1884 Springfield

[Link23]

I just bought a 1884 springfield (200$) and i need some loads for this rifle, the barrel looks brand new and its a good strong closing and lock, but i have read to keep the pressure below 20,000 is that true and what are some good loads for it? as i plan on taking it hunting i have 500Gn boolits of the round nose type, so any loads any pictures or anything, even a Hi would make me happy

Thanks

Link23

[school of mines]

Congrats on your Trapdoor! I really enjoy shooting mine! As far as loads, I have used Lyman's 457125 boolits with blackpowder with good results. For smokeless powder, I am a big fan of 5744 in the 45-70 with cast boolits, but haven't tried any of those loads in my trapdoor yet.

[swheeler]

Link; it sounds like you got one heck of a deal, enjoy.

[rockrat]

Yeah, I paid about three times that for mine. I shoot a 420gr boolit out of mine using 5744 (25.5gr). Accuracy improved when I put a card wad over the powder , then grits to where when I seat the boolit, it compresses the grits about 1/10". You CANNOT have any air space in the powder/card/grits column, chance of ringing the chamber.

Without grits-3"groups, with grits--<2". All at 100yards

[Mark Daiute]

The best 200 yard groups I've gotten were with the lee hollow based 405 grain boolit and 22.5 grains of 4759. No fillers or wads, no crimp, either but I do use the expansion die that Wolfe used to sell. One time I shot a 200 yard target off the bench with that combo wherein my fist covered four shots and they were all in the 10 ring. Boolits were 20-1/lead tin and sized to .459.

By the way, this load conforms to the Buffington sight. Point of aim is point of impact.

Enjoy and keep us posted!

Mark

[Larry Gibson]

Link23

If you are going to shoot BP and want to replicate the old service loads in that rifle I suggest you get Spence Wolf's Loading cartridges for the Original .45-70 Springfield Rifle and carbine. It can be got at www.the45-70book.com along with special Lee dies for loading such cartridges.

If you want to load smokeless then I suggest you get the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, 3rd or 4th editions or both. There is lots of data in there for trapdoor level loads. Lots of other iformation you would find useful to know also regarding cast bullets.

Many TDs have larger than normal size modern 45-70 bores. Many have 460 - 465" groove depths. I've found that shooting cast bullets sized to the fit instead of "bumping up" .459 sized bullets most often gives much better accuracy. However, at normal hunting ranges for TD 45-70 loads it probably is a moot point between a 1-2 moa load vs a 2-3 moa load.

BTW; the SAAMI MAP (Maximum Average pressure) for TD level 45-70 loads is 28,000 psi. with 500 gr bullets and a medium smokess powder such as 4895 you can easily achieve 1400 fps with that 500 gr bullet and keep the psi under that MAP. That may be all your shoulder will alow...... If the rear sight is the M1884 Buffington and the front sight is original you will probably need a taller front sight for a proper hunting zero with the "battle" sight. Wolf's book gives a tutorial on the use of the Buffington BTW.

You don't say exactly what 500 gr bullets you have, the alloy or the size?

For hunting a bullet with a large flat meplat works better than a RN as does a HP like the Lyman Gould bullet. The Lee replica of the 1873 service bullet, 459-405-HB, also has a smaller meplat (from the sprue cut off) and when cast of 30-1 or 20-1 alloy and pushed along at 1300 - 1400 fps out of a TD is a very effective hunting bullet. There are others but if using BP then get a bullet designed for BP with sufficient lube grooves.

My Lee 459-405-HB drops the bullets at .463 - .464 diameter and i leave them as cast for my M1884 barrel. Accuracy is much better than if I size them down to .459. For a 500 gr bullet my Lee C457-500-FN drops at .461 and is also a very good hunting bullet in my TD when cast of 20-1 or 16-1 alloy and pushed at 1400 fps with 4895.

$200 was steal BTW

Larry Gibson

[Reaper]

I have an 1884 that was originally issued to the 10th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Was later used as a drill rifle at a southern military academy. Beat up stock, good bore. Thirty-six (36)grains of 3031, WW large rifle primer, and a 405 grain cat boolit chrono 1275 fps with low SD in my rifle. 3031 leaves some ghosts in the bore that do not affect accuracy. A friend has a private range with a full size steel buffalo at 450 yards. I can hit the one foot square steel flapper that represents the heart lung area darn near every shot. This load appers to shoot to the Buffington sights out to 600yards. The longest distance that I've been able to test it.
Ron

[mooman76]

Some manuals like Lee and Lyman have loads specific for the Trapdoor in the manual.

[Link23]

thanks for the input guys ill go take some pictures of my trap door and send put them up........back! okay here she is, she is missing a SLIGHT piece of wood, i have located an original bayo for it so i think ill pick it up. BTW the Allow is 9 parts WW to 1 Part Lead, all air dried, lubed with LLA

Link23

[StrawHat]

Trapdoors are good rifles and usually accurate once you find the load. I use black powder and a hollow based 405 grain bullet in mine and have no complaints. Just got another one, an 1873 that left the Armory in 1878, and I will try that load in it. I quit using non black powder in Trapdoors some years ago but the 5744 and 3031 loads sound familiar. They worked pretty good as I recall.

Best for hunting deer is the Lyamn 457122 or Gould Bullet, about 300 grains and hollow pointed.

[MtGun44]

Lee HB 405 cast soft saved one of mine. Barrel was pretty worn towards the muzzle, 500 gr
RN Lyman from wwts went sideways. 12 Gr Unique and the 405 HB Lee shoots into about
3" at 100 yds, I am very pleased. I need to get out and try some 5744 and 4198 in it
too.

Bill

[dale2242]

My trapdoor likes 405 gr bollits with 30 gr 4198.
The barrel is not all that great, but it still shoots well....dale

[PatMarlin]

Good thread for future reference.