.45-70 Cast load for 333-gr Bullet

[Scorpion8]

A very good friend gave me a box of 333-gr cast bullets for my .45-70. I've never re-loaded with cast, and the the only load he provided was 57.5-gr of AA-2520 for 1900fps. These are gas checked and pan-lubed. What primer (LR) if make/brand is important? What other powder choices are there for this bullet? Rifle is a pre-dark times Marlin 1895. I have a variety of powders and primers available, and want to try 20-30 handloads to develop a decent load for the rifle for SouthEast Alaska black bear and deer.

My older Hodgdon #25 manual does have a load for a cast bullet this light, nor does my old Pacific manual. I tried the older books because there were more cast bullet shooting going on back in them thar' days.

Any help?

[725]

Try the Lee reloading manual. It's got a good selection.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

The Lyman 4th edition cast boolit handbook has data for a 330 grain boolit. You might want to stick with trapdoor level loads to start with. 3031, 4198, 5744 , RX 7 and Varget all work.

[cwlongshot]

Do you feel you "need" a 330g bullet @ 1900 fps??

Closest I shoot is the Lyman Gould @ 330g on top of 5744 for about 1550/1600 fps. Targeting 1350 impact velocity. Nothing walks away from a good hit. Same bullet kills with authority from my muzzle loader. Its a plain base but I powder coat them.

CW

[RickinTN]

About 12 grains of Unique works quite well. Give it a try.
Rick

[1Hawkeye]

IMR 3031 43.0 grs is right at 1338 fps out of my sharps which is pretty much the original factory load for the 330 gr.

[Scorpion8]

IMR 3031 43.0 grs is right at 1338 fps out of my sharps which is pretty much the original factory load for the 330 gr.

Perfect! I was looking for an IMR-3031 or -4198 based load. I gather that "brand and hotness" of the LR primer means naught?

[725]

Primers matter. You will get more pressure from a mag primer over a standard primer. I use primarily (Pun there) standard primers unless it's going to be very, very, cold.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

34 grains of 4198 should do 1400 with a c.u.p. of 12,100. 24" barrel. (330 grain boolit) The loads pictured are trapdoor level loads and safe for all 45-70 guns that are in sound condition.

[Scorpion8]

34 grains of 4198 should do 1400 with a c.u.p. of 12,100. 24" barrel. (330 grain boolit)

Thanks, another great load.

[Sgt H]

I have loaded a lot of 45/70 rounds with cast bullets in that weight range, specifically the Lyman/Gould 330HP. I have found much better results with double based faster powders such as 2400 and AA5744. The single based powders, even the faster ones like 4198 and 3031 do not burn efficiently at low pressures and will often show extreme velocity spreads (think 100+fps) when loaded to achieve 1400-1600fps with bullets in the 300 grain range. Also hangfires/squibs, worse in very cold temps. Don't believe it, a chronograph will tell the tale. While such loads often provide acceptable hunting accuracy at 50-100 yards the large extreme spreads will show up in the vertical dispersion at longer ranges. When loaded to BP velocity with various bullet weights in the 45/70 2400 comes close to duplicating the pressure curve of BP. Not sure why Lyman and Alliant have deleted 2400 from their current data. I suspect due to someone not paying attention and double charging a case which could also happen with 5744 BTW.

[Scorpion8]

Primers matter.

True, in general. Which is why I ask. Normally load data is shown with this primer or that primer. None are specified here. There are times that primers can be substituted, but 50% of the folks out there will cry-bloody-murder if you even advance the thought. So to just say "LR" primers (note: never even mentioned LRM primers) means "which LR primer", or in this day and age of the over-abundance of cheap reloading components (end sarcasm font), whatever LR primer ya got?

[Eddie Southgate]

Any brand primer will work . Maybe if you are loading something on the ragged edge of pressure, brand or type of primer might up pressure enough to be an issue but not with any normal pressure load . The one exception to that is loading shotgun shells which has nothing to do with what you are doing . 50% of the folks on here would cry bloody murder regardless of what you posted , everybody has an opinion and there are many who think theirs is the only one that is correct . This is just my opinion but it has not been proven wrong by anything I have loaded in well over 50 years .

Only exception is that some powders seem to thrive on magnum primers and don't work well with standard primers . Those powders are well known . The others work fine with either. I have used Remington small rifle primers in .357 Magnum for years regardless of the load . Was told years ago that I would end up with a pressure problem and a damaged gun . I been doing it for at least 40 years and have never had the first issue . I don't load over pressure loads or even near that so I don't have to worry about the small difference a primer makes in the pressure.

[1Hawkeye]

IMR 3031 43.0 grs is right at 1338 fps out of my sharps which is pretty much the original factory load for the 330 gr.

Using either federal 210's or remington 9 1/2's for primers.
This is pretty much my competition load year round for the gong matches I go to.

[Scorpion8]

Awesome, thanks! I have both of those primers on hand, so that's not going to be an issue.