Favorite 45-70 Loads

[Frank]

DLCTEX:

must be a secret load Frank.

Everybody says 'shoots great' or 'works for me' but we never see a target. So what we have above are either a dozen or so recipes with no results, or a result with no recipe. They're all equal and as you point out, nothing is said until we see the other half.

[btroj]

But if we show a target then it is no longer a secret load with super accuracy. Must you take all the fun away?

I don't show many targets because I don't shoot for groups. I tent to shoot almost everything offhand. For my 45-70 I am happy with a load that keeps em on a 8" paper plate at 100 yards offhand. I am more concerned with how well I am shooting than without he rifle or load.

But that is a nice group. That load obviously works well for you.

[1Shirt]

For a real nice plinker w/45-70, try the 350 lee PB over 14 gr. of Trail Boss. Accurate, cheap, easy on shoulder!
1Shirt!

[TCLouis]

I shoot offhand it is me, not the gun or load.

I tend to build the best load I can for each gun so when I go out to shoot, there is only one and only one variable . . . . ME. Accuracy is in the load so precision boolit placement is up to ME.

That said with RD's 350 or 365 grain PB boolit (378 for me all dressed and ready to fly), or lee's 340 PB boolit with 10.5 grains of a milsurp (older release that mimics Unique) flies along at 1105 fps and lands in little clusters on a target downrange.

23.5 grains of milsurp 4759 (again an older version) does almost as well with the RD boolit, but not the Lee.

That is the reason each load combo is tested so all errors are mine, not the loads.


Then when I aim small, I hit small ( if only in my mind).

[Frank]

btroj:

I am more concerned with how well I am shooting than without he rifle or load.

How well you shoot offhand depends on you, the rifle and the load.

[Shooter6br]

Good old Unique 10 grains with 350 Ranchdog in my Ruger NO 1 . Clover leafs at 50 yrds, Not a power house for sure but enought force to rip a hole in the paper target LOL

[btroj]

Frank
I understand that fully. But in my opinion more error is artifices to the shooter than to the load. When shooting NRA high-power I saw too many guys hint to find that magic load that would make them a better shooter. It wasn't the load, it was the guy holding the rifle.
I have loads that are accurate enough for my purposes so rather than see if I can get 1/2" smaller groups from the bench I try to learn to pit shots where they need to be offhand, every time.

[LAH]

Whats your Favorite 45-70 loads?I have some 400 & 500 grain CBs......

Well he asked for loads, not targets. HEE HEE

[Frank]

LAH:

Well he asked for loads, not targets. HEE HEE

Yeah, but there will be those who say, "Oh, he shot that close up and said otherwise." Doubt is a product of resentment. Those who can't do it resent those who can, period. Target is the proof. You can see the two fliers. If I was cheating why would I show that? Because that was real world shooting, not keyboard groups. In the real world wind affects boolits. HAW HAW.

[MikeG70]

I use 12.5 grs Trail Boss under my 405 and it gets about 990 fps. For down - n -dirty, I use 40.0 gr of H4895 under the 405 and it gets about 1424 fps. This last load will take care of about any animal in North American that might enter your yard without permission.

[btroj]

I jut loaded 40 rounds with 46 gr of H322 and a 460425 plain base. Not my favorite load, it isn't fun to shoot. It is great on bear however.

[JJC]

Working on a 500 gr load now. So far 46 gr of Varget yeilds 1640 fps. Getts your attention, but accuracy is there. Can't test loads two days in a row though. From what I found 45 gr of Varget is max for trapdoors & 500 gr boolits. I'm using a Marlin. For 405 gr boolits 48.8 gr of H4895 @ 1735 fps is my standard.

[4719dave]

WELL, I would love to contribut but STARLINE is holding my brass hostage LOL .

[quasi]

one great thing about the 45-70 is that any powder is usable in it, depending on your velocity requirements.

[btroj]

Ok, someone asked about a target. Here is mine from today. This was shot at about 55 yards OFFHAND. I don't shoot many groups from a bench as I don't hunt from a bench. I should say this is from a stock 6 years old or so Marlin 1895. It wears a Leupold 1.75 to 6 power scope.
This was shot while chronographing my load. I was using the 460425 plain base from a group buy a few years ago. Mixed brass, Win LR primers, Carnuba red lube, approx wheel weight or slightly softer alloy, and 46 gr of H322 with no filler.
I shot these 20 rounds- the smaller holes were from whoever was nice enough to leave the target for me! I get minimal leading from this many shots with the above load. Not enough to bother me and a few dry patches, a quick brushing, another dry patch and we are good to go. I ignore this leading as it is a hunting load- I better not be shooting that many in the field or I am gonna be angry about something.

Not a great group at 5 inches but for black bear in cover it will be fine. Goes about 1725 on average so the leading is expected. Bullets from the berm are deformed but hold their weight- that is what I want. They won't break up but will penetrate well.

I have shot better- more accurate- loads but this one suits the needs of this hunt. To my mind this is a case of fitting the needs of the load to the needs of the hunt- isn't that what we should all be doing anyway? Max shot will be 40 yards or so- last years was 15 yards. I don't think Yogi will like this load this year either.

[superior]

34 gr. h4198extreme + Lee 457-405-f
Fun for the whole family!

[josper]

DLCTEX:
Everybody says 'shoots great' or 'works for me' but we never see a target. So what we have above are either a dozen or so recipes with no results, or a result with no recipe. They're all equal and as you point out, nothing is said until we see the other half.

There you go again FRANK,questioning other members integrity.can't you just post what you have to add to a conversation without trying to discredit them .Even a picture is only as good as the persons honesty posting it and proves NOTHING.

[josper]

btroj: I agree 100%with you.When I was in the Army they had a saying"you train how you fight" I don't know of many deer or bears that were taken off a bench rest. However I do think finding a load that shoots good off the bench is a grate confidence builder and helps when you start training offhand. By the way .That was nice shooting on your target . Hope you get your chanse on a bear this season. A load that I like is the Old West 459-350 boolit with 47gr of RX-7.I have only shot targets with it so far but I have no doubts it will take a deer down.

[Frank]

josper:

There you go again FRANK,questioning other members integrity.can't you just post what you have to add to a conversation without trying to discredit them .Even a picture is only as good as the persons honesty posting it and proves NOTHING.

It's tough trying every keyboard shooter's load. I've have better luck with loads where people showed their group. So where are your pics?

[josper]

Frank: I have come to the conclusion that you just enjoy being an instigator.You irked Dutch4122 and he pinned your ears back ,didn't he.The other guys on this thread should be miffed with you as well. "keyboard shooters" Some of these Keyboard shooters have have been really helpful to me when I needed help.Come down off your high horse and try to be more like us "keyboard shooters" You'l find we arn't half bad and shoot alot straighter than you think. Ps ,If you dig through my post you will find pics.The good ,the bad ,and the ugly .