45-70 and H335 pushing 350 +/- 5 or 10 grs, boolits?

[WildT]

Lurked here for years, friend brought me in to the light - first post.

What can you tell me about H335 with cast boolits in a 45-70? CVA Scout is the rifle I'll be loading. (Read some good threads on H335 behind 405 gr, but didn't find any for boolits in the 350 range)

Im an experienced reloader- but just getting started on cast for rifles.

[Digital Dan]

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...ry-appropriate

[Texas by God]

I’ve tried H335 in several cartridges with cast.
I don’t like it. Inconsistent report, high pressure with book loads. Yes, I used magnum primers.
I haven’t tried it in 45-70, though.
I have decided to only use H335 in jacketed loads- mainly in .223- where it shines.
Welcome to the forum!


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[725]

Welcome aboard. My experience with H-335 is with the .38-55 and a cast 260 gr.boolit. Works good. As far as in a .45-70, I can't help you. There are several 350 grainish cast boolits out there for the .45-70. One of the favorites is referred to as the "Gould" bullet. Around 330 grains and it is hollow pointed. A good read and reference is a book entitled, "Forty Years with the .45-70". Shop around and you will be able to find it. If you get tempted to use a jacketed bullet, do a little research to find those designed to function at .45-70 speeds. Some of those .458 bullets are meant for things like the .458 Win Mag or .458 Lott and they don't tend to come into their own until higher speeds are attained. Good luck.

[WildT]

Thanks for the replies! Not the best powder for the caliber I'm sure, but...

I have a keg of H335 because the price was good, and i have other calbers for which it would suit. My brother uses 57gr of H335 with 350 gr Hornady interlock... which I hunted with in his Marlin 1895G a couple years ago. I can attest to the affirmative recoil and report THAT combo wrought on my ears (ported barrel too). My buddy from this forum was some distance off and said it rung HIS ears. Instantly lethal with both Missouri whitetail I took with it.

.. well it IS 45-70. ...no need for all that fuss. Big ol fat slug poking along is what I wants to cast for hunting. My follow up question is what powder would you recommend for a 350gr,-ish boolit hunting load?

[WildT]

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...ry-appropriate

Thanks!

[WildT]

I'll look for that book, thanks!

[WildT]

. One of the favorites is referred to as the "Gould" bullet. Around 330 grains and it is hollow pointed. .

Lyman #457122?

[W.R.Buchanan]

My follow up question is what powder would you recommend for a 350gr,-ish boolit hunting load?

5744 ! Start at 30 gr and work up to 35 gr. I use RCBS .45-300 FNGC Drops at 325 gr.

Randy

[TCLouis]

WildT does NOT have a good selection of good powders for cast in the 45-70.

I am just coming off of knee replacement or this could be easier.

I will have to go to "Reload Central" and see what 45-70 compatible powder I have the most of, so I can share some powder.

Just charge what I have in it ya understand!

I already know that IMR 3031 is going to be in his future, without looking.
FAR below today's prices too!

NOW if we can just get some Brass!

[Sgt H]

I have been loading the 45-70 for over 40 years and agree H335 or any ball powder is not a good choice for the 45-70. They are harder to ignite and need higher pressure to burn properly. Personally I don't use anything slower than 4198 in the 45-70 and that only for heavy loads. 3031 is too slow IMO, even a compressed load of it under a 400 grain bullet will not get up to the 25-28000 psi the single base extruded powders need to burn properly. Lighter bullets are even worse.

[The Dar]

Heads up for those watching this thread. Starline has 45-70 brass on backorder status. Mine took about a week to arrive.

https://www.starlinebrass.com/45-70-govt-brass

[TCLouis]

The "Powder Troll" told me that he has some 4198 and 3031 to play with now, so I am guessing that may be more to the proper burn rate.

I would sure like to have some more brass, but not sure I can bring myself to pay current prices.

[WildT]

Cast a couple hunnert from my Lee 457-340-F. Alloy I used dropped 'em at 345 with about 10 BHN. After PC with Smoke s blue ( thanks to TCLouis), measured dia was .461. Dummy round chambered just fine, so did not size em. Slugged barrel, got .457 groove to groove.

All loads were standard primers (WLR) and Remington brass

45 grains H335:
# FPS
5 1426
4 1752
3 1420
2 1549
1 1605
Average: 1550.40
StdDev: 137.94
Group Size (IN): 3.57

46 grains (Chrony failed to read one)
# FPS
4 1801
3 1769
2 1240
1 1619
Average: 1607.25
StdDev: 257.37
Group Size (IN): 5.75

47 grains
# FPS
5 1829
4 1827
3 1874
2 1891
1 1763
Average: 1836.80
StdDev: 49.81
Group Size (IN): 3.46

48 grains
# FPS
5 1896
4 1835
3 1690
2 1707
1 1807
Average: 1787.00
StdDev: 87.17
Group Size (IN): 3.51

49 grains
# FPS
5 1787
4 1755
3 1808
2 1846
1 1762
Average: 1791.60
StdDev: 36.96
Group Size (IN): 1.83

I also shot a 5 shot group with 50 gr H335 behind a 361gr gas checks with Alox. Avg was 1830 and group measured 1.3"
shot some JHP 300 gr with 62gr H335 and got around 2100 and decent groups,,,meaning consistent at an inch. Lesser loads were crap for consistency.

I played around with some other load and bullet combos, and at least with my rifle, seems that H335 has potential with 350-ish boolits with charges above 49gr. Lesser loads were erratic.

BUT, got excellent results with 49 gr IMR 3031 with the 345 gr Lee cast, PC boolit. Consistent velocity around 1800 and very nice round 1" groups. Results for another thread maybe... this load will be my hunting load this fall

[44Blam]

I did some testing a while back and I got good #s until I didn't... And then I scraped lead from the barrel for a couple days...
45-70 WLR Primer NOE 460-396RF GC + PC
H335 powder
Marlin 1895
Series Charge Shot1 Shot2 Shot3 Shot4 Shot5 Avg ES
1 52 1938 1934 1944 1945 1944 1942 14
2 53 1957 1964 1953 1967 1962 1960 14
3 54 1963 1971 1978 1982 1985 1976 22
4 55 1987 2006 2011 2012 2002 2004 25
5 56 2031 2035 2046 2044 2147 2060 116
6 57 2191 2162 na na na LEADING!!!

The First shot at 57 grain was on paper, second shot was who-knows-where... But interestingly, at 56 grain, there was a pressure spike on shot #5. It would have saved me a lot of work if I stopped there.

Honestly, none of these loads were "pleasant" to shoot but they sure would take down a hog or a cape buffalo.

EDIT: Looking in the book a bit, I ended up with a load that was:
47 grain 1731 1716 1739 1715 1722 With an ES of 24 and avg of 1724

I don't really load H335 with 45-70 for the most part - I like Varget. It seems like the slower powder gives a little nicer recoil impulse.

[WildT]

Another note that may be of interest. This was my first experience with PC boolits. This is a new rifle with exactly 205 rounds through it, of those 150 have been the Lee-cast PC boolits I mentioned in the above post. 3 different sessions using the PC boolits, 50 rounds each time. I inspected the bore from throat to muzzle with a bore scope after each range session before I cleaned it. Light powder fouling. No carbon, no residue of PC. Hottest loads were in the 1850 range. Clay bank behind my target yielded several spent bullets, here is a pic of samples arranged from lightest to heaviest charges and a virgin PC boolit for comparison

[eastbank]

H 4198 does it for my 45-70,s(seven) with cast and jacketed bullets.