ grain boolits? :)

I've got the Lee 6 cavity 300gr .452 and it drains a 20lb pot very quickly...

[Frank V]

I've got the Lee 6 cavity 300gr .452 and it drains a 20lb pot very quickly...

Oh yes it'll drop enough that you can see it with every cast of a 400+ grain bullet.
I can tell the difference between .38s & .45 handgun bullets too.