bpcr powdercompression

[contenderized]

I have a 45-70 and shoot a 500 grain bullet. My overall length is 2.820 with a seating depth of .625 with a.030 wad. With 65.0 grains of goex 2f my compression is around .375. All i am reading people are loading 68.0 to 70 grains. What is too much compression and will other brands of black powder allow more capacity?

[indian joe]

I looked on my wall
63.5 grains Goex 5FA, 30 thou wad, 500grain boolit,
That powder too fine for a 45/70 but what I had at the time, FFg a much better choice!
I am inclined to compress more heavily than most shooters I know and I think you are doin plenty
Test it for group, in steps from light compression (say 58 grains) up to whatever you feel like squeezing in there
The gun will tell you better than any of us!

[Edward]

I have a 45-70 and shoot a 500 grain bullet. My overall length is 2.820 with a seating depth of .625 with a.030 wad. With 65.0 grains of goex 2f my compression is around .375. All i am reading people are loading 68.0 to 70 grains. What is too much compression and will other brands of black powder allow more capacity?

My load was 80 gr 1 1/2 OE under a PP 530 gr elliptical 20-1 over a .60 tho poly/ seated .120 in the case in my 1874 C Sharps 1-18 twist , worked for me /Ed

[Chill Wills]

I have a 45-70 and shoot a 500 grain bullet. My overall length is 2.820 with a seating depth of .625 with a.030 wad. With 65.0 grains of goex 2f my compression is around .375. All i am reading people are loading 68.0 to 70 grains. What is too much compression and will other brands of black powder allow more capacity?

Yes. Some other brands of powder are more dense and produce greater velocity. Some people really compress the daylights out of powder. In the 45-70 in loads like you have described, up to 1/2 inch. At some point the brass case bulges and will not chamber.
One example of little compression: I rarely compress my Swiss powder more then 0.050". Zero is often the way to go.

[trails4u]

I have a 45-70 and shoot a 500 grain bullet. My overall length is 2.820 with a seating depth of .625 with a.030 wad. With 65.0 grains of goex 2f my compression is around .375. All i am reading people are loading 68.0 to 70 grains. What is too much compression and will other brands of black powder allow more capacity?

Are you using a drop tube? I have similar compression in my loads (.300) but with 70gn of 2f. I'd have to check OAL....not at the bench right now.

[country gent]

Optimum compression can be found chronographing test loads. Different powders like different levels of compression. Watch for the loads fouling levels and consistency. I work mostly with Olde Ensforde Swiss and some goex. in that order. I also find Goex to like the heaviest compression then OE and last swiss.

When I start a new load work up. I start with a known quality case uniformed and trimmed. This includes deburring flash holes, uniforming primer pockets, trim to length and square, chamfer and deburr. I hand seat primers starting loads I select a primer that has worked well in the past. I then start with a charge of powder and wad that gives no compression no airspace. I work up in 2 grn increments ( this with BP not subs). I shoot 5 shot groups chronographing as I go, watching extreme spread , Standard Deviation and velocity. I have found as compression go up the ES SD go down velocity slowly goes up at some point the ES and SD will start to rise again. I look for accuracy first low lumbers second and velocity last. When I find the 2 most accurate points in the work up I then load 10 rounds lower point 10 rds mid point and 10 rounds upper point and test again. Here it really starts to show accuracy velocity and consistency. When compression is right ES and SD will be very low, fouling is easy to deal with.

I think in the 45-70 you might be better served with 1 1/2F powder and a .060 wad. I use 1 1/2F in 45-70 OE. Usually compressed in the .125 range. I also get good results with 1F.

Swiss seems to run in the .060-.080 compression range, OE around .10-.150, and goex is the heaviest at around .200-.250. But compression is only part of this How you get the powder into the case also matters a long slow pour into the case,or a drop tube helps to pack the powder to start. Another is to compress with a die and wad not the bullet. You can compress to the point the case body swells causing issues chambering.

[contenderized]

I do use a drop tube.

[contenderized]

Plan on doing some chronographing when weather warms up.