3031 Load for 45-70

The mistake most guys make with the 45-70 is to shoot sub-.458 Win loads out of them and beat themselves up. I tried the loads recommended by Paul Matthews and decided that detached retinas were not really what I was after.

The only two moose I've shot fell to my Browning '86 using BP equivalent loads of 3031 and my cast 420 gr RNFP's. Both were one shot kills, the one that travelled furthest before piling up (bull with a 40" rack) went 50 yds. The other dropped in his tracks.

Varget may well leave some powder granules in the bore, but Meh, who cares.
 
Sharps '63 said:
The mistake most guys make with the 45-70 is to shoot sub-.458 Win loads out of them and beat themselves up. I tried the loads recommended by Paul Matthews and decided that detached retinas were not really what I was after.

The only two moose I've shot fell to my Browning '86 using BP equivalent loads of 3031 and my cast 420 gr RNFP's. Both were one shot kills, the one that travelled furthest before piling up (bull with a 40" rack) went 50 yds. The other dropped in his tracks.

Varget may well leave some powder granules in the bore, but Meh, who cares.
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My mulie doe last fall fell to a whopping 15gr of trail boss under a non gas checked 405gr hard cast that passed clean thru her boiler room and the middle of her heart at 35 yards... Some of us who actually hunt with such mild loads get a good laugh out of these threads. :)
 
Hotwheels81 said:
My mulie doe last fall fell to a whopping 15gr of trail boss under a non gas checked 405gr hard cast that passed clean thru her boiler room and the middle of her heart at 35 yards... Some of us who actually hunt with such mild loads get a good laugh out of these threads. :)
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Was it supersonic? I love loads that you can hear spinning through the air. Lol
 
Never put it over a crony so not sure what the velocity is... But I'm guessing givin the short barrel it's coming out of it's probably just under... You can hear the slug exit the barrel quite distinctly over the boom.
 
Hotwheels81 said:
My mulie doe last fall fell to a whopping 15gr of trail boss under a non gas checked 405gr hard cast that passed clean thru her boiler room and the middle of her heart at 35 yards... Some of us who actually hunt with such mild loads get a good laugh out of these threads. :)
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You're the same guy looking for a bloop load for the 416 Rigby too. Methinks cases with less capacity might suit you better.
 
Sharps '63 said:
The mistake most guys make with the 45-70 is to shoot sub-.458 Win loads out of them and beat themselves up. I tried the loads recommended by Paul Matthews and decided that detached retinas were not really what I was after.

The only two moose I've shot fell to my Browning '86 using BP equivalent loads of 3031 and my cast 420 gr RNFP's. Both were one shot kills, the one that travelled furthest before piling up (bull with a 40" rack) went 50 yds. The other dropped in his tracks.

Varget may well leave some powder granules in the bore, but Meh, who cares.
Click to expand...

When I said excessive, I meant EXCESSIVE....I have lots of other cartridges I can 'waste' Varget in....45/70 is not one of them
 
90% of the hundreds of rounds I shoot out of my gun every year are 405's at 1000. The other 10 percent are for ####s and giggles and for when I'm carrying the gun to carry a gun. I would not want to be launching 480's at 1700 with that little thing... and I have a 22" 1895.

Near full power loads out of my lever gun were kicking way harder than my buddy's #1 safari in .458 win mag with 400gr handloads. We couldn't tell which gun split firewood better, the both did...But it's nearly twice as heavy as that little single shot.




Hotwheels81 said:
Oh? Come show me how it's done some time...
I have a good stockpile of 350's over lots of 3031 you can sample in this little 5.5lb rifle.

Bwahaha

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Full Power (Lever Action Load - Jacketed 400);

IMR 3031

.458"

2.540"


Starting (Jacketed 400);

51.0

1,809

26,900 cup


Maximum (Jacketed 400);

55.0c

1,971

37,300 cup


Trapdoor Load (Cast 405);


IMR 3031

.458"

2.540"

Starting Load (Cast 405);

45.5

1,597

17,300 CUP


Maximum Load (405 Cast);

48.5

1,706

21,100 CUP
 
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