NEF Buffalo Classic

[Old Footman]

Hello,

Recently I picked up a NEF Buffalo Classic in .45-70 along with some Swiss 1.5F and Goex Cartridge powder. I bought a Lee 405 grain HB mold along with a 405 FB mold. Looking for some recommended deer hunting loads from the members. Thank you.

YMO&HS

"Old Footman"

[chuebner]

Don't know about hunting loads but I cast the Lee 405HB for my friend who also has a Buffalo Classic. He loads these over 65gr. 2F GOEX or Schuetzen and they are exceptionally accurate at 100yd. The only problem is that he is 78 and that light rifle kicks the snot out of him after several shots.

charlie

[Don McDowell]

lube the bullets with a good bpcartridge lube, then load them in cases primed with largerifle primers, and 70 grs of either powder with a .030 wad. seat to the driving band and only enough crimp to take the flare out of the case mouth

[cajun shooter]

I have a BC Classic and it is a very accurate rifle. It's downfall is it's 8lb weight. The thing about hunting is you should only need one shot. The load that Don gave you will work well. You do need to use the wad and a good lube as he stated. You can use milk carton or similar type of material if you don't have the wads. If you use the HB then you can put lube there also. Anywhere between 68 and 70 grains will give good results with bullet weights from 405 to 550. You should try different ones for your gun to fine tune it. You will need to drop charge or use a compression die also. That much powder will fill the case. If you drop tube and use the 405 you might be able to seat the bullet without using the compression die. Later David

[RayinNH]

Cajun, to add some weight for target shooting, take off the butt plate and fill the stock hole with lead shot or fill an appropriate size piece of metal conduit with molten lead and insert in stock...Ray

[cajun shooter]

Good idea on the conduit, I was thinking about a mercury insert from Brownell's but might give the lead pipe a try. Thanks Ray

[Wayne Smith]

If you don't know, BP loading is a full case, usually a wad of some sort, and a boolit. The key is a full case to the base of the boolit of powder. No air space allowed. Some powders, like Goex, appear to work better with compression, reports (I've never used it) I've read say that Swiss doesn't, just settle the charge so that the case will be full and seat the boolit. I also agree, my single shots shoot better without a crimp, but you might try yours with and without and see what your rifle likes.

[northmn]

I used one for a while. For hunting you do not need a wad, anyway I didn't. The Lee FB mold is ok for smokeless but lousy for BP as it does not hold any lube. The Hollow base was made for the old Springfield trapdoors and should work. I neck sized mine as the chamber was a little large and the cases looked kind of bottlenecked but thats OK also. It shot Ok and will get deer. If the recoil is an issue try getting some Gould HP's at 330 grains. The mold is still made by Lyman. That bullet does a very good job on deer.

Northmn

[NickSS]

I cast the Lee HB from 30-1 alloy and use a good BP LUBE in the grease grooves. I do not use a wad with the HB bullet. I load 62 gr of FFG and a standard large rifle primer. I generally use a drop tube and a compression die to compress the powder so that I do not deform the soft bullet when seating it. This bullet expands well in deer and elk and kills quickly when placed right.

[water bug]

Guys, I am a newbie. I plan to shoot my new 45-70 H&R classic Buffalo with BP, and cast Boolits 300 and 400 Gr. If I want to shoot light loads , say 40 to 50 gr. fg BP, and as you say cases need to be full, what should I fill them with? Oat meal?? Is a wax paper wad over the BP and under the filler advised? Do I NEED a crisco or lube cookie? Thanks for any/all advice.

[Dframe]

Often people will use fillers such as cream of wheat or corn meal to take up the extra space. I don't know if anyone uses a wad over the filler or not. I never have. If using Black Powder you should stick to BP lubes and I see no reason why a cookie wouldn't work fine. THis is a matter of keeping fouling soft and easy to remove.

[Four Fingers of Death]

The Lee HB should be ok, it has big lube grooves. For general hunting the Gould is one that interests me, period correct as well. been in production since just after the Civil War I think. That's gotta be some sort of record.