45-70 Gov.

[Pathfinder1cav]

Ridural,
13Echo has good info regarding BP (that is ALL I shoot in my BPCRs). A cleaning tip that may be helpful. is to take a good slug of water or two when you are done shooting & blow it thru the bore with your blow tube- then dry patch etc. as described.
With a good BP load for my rifle, I have frequently put 5 in under 1 Moa @ 200 yds- the best being 1-1/8" in Mary Poppins conditions.. They do LIKE the Black..

[TCLouis]

but look at the results on paper from the 1886 in the RD's and RCBS Testing thread in the GB Mold Results section above. I thought the RB was a decent shooter til the 86 turned in that performance.

I am going to chronograph them and as long as they are OVER 1,000 fps I will likely hunt with them next fall. 50 yards is a typical shot distance for me the way I set up.

[Boomer Mikey]

My favorite light load for the Marlins is an RCBS 300 GC (313gr checked and lubed) cast of WW AC and well aged. Lubed with blue angel over 61.5 gr of H322 with a WLR primer. This just makes 2200 fps and is very flat shooting for a 45/70. Recoil isn't too bad either.

Say Wayne,

Are your primers flat?

Now I know what you want the 200 grain GC 44 mold for in your 444.

Boomer

[WKAYE]

No flattened primers Michael. I've been using this load in 1895's for years with no problems. Can't remember where I first saw it listed, but 62.0 gr was listed as max.

[ridurall]

I still have not shot the black powder in it yet but it was dead calm this evening and the wife and son were busy working in her garden so I decided to play with the 45/70. I'm working with a 522 gr cast bullet with 42 grains of Varget behind it for a velocity of 1347 FPS. I got a 1 inch group at 200 yards with the iron Soule type sights. This week I ordered a new front sight card from Montana Vintage Arms that had much finer front hole sights to go with the rear peep sight. Wow what a difference. I was pretty tickled when 4, home cast 522 gr bullets touch each other at 200 yards. I guess I'm going to have to start shooting black powder in it or the Sharps crowd is going to shoot me for shooting smokeless in it. I do have to admit this gun is a blast to shoot.

[rojovin]

I am new to this forum, but not new to reloading. I have a Mauser 98 Siamese in 45/70 I just acquired and have scoped it with Leupold 1.5X5. I am planning to load CB 300 gr for use at 50/100 yards any load formulas would be a great help. Thanks in advance. Does it require filler use, what should I use, and where do I get the dacron filler material, again thanks in advance.
Robert Studen, Long Island NY

Member NRA Endowment
Member SCI Life
Member Double Rifle Shooters Society
Member Roslyn RRR Cloub
Member Peconic River Sportsmans Club

[ridurall]

Varget in a 45/70 and with a 300 gr bullet you can use from 63 to 65 grains which will give you a velocity from 2008 up to 2075 FPS. Personally I like a larger bullet and FFFg Goex black powder. If your twist is 18 or 20 to 1 foot it will stabilize the heaver bullets better.

[felix]

"18 or 20 to 1 foot" does not make sense. ... felix

[ridurall]

I"m sorry 18 to 20 inches per twist in the barrel is what I should have said. I think a faster twist then that stabilizes a smaller bullet better.

[felix]

Ridurall, you still are thinking weird. It is 1 turn in 18 inches, or 1 turn in 20 inches is what you mean to say. However, a slower twist will stabilize a less lengthly projectile better, not the other way around. ... felix

[ridurall]

Whew, It's been a tough day thanks for helping felix. When I put the cleaning rod in my Shiloh Sharps Old Reliable it was 1 turn in 20 inches. Now I think the new ones are 1 turn in 18 inches. I know the Lyman 457132 at 522 grains shoots much better in my rifle at longer ranges. I did get a bunch of factory 300 gr ammo with it when I purchased it from a friend and it does great at 100 yards at 1800 to 1900 FPS. I'm bidding on an Armalite AR-10T that should be over in under an hour. I'm looking forward to shooting it with some cast bullets. Does anyone have any experience with semi autos and cast bullets. Does it mess up the gas system?

[felix]

Great! Glad you are having fun after such a hard day. Yes, Mike in Colorado has that experience, and so does BruceB. I do not. ... felix

[Shooter6br]

I have tried many powders Varget worked for me I use 42.5 grains (action cowboy loads)Can use down to 40 g Need to chronagraphy the load about 1500 fps in my RB Rick