Economy Power for .45/70

[GregLaROCHE]

I’m looking for an inexpensive powder for plinking with a 1980’s .45/70 Marlin. Where I am, the least expensive powder is Vectan. I’ve been wondering if I can use a simple base powder like Vectan AO. It’s roughly half the price of complex powders.

What do members think? I normally shoot 410 gn boolits PCed and sometimes 340 and 500 grs. Can I get away with a powder that fast safely? I’m just plinking so not looking for heavy loads. Anyone use single base powders with .45/70? Any advice on starting loads? Thanks.

[centershot]

You'll look long and hard to find a more useful and flexible powder than Unique. Twelve or so grains and a cast 405 grain makes an easy shooting load, akin to the old Trapdoor load.

[richhodg66]

I have been shooting a lot of .45-70 loads lately through an Italian Rolling Block Dad gave me. Seems 12 grains of Unique or Herco works great under any bullet I've tried. Recoil is very pleasant and groups way tighter than it has any right to at 100 yards, certainly as well as I can shoot iron sights.

[KMac]

Graf and Sons lists a load for a 405 gr cast boolit using TU3000 that is 1250-1350 fps. Looks to be close to the same burn rate as H4895. But I have not ever used any Vectan Powder before.

[Larry Gibson]

Vectan AO is a tudge slower burning than Unique or Herco so should be usable IF it ignites and burns efficiently.

It's listed as a flake powder intended for target use in shotguns, pistols and some rifle cartridge use. The PDF Vectan Load data does not list it for the 45-70 with any bullet.

[kenblacksmith]

+1 unique, also Trailboss with a 300gr. Accurate, enough power to knock over the rams @200m.

[RickinTN]

I'm making a similar decision right now with the new 45-70 my wife bought me for a late birthday gift. It should be here later this week. My two first test loads will probably be with Red Dot, around 10 grains, and Unique, around 12 grains. I'll probably be using bullets from my new 340 "Hammer" mold, so a little lighter bullet than what you mention. At 10 or 12 grain charges a pound of these powders will go a long way for me. I probably will also shoot some Bullseye in the 9 to 10 grain range as well.
Good Luck,
Rick

[GregLaROCHE]

Graf and Sons lists a load for a 405 gr cast boolit using TU3000 that is 1250-1350 fps. Looks to be close to the same burn rate as H4895. But I have not ever used any Vectan Powder before.

I’ve used Tu 3000 before. Never got a complete powder burn. They used to make Tu 2000, which should be faster, but it is no longer available. Tu 3000 is also about twice the price.

[TjB101]

I just bought a Henry LeverX in 4570 ... cast a few dozen of the 340gr 457 bullets and loaded some test rounds yesterday. Planning on using Unique, Bullseye, Reddot and maybe 2400 for my range rounds. Since the gun and loading for the 4570 is new to me I’ve been doing a ton of reading.

One item is related to using a “buffer” for certain lower volume powders (like all of the above) .... half the comments were hell yeah, gotta use it ... the other half were ... not needed for the fast powders like Unique, Reddot, B’eye, etc.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200726/05c48242996b528ff4eedc1a1e0ed4b0.jpg

[Chris S]

I like Trailboss for lighter loads in this cartridge. Even my 110# wife has no problem shooting a Contender carbine (very light rifle) with those loads.

For more Ooooomph, I like 3031, but less than most manuals show as minimum, I use 40 grains with a 315 grain slug.

Though I've not done it in this cartridge, I have used that white fluff that dog toys have in them as filler in other cartridges, worked well. Takes very little.

Chris

[GregLaROCHE]

What shape do the grains of Unique have? Granules, flakes or other.

How well does flake powder work in a powder measure?

[Hook]

I started powder coating a couple of months ago and one of the first bullets tried was the Lee 405 gr FP bullet in my Marlin 1895. I've used many powders in the 45-70 before. but decided to fall back on Unique so I could do a lot of light recoil plinking. My old Pacific Pistol Powder measure just happens to drop 12.4 gr without a powder bushing in it. With that charge and the PC'ed Lee bullet, I get just under 1100 fps in my Marlin and I can shoot it all day. Accuracy is outstanding with the 2.5X scope on it, usually between 1MOA and 1.5MOA with occasional groups as shown below:

https://i.imgur.com/lMFoSDh.jpg

By the way, no fillers are needed. And, you can't get much more economical than that!

[ascast]

I would go with Unique. Not much experience with others. Wipe lube off bullet bases. Not really susceptible to position in case.

[Yooper003]

I get great groups in my 45/70 with 11 to 11.5 gr. of red dot .my can of red dot is 50 years old but it shoots great in this cartridge,better than any of the other cartridges I have tried it in.

[Michael J. Spangler]

Unique. Done.

[Conditor22]

https://i.imgur.com/ZoYtbYo.png

[Conditor22]

https://i.imgur.com/p36t17R.png
https://i.imgur.com/mYKqCQA.png

What other powders do you have

[murf205]

265364 This was sent to me by a member here. Hope it helps. Does your local dealer carry Shooters World powder. Buffalo Rifle is supposed to be a very close replacement for 5744 and is a lot cheaper. With that said, Unique is darned hard to beat.