Surp in .45-70

[drinks]

I have worked up some loads for .45-70 with WC 844 and WC 680.
I have taken care of the inconsistent velocities and have good hunting range accuracy, 1 + " at 50 yds, with my Handi rifle with a 2.5x pistol sight, from a rest.
I am getting 1800fps + with a 320gr RF GC, using WC 844, 55gr and a dacron filler.
I am also getting 1800fps +with WC 680, 40 gr, dacron and the same 320gr RF GC bullet.
Both of these loads hit at the same point with the same sight settings.
These loads are as much as I feel comfortable with, 64gr WC 844 , at 2100fps, worked fine, but had me slobbering on the stock after about 10 rounds.
Just getting soft in my old age!

[Char-Gar]

Not getting soft...just getting smart. I am 64 years old and have been shooting and handloading for almost 50 of those years. Lots of big boomers, big blast and big recoil.

I have all sorts of arthritis and damage to my shooting hand , elbow, shoulder and hearing from such activties. I know a fellow who detatched a retina shooting big rifles.

I now stick to 45-70 loads in the 1.3 to 1.5K fps area and is plenty of thump on both ends.

I would counsel young shooters to exercise caution if shooting big guns. There will be a price to pay, one of these days. Shooting is supposed to be fun and not a puberty test... but advice is wasted on the young as they already know everything and hey!...it won't happen to them. Yea right!! Gimme a break!!

[drinks]

Charger;
I am 66 and an old construction hand, used hard and put away dirty, everything does not work as it used to.
I am really surprised at the Handirifle, I am shooting loads with 3x the recoil energy of some other rifles I have found painful in the past.
Example, my Grandpa's 1894 .32 SP, rifle, 26" barrel, about 4" drop and a crescent butt plate, 1/3 the recoil energy, but twice the hurt, oh well.

[Ricochet]

I use WC680 with bullets of that weight range in my .45-70. I'd estimated 40 grains would be max, and that sounds like it. I've never gone past 38 grains, and backed down to 35 because it shoots best in my Marlin, and I've outgrown "magnumitis." It's a nice equivalent of the old blackpowder .45-90.