45-70

[EMC45]

I got the mold running for my 405 gr. Lee bullet and have been doing some experimenting with a Handi in this caliber. Well my initial loading was with 13 gr Unique which is a little more than a high end 44 Mag load. Recoil was mild, pretty accurate, but got a little leading right in front of the chamber. I know this is a Trapdoor load, but wanted a starting point. Well last night I loaded up some with Varget data. 47 gr. WOW! Big difference! No leading at all, still pretty accurate, quite an increase in recoil though. It was brisk! I came home and promptly loaded 10 more with50 gr. Varget. I can't wait to shoot them! I am gonna put them over the Chrono hopefully tonight.

[Johnw...ski]

I got the mold running for my 405 gr. Lee bullet and have been doing some experimenting with a Handi in this caliber. Well my initial loading was with 13 gr Unique which is a little more than a high end 44 Mag load. Recoil was mild, pretty accurate, but got a little leading right in front of the chamber. I know this is a Trapdoor load, but wanted a starting point. Well last night I loaded up some with Varget data. 47 gr. WOW! Big difference! No leading at all, still pretty accurate, quite an increase in recoil though. It was brisk! I came home and promptly loaded 10 more with50 gr. Varget. I can't wait to shoot them! I am gonna put them over the Chrono hopefully tonight.

Hi,
I am not familiar with varget but I have been trying to bench my 45-70 for groups
(see the FDH#2 thread in Single Shot Guns).
So far I have been using IMR 4198 and have seen some success. However I still need to try some different powders and try .459 sized bullets.
Are you benching your rifle and what kind of groups at what range?
I guess that I can go to considerably slower powders and am trying to decide how far I want to go next.

John

[EMC45]

I did bench the groups when I was shooting the Unique loads, but last night it was off my truck door at a target stapled to a tree.

[JSnover]

Mine (H&R BC) shoots about 3 moa off the bench on 21 grains of SR4759 and a 459124 WW boolit (weighs about 385 out of the mold) lubed with Emmert's and seated to the rifling. Slight leading can be wiped out with a dry patch. Lots of unburnt powder left behind.
This is my first load so there is a lot of experimenting in my future. I plan to bump the velocity up to see if the groups get tighter. Also want to try 4198 next week.

[Adam10mm]

I run IMR4198 in my Guide Gun. I size to .459. IMR4198 is very lead friendly.

I'm also starting to run Varget. Definately top performance and increases recoil by a lot.

Varget is a great powder. I run it in 223, 375 H&H, and 45/70. I run Fed LRM Match primers in my 45/70.

[HEAD0001]

I load 40.0 grains of RL7, and put a Lyman 405 on top of it. For my lube I use the Carnuba Red mix. It is suppose to be 1/2 Carnuba Red and 1/2 I have no idea. After every thirty or fourty shots I need to run 3 or 4 patches through my Sharp's 45-70. No real leading problems to speak of. Tom.

[EMC45]

I have run Varget through .223, .243, .308. It is pretty nice through the 45-70. I have 3 pounds of 2400, also have 3031, 4064, 4350, 4895. I may try some jacketed data for the cast I shoot. I like the Handi and would like to work up a good load in it.

[wiljen]

Try a few 3031 loads. It works great in my 45-70s.

[Ammohouse]

I use 45grn of 3031 w/405 cast and that has worked for me pretty good.
Although, I'm just too lazy and haven't put it across the chrony.

[EMC45]

Ran 10 rds at 50 gr. Varget last night. Chronoed 4 of them. Average was 1590 out of the 4. Not bad. Next is the bench and off the bags, which I don't really look forward to. This thing has some recoil with 50 gr. Varget!!! MGD45 shot a 4X4 post that he leaned against a pole. The 4X4 did not move, so he thought he had missed it. He hit it dead on and the slug went about a foot into the red clay behind it!

[Le Loup Solitaire]

I've been using 47 grains of 3031 with Lyman #457124, a 405 grain RN. It casts at .458 so have been shooting them lubed and unsized in my Win Hi-wall. Recoil is ok and grouping at 100 yards is usually 4 inches (if the wind is not up). I tilt the barrel up before each shot to keep the powder in the same position.

[lovedogs]

5744 for low recoil loads, RL7 for high vel.

[crabo]

How do smokeless loads compare to bp accuracy wise? Both at 100 yards and 500 yards? I keep thinking about an encore rifle with a 45/70 barrel and several others.

Thanks,

Crabo

[Adam10mm]

My Guide Gun shoots MOA out to 250y all day long with smokeless. Never shot BP but from what I've read, BP takes more care and attention than smokeless.

[lovedogs]

I know all the "experts" claim better accuracy with BP over smokeless but I hate messing with BP and refuse to use it. Using both 350 & 500 gr. cast bullets and 4198, RL7, and AA5744 my Buffalo Classic (and my wife's, also) we get MOA all the way to as far as we can shoot. On a good day both of our rifles easily shoot around 5 in. groups on our 550 yd. silhouettes. We've had several especially good days when we have shot into 6 inch groups at 876 yds. In my humble opinion I think that's fantastic and I doubt anyone can better that by using BP. I read Venturino's articles all the time and have even e-mailed him on this subject. His expensive Sharps won't shoot that good with anything so why should I bother with BP?

[MtGun44]

I've had excellent results with 57.0 W748 in my Marlin SS GG with the RCBS
405 or either Rem or Speer 405 j-bullets. This is trapdoor pressure, about
1750 fps in my GG. Use a mag primer and moderate crimp with Lee FC die.
This load shoots cloverleafs at 100 with my Roller.

I've not found an decent loads for my Lee 405.

Bill

[Junior1942]

Both of my NEF 45-70 barrels much prefer the Lee 450 vs the 405. The Lee 500 or Lyman 500 is second for both barrels.