The Quest For the Perfect Load

[ChristopherO]

Might I suggest a forum for shooting? I'll post this here as it is in preparation for deer season. For Marlin 1895 CB (Remington Era manufacture) I settled on a load some years back using an old can of Hercules 2400, Accurate 460-405C WFN GC boolits with a tuff of Dacron filler. This came after beating myself up first trying to magnumize the veritable 45/70 with no recoil pad and full tilt loads. 1,600 fps+ loads were/are pleasant and still killed deer very well. White Label 2500+ lube worked quite good and that was that. But lately I've wanted to play with powder coated boolits in another rifle, which spilt over into the Cowboy realm. The can of H2400 is getting low but I have a bit of old IMR 4227 and much more Hogdon 4227 to test out in preparation of running out of the 2400. I shot the PC boolits at the end of a full Labor Day that was full of labor. Can't say the PC groups were all that impressive. Yet, the sunlight was petering out along with my eye sharpness. Making notes of those loads that have potential I pasted on another target group to the stand this afternoon to see how the 4227 works with the regular medium hardness lead boolits with the 2500+ in the grease grooves.

Attachment 288497

The two types of 4227 of 27 grain weight loads showed much promise with 3 rounds at the same circle each, with the IMR shots being the tighter of the two groups:
Attachment 288498

The the first shot of 28 grains, IMR 4227 with the WL2500+ lube hit the target high. That made me wonder, was it me or the extra powder? The two follow ups were back down and tight together. This would turn into a 4 shot group to see where it would land:
Attachment 288499

I got to say, this pleased me greatly. I am not opposed to the PC coating, but with groups like this with the Skinner Alaskan sight, 57 year old eyes aided with Trifocals shooting off cross sticks at 100 yards I may have just found my new deer hunting load. Plus, these slip into the chamber with the lever closing smoothly. The PC boolits, though run through the same sizing die, give resistance to closing the action. Some more than others.

I love that instead of shooting just a few high dollar 12 gauge sabot slugs to ensure POI I can now cast and reload for this rifle for just pennies of what factory loads cost and be confident when gun season arrives.

One of the boolits after hammering the small osage trunk that stands in the way of the backstop:
Attachment 288500

(I've downloaded pictures before, but for some reason these seem to be missing what it takes to open up in the post)

[NEKVT]

I'm also using IMR 4227 in my 45-70 Trapdoor hunting load. Lee 459-405-HB over 24.0gr and .75gr dacron. 1120fps from 20" barrel.

Think you have to save pictures as jpg not pdf files to show as a picture.

[Texas by God]

Easy closing of the lever on loaded ammo is high on the requirement list for hunting loads. Good groups instill confidence in the load. Looks like you’re ready to me!

[versa-06]

That boolit looks like the deadliest mushroom in the forest.

[gunseller]

Been shooting 45/70 for 30 plus years. The powder I use is IMR3031. With it I can load trap door springfield loads and elephant killers. The heavy loads are fired out of a JM 1895 Marlin. I also load black fore the trap door.
Steve

[Dthunter]

Just finished working up some mild hunting loads for my marlin guide gun and T/C pro-hunter with the Katadin 20” barrel.

In a wonderful coincidence the best groups for both rifles came with the same powder charge of 26 grains of Dominion 4198 powder, and WLR primers. They are using different cases, and the SD’ were crazy low!

The groups were averaging around 1.2” or less! I was super pleased with that!

My bullet is one of Accurate Moulds 420 grain double crimp grooved bullets with the ranch dog profile. I am ready for hunting now!