Load development miracle

[Semaj]

Hey y’all! It’s been quite a while since I last posted here, and I’ve been working on my loads. After a mishap with compressing trailboss in my 45-70, my gun didn’t like Imr 4198 very much. Best I could do was 6” at 50yds. The big box store near me stopped carrying 4198 and so I switched to imr 3031. Best decision ever! Same bullet, higher velocity, and now my group size is 1” at 50. Bear part, I chose the charge level randomly (within published loads) and I seem to have found my new go-to hunting load. Have any of you done this before?

[lar45]

Hi Semaj, and welcome back. Sounds like you picked a winner for sure. I sort of had that happen one time. I was wanting a low recoil load for my young son to have some range time with the 30-06, I think he was 6 or 7 at the time. I had a box of Laser Cast 165gn cast bullets to use and some members here suggested 10 grains of a fast pistol powder. I had 8# of WC820 on hand, so I started with it and got close to 1" groups at 50 yards. Recoil was about like a 22lr and my Son had a great time shooting Dad's 06' at empty shotgun shells. They also made great small game loads while I was hunting.

Which gun are you loading for?

[chsparkman]

I love it when that happens. I'm hoping to find a great load for my Savage 24V in .222/20 guage. It will eventually present itself, I just have to put in the time.

[gpidaho]

3031 is a very good choice for 45-70. Gp

[jimb16]

4198 is a great powder for small cartridges like the .222 Rem and the .223, but it isn't so good with large ones.

[Semaj]

Hi Semaj, and welcome back. Sounds like you picked a winner for sure. I sort of had that happen one time. I was wanting a low recoil load for my young son to have some range time with the 30-06, I think he was 6 or 7 at the time. I had a box of Laser Cast 165gn cast bullets to use and some members here suggested 10 grains of a fast pistol powder. I had 8# of WC820 on hand, so I started with it and got close to 1" groups at 50 yards. Recoil was about like a 22lr and my Son had a great time shooting Dad's 06' at empty shotgun shells. They also made great small game loads while I was hunting.

Which gun are you loading for?

Marlin 1895g. Using a 405gr pill cast from cows with 5%linotype added. Velocity is ~1500

[trails4u]

Twice now with my Tikka 30-06 and my sons Savage 7-08. The Tikka was particularly disappointing....I was soooooo looking forward to load workup for a rifle I absolutely knew had the potential to be a shooter. I messed up and went with 4350 (jacketed 165s....my apologies!) and after literally the first round downrange..the next three were touching. I quit and tore down the rest of the ladder test. Very sad...and no fun at all.

[samari46]

IMR 4350 and 165 grain Nosler Ballistic tips are a match made in heaven as far as my Sako 75 Hunter (long discontinued) is concerned. probably the best shooting '06 I've ever had. Frank

[44Blam]

I've had a lot of good luck with Varget in 45-70.
I've got a 400 grain boolit that goes 1830 fps and it doesn't hurt. It DOES push, but doesn't rattle your fillings out.

The other powder that seems to work well is 4895.

I didn't like 4198 because the recoil impulse was unpleasant...

[osteodoc08]

I've had a lot of good luck with Varget in 45-70.
I've got a 400 grain boolit that goes 1830 fps and it doesn't hurt. It DOES push, but doesn't rattle your fillings out.

The other powder that seems to work well is 4895.

I didn't like 4198 because the recoil impulse was unpleasant...

I’m not sure if the velocity but 50gr Varget gave me cloverleafs at 100 with my 1895GS. Didn’t bother working up anything else. Kinda same story. Lucked into it.

[44Blam]

I’m not sure if the velocity but 50gr Varget gave me cloverleafs at 100 with my 1895GS. Didn’t bother working up anything else. Kinda same story. Lucked into it.

Same! That load that I said was 1830 the deviation on 5 rounds was like 10.... Very, very consistent.

With the same load I've been able to hit 2' targets at 400 yards fairly consistently with a skinner sight on a remlin 1895. I am going to buy a vernier sight and see if I can take that gun (with that load) out to 1000 yards... Pretty sure it will work. ;)

[bikerbeans]

I would like to hear the details of the trail boss mishap.

BB

[Semaj]

I would like to hear the details of the trail boss mishap.

BB
I tried recreating the tri ball guard load. I didn’t have and black powder and used trailboss. I put 5-7 gr in and when putting the balls in I accidentally compressed the powder. When compressed trailboss has some really nasty pressure spikes. It felt like a full power Ruger load and the case was stuck in the chamber. I had to use an arrow to pound the case out and there are a few rings in the chamber that imprint on all my brass. Took a lot of courage to work that gun up to full power loads and would only shoot lower trapdoor loads for the longest time.

[white eagle]

hats the same powder I use in my 45-70
good stuff maynard

[gwpercle]

My magic load was with 357 magnum in a Ruger Blackhawk . Bought the brand new Speer #8 (1970) manual to work up a load . Had bought the Lyman 358156 , 155 gr. SWC-GC , the manual listed data for 158 gr. Speer Lead SWC , with Unique powder : start 7.0 grs ...max. 8.0 grs.
So I split the difference and used 7.5 grains Unique with the Lyman cast boolit.
It was getting dark at the range , I posted a target at 25 yards and fired 6 shots offhand from the Ruger ... I couldn't see the holes in the target and could barely see the dark circle aiming point .
When I retrieved it there was one ragged hole containing 4 shots and two holes about 1/4" to the left and right of the big ragged hole !!!! That was "My Blackhawk Load" and it's never changed .
Here's the kicker...the sights were dead on for that load right outta de box !!!

Just to see I looked at the Lyman Cast Bullet Book #4 ....they don't even show any data for Unique anymore for that bullet in 357 Magnum....
I'm going to guess that 7.5 grains of Unique and a 155 gr, GC SWC is probably not safe any longer, but back in the day it worked in my three screw Blackhawk !
Gary

[gumbo333]

Semaj glad you didn't get hurt or totally wreck your rifle. Pretty cool when things come together, gives you a good feeling of accomplisment doesn't it.