45-70 Gov.

[Driller640]

My favorite fun load for my Marlin 1895GG in 45-70
16g Trail Boss/210g REAL HCWW
1465 fps, can shoot all day, eh!

Favorite hunting load
54g Varget/425g Lee HCWW
1660 fps, sight in at 100yds, 17" low at 200yds
Hits like a train. This is the load I give guys at the range that think regular factory loads kick! One shot and factory loads all of a sudden, seem mild, eh!
:castmine:

[NickSS]

My favorit load is a 325 gr RCPS LFP bullet sized to .459 over 29 gr of AA 5744 or the same bullet over 65 gr of FFG works great in my marlins and Sharps rifles out to 200 yards.

[TCLouis]

Driller640
Are you using a Lee REAL in the 45-70?

Mine has nit been successful in my 45 BP ML barrel and is too small for 45-70 as IIRC.
Have never mic'ed my REALs, but I have always assumed the BP ML bore was oversized. Maybe the mold is undersized.
The REAL seemed like it could be a neat plinker for the 45-70.


May have to revisit that one.

[Driller640]

Yes, TC, I am using a Lee REAL in my 45-70. As cast it is to small but I beagle the mould with a double strip of tape and then size to .460 to fit my fired cases. Shoots like hotcakes. Have never tried in ML, got it for the 45-70, eh!

[DJWright]

Favorite for the .45-70 guide rifle (so far), 45 grains of AA2495 and a 475 grain LBT WFN style PB bullet, Federal 215 primers. About 1,525 FPS

[StrawHat]

My favorite load, for 3 different rifles, is as follows.

Lyman 457122, Gould HP bullet cast 20-1 lubed with a good black powder lube.

Drop tube a full case of FFg into another case to settle the powder.

Seat bullet.

I was using old Winchester primers in my loads, don't know what will get used in the next loads.

This produces a good accurate hunting load and as I said, it works well in three different rifles.

I don't use the same casings in different rifles, I separate them for each rifle so I only partially size.

[Old Ironsights]

Yes, TC, I am using a Lee REAL in my 45-70. As cast it is to small but I beagle the mould with a double strip of tape and then size to .460 to fit my fired cases. Shoots like hotcakes. Have never tried in ML, got it for the 45-70, eh!

oooh. what an idea.... :)

[TCLouis]

13.6 of Herco and RCBS 325 RNFP PB boolit will sail right into a nice 2 1/2 inch group at 50 yards.
10.0 of the #105 (AA#5 speed) powder greenish round flakes (sold by Bartlett a couple of years ago) does almost as well.

22 4759, 10.0 and 11.0 of the above powder does well out of the Rolling block, a little tighter than the above. 12.0 apparently send boolit velocity over the sound barrier from what it sounded like shooting today. 12.0 also opens up to 3" unless I just blew it.

The RB will shoot a lot of different loads pretty well, but the Contender is much pickier. The Contender could be a matter of controlling the recoil and the big ol heavy RB barrel (1.125" Octagon) just lies there with this level of loads.

4X scope on the Contender, tang sight on the RB.

Groups at 50 yards, measured outside and shot from sitting position off of X sticks.

[Kraschenbirn]

Only smokeless load I shoot in my H&R Trapdoor Carbine is 30.5 gr AA2015 under an RCBS 45-405 -FN (mine casts just over 420 gr in #2 alloy). Have never chrono'd this load but recoil is quite manageable...'bout the same as the 405/55 BP military load...and will consistently print into 2" @ 100 yds (off sandbags) from my gun.

Bill

[WKAYE]

My favorite light load for the Marlins is an RCBS 300 GC (313gr checked and lubed) cast of WW AC and well aged. Lubed with blue angel over 61.5 gr of H322 with a WLR primer. This just makes 2200 fps and is very flat shooting for a 45/70. Recoil isn't too bad either. :-D

[TCLouis]

[QUOTE This just makes 2200 fps . :-D[/QUOTE]


Man if that is your light load, I am glad I have never had the pleasure of touching off a Rompem . . . Stompem load of yours. I would have shoulder problems.

[WKAYE]

[QUOTE This just makes 2200 fps . :-D


Man if that is your light load, I am glad I have never had the pleasure of touching off a Rompem . . . Stompem load of yours. I would have shoulder problems.[/QUOTE]

TCLouis,
My moose load uses the RCBS 405-GC , which weighs 447gr. lubed and checked and 52.5 gr of AA2015 for 1900fps. that load gets tiresome after 50 rounds. Not sure why my mould drops so heavy, must have had the cherry run in too far.

[ridurall]

I've been playing with a Shiloh Sharps 45/70 and using the Lyman 457132 Postell bullet. It's supposed to weigh 535 gr but with #2 alloy and 20:1 lead/tin I'm throwing bullets at the 519 to 521 range in weight. I've been fooling around with 42 grains of Varget with A CCI 200 primer and RP case. The average FPS is 1347 and the other day I was shooting it at 500 yards. They stayed within 1 1/2 foot for a 10 MPH windy day. I'm shooting 25 MOA on the sight for dead on at 100 yards. I had my Baldwin Long Range Soule sights adjusted up another 51 MOA for a total of 76 MOA according to a computer program I had and it worked perfect. Right on at that range. I had a friend shooting his Barrett 50 BMG and aside from the wind messing with me more I hit the rock we were shooting at more then he did. I was pleased. What surprised me was the barrel afterwards looked almost as clean as if I had not shot 20 rounds through it. I'm using SPG Bullet Lube made up for shooting Black powder. I've also been shooting 54 grains of Shockley Gold Black Powder substitute. I have not worked up the nerve to shoot black powder in it yet but one of these days I'm going to give it a try.

[13Echo]

Ridurall,

Get some holy black! You'll be surprised how much fun it is. Besides, it's almost immoral to shoot anything else in a Sharps.

Jerry Liles

[ridurall]

I'm just about ready to start shooting black powder in it. I've got the SPG lube, I'm casting the 20:1 521 gr postel bullet, have some lube wads and a blow tube attached to a 45/70 case. I've got 1 lb of FFG Goex black powder. I guess I always worried about cleaning everything afterwards. I read about people using sifters to get the fines out of their black powder but when I tried it about 1/2 the can was fine so I mixed it all back up. I also made my own drop tube out of an aluminum arrow shaft 30" long. So I guess there is nothing that should hold me back from trying the BP out.

[pdawg_shooter]

My 1895g Load is a Lyman 451114 430gr patched up with 16# paper over 52.0gr AA2495. If I feel the need for more thump I use 50.0gr of H322.

[Shooter6br]

I use 13 g Universal Clays with a Ranch Dog 350 g in my Pedersoli RB. I also find42.5 g Varget a good load. H322 with 45 g is a good load so far. The 45-70 is good with a variety of powders I also trying Trail boss but not have much luck .I actually got bullets to keyhole with 12 grains. Rick

[13Echo]

Ridurall,

You don't need to sift the powder and clean up is actually quite easy.

For a starter load try 70grs of FFg compressed to allow seating the bullet just shy of touching the lands. The case should be expanded to give .001 to .002 of tension or the bullets can be finger seated into a fireformed case. I use a single waxpaper wad in my 45-70 Springfield but use what you have. Panlube the bullet or lube and size to .458". This should give a reasonably accurate load to start. If you don't have a compression plug cast a bullet out of linotype, size it to about .454" to .452" and use it in your seater die to get the appropriate compression

Use the blow tube after each round. How much comes with experience but you'll need less on a cool humid day and more when it's hot and/or dry. Anywhere from 2 to 10 slow, deep exhalations through the tube. Don't let the fouling get really caked up and hard.

To clean I use Windex with Vinegar or plain water. Blow tube to moisturize the fouling and push a damp, not driping, patch through the bore. If the fouling isn't hard that should get 90% out. One or two more damp patches will leave a clean bore followed by dry patches and a good preservative oil or grease. Wipe off the metal, especially around the muzzle and front sight to remove any fouling and oil. Check the bore the next morning.

If you let the fouling get hard you may need to use a wet patch and bit of force on the cleaning rod, but you'll soon know how to avoid this problem. A hard fouled bore, or using an undersized bullet may result in a leading. This can be removed by patching the bore with Kroil or Ed's Red and let it sit for 10 to 20 minutes and then forcing through a really tight patch, so tight it requires a bit of hammering on the rod to get it through. This will remove the lead as thin strips. Some shooters will use bits of a Chore Boy copper scrubbing pad on a brush to get the lead out.

At any rate, once I learned the tricks, cleanup of my 45-90 takes less time than for my firearms using smokeless powder and jacketed bullets.

Jerry Liles

[ridurall]

This evening the wife and one of her friends went out riding their horses so I decided to shoot up some of the Varget loaded 45/70 loads with 521 gr bullets at a chest sized gong 262 yards from my front porch. I've got it painted white with a black circle and grouped 5 shots about the size of my fist. I was very pleased with how well it's shooting. Sure is a satisfying sound when it hits the gong. As soon as I empty up some of this brass I'm going to try the Black powder. Thanks for the help guys.

[wiljen]

Most fun plinker for me is 300gr RCBS or 330gr Lee with 19.5gr Unique and a standard primer. Accurate load and little recoil.

[Pathfinder1cav]

Ridural,
13Echo has good info regarding BP (that is ALL I shoot in my BPCRs). A cleaning tip that may be helpful. is to take a good slug of water or two when you are done shooting & blow it thru the bore with your blow tube- then dry patch etc. as described.
With a good BP load for my rifle, I have frequently put 5 in under 1 Moa @ 200 yds- the best being 1-1/8" in Mary Poppins conditions.. They do LIKE the Black..

[TCLouis]

but look at the results on paper from the 1886 in the RD's and RCBS Testing thread in the GB Mold Results section above. I thought the RB was a decent shooter til the 86 turned in that performance.

I am going to chronograph them and as long as they are OVER 1,000 fps I will likely hunt with them next fall. 50 yards is a typical shot distance for me the way I set up.

[Boomer Mikey]

My favorite light load for the Marlins is an RCBS 300 GC (313gr checked and lubed) cast of WW AC and well aged. Lubed with blue angel over 61.5 gr of H322 with a WLR primer. This just makes 2200 fps and is very flat shooting for a 45/70. Recoil isn't too bad either. :-D

Say Wayne,

Are your primers flat?

Now I know what you want the 200 grain GC 44 mold for in your 444.

Boomer :Fire:

[WKAYE]

No flattened primers Michael. I've been using this load in 1895's for years with no problems. Can't remember where I first saw it listed, but 62.0 gr was listed as max. :Fire:

[ridurall]

I still have not shot the black powder in it yet but it was dead calm this evening and the wife and son were busy working in her garden so I decided to play with the 45/70. I'm working with a 522 gr cast bullet with 42 grains of Varget behind it for a velocity of 1347 FPS. I got a 1 inch group at 200 yards with the iron Soule type sights. This week I ordered a new front sight card from Montana Vintage Arms that had much finer front hole sights to go with the rear peep sight. Wow what a difference. I was pretty tickled when 4, home cast 522 gr bullets touch each other at 200 yards. I guess I'm going to have to start shooting black powder in it or the Sharps crowd is going to shoot me for shooting smokeless in it. I do have to admit this gun is a blast to shoot.

[rojovin]

I am new to this forum, but not new to reloading. I have a Mauser 98 Siamese in 45/70 I just acquired and have scoped it with Leupold 1.5X5. I am planning to load CB 300 gr for use at 50/100 yards any load formulas would be a great help. Thanks in advance. Does it require filler use, what should I use, and where do I get the dacron filler material, again thanks in advance.
Robert Studen, Long Island NY

Member NRA Endowment
Member SCI Life
Member Double Rifle Shooters Society
Member Roslyn RRR Cloub
Member Peconic River Sportsmans Club

[ridurall]

Varget in a 45/70 and with a 300 gr bullet you can use from 63 to 65 grains which will give you a velocity from 2008 up to 2075 FPS. Personally I like a larger bullet and FFFg Goex black powder. If your twist is 18 or 20 to 1 foot it will stabilize the heaver bullets better.

[felix]

"18 or 20 to 1 foot" does not make sense. ... felix

[ridurall]

I"m sorry 18 to 20 inches per twist in the barrel is what I should have said. I think a faster twist then that stabilizes a smaller bullet better.

[felix]

Ridurall, you still are thinking weird. It is 1 turn in 18 inches, or 1 turn in 20 inches is what you mean to say. However, a slower twist will stabilize a less lengthly projectile better, not the other way around. ... felix

[ridurall]

Whew, It's been a tough day thanks for helping felix. When I put the cleaning rod in my Shiloh Sharps Old Reliable it was 1 turn in 20 inches. Now I think the new ones are 1 turn in 18 inches. I know the Lyman 457132 at 522 grains shoots much better in my rifle at longer ranges. I did get a bunch of factory 300 gr ammo with it when I purchased it from a friend and it does great at 100 yards at 1800 to 1900 FPS. I'm bidding on an Armalite AR-10T that should be over in under an hour. I'm looking forward to shooting it with some cast bullets. Does anyone have any experience with semi autos and cast bullets. Does it mess up the gas system?

[felix]

Great! Glad you are having fun after such a hard day. Yes, Mike in Colorado has that experience, and so does BruceB. I do not. ... felix

[Shooter6br]

I have tried many powders Varget worked for me I use 42.5 grains (action cowboy loads)Can use down to 40 g Need to chronagraphy the load about 1500 fps in my RB Rick