one powder for 45-70 ?

[atlatl]

I'm looking for one powder to stock up on that will allow me to shoot 300 to 350 grain jacketed bullets as well as 360 grain cast GC boolits in my 45-70 guide gun. Looking for moderate loads in the 1900 fps range. Thanks for any input/load suggestions.

[softpoint]

RL7 is the first that came to mind, good velocity per grain. If other calibers are included, Varget is good in nearly everything. 3031is the old time favorite, and is still real good, There are a lot of powders that fall in the medium burn rate that have proven to be good. Benchmark, RL10, 4198, 4895, W748 are some other powders that have been listed as someones favorite inthe 45/70. If it were me ,it'd either be RL7 or 3031.:coffee:

[coyotebait]

atlatl,
My Marlin 1895 w/ 22" barrel likes imr 3031. I get three "sweet spots" with it from mild to moderate to robust loads with a cast 350GC. 3031 is a coarse extruded powder but I get good results with charges thrown from my powder measure and check weighed every so often. coyotebait

[BABore]

Yep, 3031, H322, or Reloder 7, whichever one your gun likes best with the boolit weight you list. For lower velocity/pressure loads SR 4759 is pretty useful too.

[Flinchrock]

I'm looking for one powder to stock up on that will allow me to shoot 300 to 350 grain jacketed bullets as well as 360 grain cast GC boolits in my 45-70 guide gun. Looking for moderate loads in the 1900 fps range. Thanks for any input/load suggestions.

Maybe around 70gr black???

[Gee_Wizz01]

I have been using H322 for my 350 gr RD bullets at velocities upto 1925 fps. I am getting 1 3/4" 5 shot groups at 100 yds with H322 out of my 1895G. I was finally able to get some H4895 last week and I have loaded some rounds but haven't had a chance to shoot them yet. I haven't seen any 3031 in nearly year around these parts. H322 is great to load with as the small kernel size flows well and measures consistently through the old Uniflow.

G

[Dframe]

I've used most of them. Had my best luck with either 3031 or 4198.
I've lately been loading somewhat lighter stuff using trail boss.

[jlchucker]

For years I've used RL-7 and 3031 for all of my 45-70 shooting. Lately I've experimented with some AA 5744 with 405 gr Lee cast bullets. Seems to work pretty well, and the recoil is noticeably less. Haven't figured out why yet. I don't have a chrony so don't know the velocities I get with it, but the bullets group about the same place as some of my lighter Reloader 7 loads do. Generally speaking though, 3031 works really well in lots of stuff that interest me--such as 30-30, 35 Remington, and 45-70, to name a few.

[DLCTEX]

I've been using SR 4759 with good results. It fills the case better and is relatively soft shooting (recoil wise). I'm loading Ranch Dog's 420 and 340 gr. boolits.

[capnip]

can sr4756 be used in my 45-70?

[725]

catnip,
Please be guided by a good reload manual. Not familiar with SR 4756, but I'm sure as can be that it's not a SR 4759 substitute for SR 4756. (It may be, but I'd be suprised.) Some knowledgeable soul will chime in soon.

[Gunlaker]

I'm also pick IMR 3031 if I had to use a single powder for loads in that range.

Chris.

[Gunlaker]

can sr4756 be used in my 45-70?

I haven't seen any load data using that powder.

SR 4759 works very well for light cast loads. Although I'd pick IMR 3031 if I had to use only a single powder, if I was allowed to vote for a second powder for light cast loads it'd be SR 4759. I find that one works particularly well.

Chris.

[watkibe]

I like SR 4759 for cast bullet loads and IMR 4198 for J-bullet loads, and so does my 1895G. I use them both for bullets weighing from 300 to 400 grains.

Catnip - www.ammoguide.com shows no 45-70 loads for SR 4756. It is listed for small rifle and magnum revolver cartridges.

[use enough gun]

I've shot more H4198 through my 1895 than any other powder. Using a jacketed 300hp and 60 grains of H4198 it will drop any deer in it's tracks. It averages 2488fps across my Chron. For heavier cast loads 3031 hands down. Dave

[atlatl]

thanks for the replies, Ive narrowed it down to 4198 or reloader 7, 4198 seems to have more flexibility in terms loads, most manuals seem to give charges that cover trap door pressures to as high as I want to go. Is reloader 7 equally as flexible and is there any great difference between IMR and H 4198? thanks

[jack19512]

For my 45/70 4198 has always been my favorite powder but if I found something that worked better I would sure use it.

[BoolitBill]

I have used both 4198 and Reloader 7 and have had good results with both. For what it is worth, Reloader 7 meters much better through my powder measure.

[TonyT]

For real light loads at the ca 1200 fps level I have used Unique.

[excess650]

I've used 3031 and H322 for heavy loads in the 45-70. While both shot good groups when freshly loaded, the 3031 loads didn't group worth a hoot a year later. I had read about this phenomenom somewhere, maybe a Paul Matthews book(Forty Years with the 45-70), but wrote it off until I experienced it. The old green covered Speer book #10 listed 56/H322 with 400gr Speer JFN @ 1886fps from a 22" Marlin. It is a compressed load in WW cases and won't even come close to fitting in lesser capacity RP cases.

H322 definitely would be my choice for heavy loads. AA2015, 4198 and RX7 should be good choices as well. AA5744 and 4759 for lighter loads.

Unique would work for really light loads, but be careful with it. SR4756 is much like Unique when loaded in pistol cartridges, but finer grained and cleaner burning.

[jdgabbard]

Maybe around 70gr black???

My thoughts exactly. Why change it up, keep the cast and go with black.

[1874Sharps]

I must say that good ol' IMR 3031 has served me quite well not only in 45-70 (before I turned completely over to the Darkside) but also in a variety of other cartridges from 30-06 to 223. It is an amazingly versatile powder that many times provides the best accuracy for a given cartridge. In my Sharps rifle this powder once sent a group of five Rem 405 grain JSP into a 5/8" ragged hole at 100 yards. Fortunately I have not had trouble with loaded rounds losing their accuracy after sitting over a year. If I had to choose just one and only one rifle powder it would be 3031 and for pistol it would be Unique.

[freedom475]

I'm another for 3031...But if you go into Hodgdon and look at the presure data you will see that Varget is immpossible to beat.

Varget has a very wide range, from 40 gr.'s in trapdoors {fun to shoot and a lot like a Black Powder load in my sharps} to 60gr.'s in Ruger No. 1's {feels like a 458 win in my Browning 86} behind a 405 boolit.

Varget opperates at a much lower pressure to give the same velocity as some of the high pressure powders. I am on my 32nd Lb of Varget threw 45-70's since discovering it. I still have half of my fist can of 4198.. I couldn't believe the blast and recoil from 4198 compared to the velocity reading on my chrono.

:castmine:

[softpoint]

Another powder that gives high velocity with low pressure in 45/70 is 748 While it may not be suitable for every application, It'll do about 1700 fps with a 405 jacketed at TRAPDOOR pressures.:castmine:

[big boar]

For cast only, ( I don't understand why anyone would shoot jacketed in a 45 cal rifle) 4759 is for me the best all round powder for 300-420gr cast slugs. 3031 and 4198 are also very good and would also be good all round choices. I've fired several 1000 rounds from a 450Marlin, (a twin to the 45-70) and the above powders are all very good.

[atlatl]

For cast only, ( I don't understand why anyone would shoot jacketed in a 45 cal rifle)

several reasons ; I have them and they're too small to be effective paper weights, breaking in a new barrel with jacketed bullets first smooths the throat and reduces leading/fouling later, finally, I am waiting for my sizing die and therefore cannot yet apply gas checks and want to make some loads to hunt with this fall. And just to answer all those that have suggested FFg, where does one purchase real black powder anymore? I hunted with a muzzle loader long before they were fashonable and only used black powder, now all I can find is substitutes.