First let me say I have always been a fan of the 45-70. But today at the range shooting the 330gr bullets at 1800+fps got old really quick. What powders work good for reduced loads in 45-70? I was afraid just using low charges of slow burning powder would give me lots of velocity swings with it having such a low load density. I have seen some load data with 2400 powder that looks like where I want to be at in velocity, just worried accuracy would suffer.
Ill keep my guns money and freedom you keep the CHANGE!!!
2400 gives very good accuracy in my Marlin with a 420 gr cast.
Try somewhere around 22 to 24 gr and see what happens. I bet you will be very pleasantly suprised.
You will learn far more at the casting, loading, and shooting bench than you ever will at a computer bench.
Do you have any 4759 available, I haven't yet tried it, but have always heard great reports on it. I did pickup 4 pounds of it today, to find out first hand. lol
I loaded up a bunch of 12 grains of Universal Clays under a 365 grainer.
When chronographing them I thought my Chrony was broke. 1208, 1208, 1209, 1208,1210. Readings like that. And the target showed it: many load (including that one) will go into just over an inch to an inch and a half a 100 yards.
Very pleasant to shoot, very cheap to shoot and fun as the dickens to boot!
Cat
Cogito, ergo armatum sum.
(I think, therefore I'm armed.)
I like 14 gr of Unique with my Lee 457-405-F.
You can also check out this place for other powders. http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm
Key
"Hatred is the cowards answer for being intimidated"
About 24-25 grains of 2400 powder approximates the original black powder velocities with a 400 grain bullet.
I like 11 grains of Unique behind a 500 gr Lee boolit, my crony says 1100+FPS. Great load in my Sharps and my Pedesorli Rem. Roller 45-70's.
13 grains behind any 45-70 boolit in the 300 to 400 gr. range.
I plan on trying Unique and 2400 with mine. IIRC, 38.5 grns of IMR 3031 (from Waters' Pet Loads) behind a 405 grn gives about 1350 fps - which I would expect to be a semi-mild load. This one is on my list also
I'm surprised nobody mentioned 5744. 25 gr will work just fine.
Randy
"It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
www.buchananprecisionmachine.com
Same here. 25.0gr of 5744 with a Lee 330gr gives me 1250fps in my Marlin 1895.Originally Posted by W.R.Buchanan
Will Fly For Boolits
Us Doc's have to stick together.... I use 24gr of 2400 behind my 400gr plain base boolit and its a nice easy push.
Doc
Do you guys use a Dacron filler with the light powder charges in the 45-70?
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:7
10-14 gr of Unique works very well. No Dacron needed.
Bill
If it was easy, anybody could do it.
Trail Boss works real well but don't try to run up the speed as pressures rise quickly.
I use a Dacron filler with 410 gr or lighter bullets over 2400 and 4759. With Unique or faster burning powders I do not use the Dacron filler but I use 210 - 300 gr cast bullets with those powders. I do not use the filler with 450+ weight cast bullets over 2400 or 4759.
Larry Gibson
I have used Dacron with 2400 and keep going back to no Dacron. The Dacron is an extra step and didn't make enough difference for me to keep using it. I did find I needed to reduce the powder charge from 24 to 22.5 gr to keep the velocity the same.
You will learn far more at the casting, loading, and shooting bench than you ever will at a computer bench.
I was just shooting 14.6 grains Unique behind a Lyman 350 grain bullets. 1300 FPS out of my H&R repro Officers model trapdoor. I can shoot this all day long. Clanging metal targets at 200 yards. 10 grains of Unique and 400 grain soft lead slug, will get any original trapdoor to shoot if it has any chance at all of shooting well. 5744 does as well and I can get more velocity with trapdoor pressures but the cost of powder is almost 3 times as much.
Back in 1973, I used Unique very successfully in loads for an original Trapdoor Springfield. With a pretty conservative load and my young eyes at the time, I could make beautiful music with a 200 yard gong.
smokeywolf
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms *shall not be infringed*.
"The greatest danger to American freedom is a government that ignores the Constitution."
- Thomas Jefferson
"While the people have property, arms in their hands, and only a spark of noble spirit, the most corrupt Congress must be mad to form any project of tyranny."
- Rev. Nicholas Collin, Fayetteville Gazette (N.C.), October 12, 1789
I don't use 5744 as I don't find it does anything special enough to justify the cost. If it was priced more reasonably I would use it more.
I find 2400 does anything 5744 will do and it measures better and is tons cheaper.
You will learn far more at the casting, loading, and shooting bench than you ever will at a computer bench.
25 gr. 2400 under Lee 405f with dacron filler. 1450fps average with ES of 6. about as much recoil as a 20 gauge with a light field load.
Tennessee Hunter Education Instructor
“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to
restrain the people; it is an instrument for the
people to restrain the government-lest it come to
dominate our lives and interests"
Patrick Henry
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