45-70 BP Supplies/Accessories

Buy this; https://www.buffaloarms.com/black-powder-cartridge-reloading-primer-bpcrp
My drop tube is a piece of stainless tubing 3/8" I believe flared with a plumbing flare tool and a tin funnel on top. Works slick.
My wads are cut from news paper, drink boxes and floor underlay felt paper with a 45 diameter leather punch. Read up on compression of BP. Never ever have space between powder and bullet. Results are bad.
I have 3 45/70's. The one below, a Marlin 1895CB and a H&R Buffalo Classic
my baby looks like this 1874 Sharps Competition
4506635_01_pedersoli_cabela_s_1874_sharps_640.jpg
 
Made a drop tube out of a curtain rod with a small funnel taped to the end. Single wrap of duct tape made it a snug friction fit to the case mouth.

Think it cost 10 bucks as I bought the rod new. Works fine.

Shooting my replica Trapdoor, .45-55-405, she knocks you good. Lot easier to handle in a Sharps.
 
My bullet lube is 1 pound of bees wax, 2 table spoons of lanolin, a cup of lard and a table spoon of lee liquid alox.
The blow tube is clear plastic with a piece of tape on it to stop it from going in too far. I never liked swabbing the barrel between shots.
I bought 8 or 9 bullet molds for these guns, from 143 gr ball to 535 gr bullet. I reload from powder puff to hammer of thor.
 
Andrew28 said:
BP cost more than smokeless to ship ?

How much do you buy at a time? How much does it cost shipped to you ?

Looks like I will need to drive about 120KMs (round trip) to buy mine. That will be $20 in gas so I better buy like 5#s at a time.

What is the shelf life with them ?
Click to expand...


vagrantviking said:
Real black powder is a class 1 explosive whereas smokeless powder and the BP substitutes are flammable solids and in a different class. Shipping and storage requirements are different and more onerous so many dealers won't touch it.
Many clubs pool their orders and buy several 25lb kegs at once to minimize the cost per unit. If you can find any serious BP shooters in your area they might be able to hook you up.

Shelf life is indefinite as long as it stays dry.
Click to expand...

^^ Yup. Unfortunately I'm a good 14 hours drive from any reliable supplier. Prince George is 6 hours but last time I was through there driving (very rare), nobody had any.

We used to have an active club here (Terrace), but unfortunately most of the members passed away or moved away. I've been manning our cannon and blackpowder table at our club's open house the past several years and there is always a lot of interest expressed, but so far nothing's really gone past that.

As for shelf life, blackpowder seems to last infinitely. I even lit some up that I pulled from a cartridge at the bottom of a lake, which from the headstamp would have been late 1800s/very early 1900s. The case had let water in, we dried it out and sure as heck it went up with a 'thump'. Personally I've shot old stock from the 60's, 70's and 80's absolutely no problem. That includes cans that had been opened for probably decades.
 
Last edited:
Andrew28 said:
Wow, 1 Shiloh is not enough you have to get 2 !
Click to expand...

Actually, I've got six Shiloh rifles ..... two '63 percussion .50's (one Military Rifle, one carbine), two 50-70's (one Military Rifle, one carbine), one 45-70 Business rifle and one 45-70 #1 Sporter. There was also a '63 .54 Sporter in the rack one time, but it kicked the hell out of me and was sold off.

The first time I went through Big Timber, Montana, I drooled over the wall of Shilohs. The lady at the desk asked me which one I would like to leave with. Without hesitation, I touched the Business Rifle. She said that was a first and asked why. I said - "Because it looks like a Buffalo rifle, like the original in your display case." That was long before I could afford one and ironically, when I did acquire my first Shiloh, it was a Business Rifle. It is still my favourite.

I do not shoot them as often as I would like and they deserve to be shot - a lot! The percussion guns will hold their own out to 200 yds just fine with paper rds. They are the reason I'm not interested in using paper patched bullets. Paper rds are enough of a PITA for me, as well as the cleaning of the breech block.
 
I felt bad about not shooting my Shilohs much, so today I went to the range with a couple of them - the Business Rifle and the #1 Sporter. I just shot steel at 200 and 300 m from prone x-stix.

A fellow with his young son was quite intrigued to hear "Bang! - Clang!" repeatedly and asked for a show & tell of the rifles, including the DST. Then I had him shoot the 200m from the bench and he smacked it with my 200m sight setting! I gave him another round and he smacked it again. His son thought that was way cool.
He asked for a cease fire and they walked out to 200m to take a picture of the steel target as I had just repainted it. There they were, about 4" apart and near centre. I think I may have created a monster after got that first whiff of BP smoke .....
 
drop tube is ok but try loading your cases standing in wood or the like loading block...then go around the sides of the block with contact from an electric tooth brush ...not to big or to heavy of a loading block ...good luck ......i always use a 6 x6 inch by one half inch thick ethefoam pad inside my shirt on the old shoulder for all cal over 22.250.....im not a sissy but the older you get the smarter you might get ............
 
Have to find a range to shoot steel. Paper just cant cut it with a 45-70.

I found some brass tube for sale. What diameter (outer/inner) is recommended? 1/4 OD x 3/16 OD ? 1/4 will fit into the cartridge which is great but is 3/16 too small to drop powder ?
 
coyoteshooter said:
I always use a 6 x6 inch by one half inch thick ethefoam pad inside my shirt on the old shoulder for all cal over 22.250.....im not a sissy but the older you get the smarter you might get ............
Click to expand...

I was shooting 420 gr bullets from both rifles yesterday so I didn't need my 'sissy pad'. When I shoot 520's I feel more comfortable with it when shooting the #1 Sporter. 100 grs of lead makes a difference.
 
Sharps '74 said:
Actually, I've got six Shiloh rifles ..... two '63 percussion .50's (one Military Rifle, one carbine), two 50-70's (one Military Rifle, one carbine), one 45-70 Business rifle and one 45-70 #1 Sporter. There was also a '63 .54 Sporter in the rack one time, but it kicked the hell out of me and was sold off.

The first time I went through Big Timber, Montana, I drooled over the wall of Shilohs. The lady at the desk asked me which one I would like to leave with. Without hesitation, I touched the Business Rifle. She said that was a first and asked why. I said - "Because it looks like a Buffalo rifle, like the original in your display case." That was long before I could afford one and ironically, when I did acquire my first Shiloh, it was a Business Rifle. It is still my favourite.

I do not shoot them as often as I would like and they deserve to be shot - a lot! The percussion guns will hold their own out to 200 yds just fine with paper rds. They are the reason I'm not interested in using paper patched bullets. Paper rds are enough of a PITA for me, as well as the cleaning of the breech block.
Click to expand...


I had to laugh when I read that, the nice lady asked a friend of mine the very same question one time...he picked a very nicely engraved, extra fancy wood and all the other bells and whistles off the wall...the sticker price was up around 8 grand and he had his card out and in hand, I thought it was going to be a "done deal" until his wife clued into what was happening and gave him "the look".

Big Timber is the best place to stop ever...can't beat two buffalo rifle factories to visit within a block of each other.
 
Sounds like Big Timber is place to visit in the future. Too bad you can't buy and bring in guns directly from the states anymore.

Still need help answering a question, brass drop tube, whats the idea size outer and inner diameters ?
 
fingers284 said:
I had to laugh when I read that, the nice lady asked a friend of mine the very same question one time...he picked a very nicely engraved, extra fancy wood and all the other bells and whistles off the wall...the sticker price was up around 8 grand and he had his card out and in hand, I thought it was going to be a "done deal" until his wife clued into what was happening and gave him "the look".

Big Timber is the best place to stop ever...can't beat two buffalo rifle factories to visit within a block of each other.
Click to expand...

The gussied up guns look pretty, but handsome is as handsome does and 'pretty' doesn't necessarily shoot any better. Also, they tend to get babied to the extreme which I can't do with any rifle. I'm buying it to shoot and not look good on the wall or at parties. Better to put the money into sights and the wherewithal to shoot them.

It's good to remember C.Sharps in Big Timber on the other side of the street. They offer quality rifles, but they don't do in house barrel making like Shiloh. However, if it matters to you, their rifles have the historic [OLD RELIABLE] logo on the barrel, something Shiloh cannot offer. I have a mix of Farmingdale rifles with that logo and Shiloh rifles without. They're all great rifles.

My drop tube is stainless steel with an OD of .500" and 24" long. My arms aren't long enough for any more length. It has a brass fitting on the bottom end that sockets into the casing to avoid spillage. I put a brass funnel from Lee Valley into the top. I've heard of 18" drop tubes and the users are happy with them.

BPCR reloading is something you can obsess over very easily. A pal that used to go to Raton, NM used to weight all his bullets and sort them in lots. Further, they were indexed as were his cases for concentricity and case wall thickness. He tried to drag me along with this and I told him that I'd quit shooting first. It's labour intensive enough without all that. I admit to trimming my brass once a year, annealing regularly and casting bullets as well as possible with a known alloy.

BTW - he no longer shoots his BPCRs, including a gorgeous C.Sharps Flat Side Hi-Wall in 45-90 with coin finish receiver, Badger barrel. Cost him $4500 USD years ago, worth much more now.
 
Last edited:
Andrew28 said:
Sounds like Big Timber is place to visit in the future. Too bad you can't buy and bring in guns directly from the states anymore.

Still need help answering a question, brass drop tube, whats the idea size outer and inner diameters ?
Click to expand...

Who says you can't? You just gotta go thru' a broker and pay the fee. Easy-peasy.
 
Andrew28 said:
Sounds like Big Timber is place to visit in the future. Too bad you can't buy and bring in guns directly from the states anymore.

Still need help answering a question, brass drop tube, whats the idea size outer and inner diameters ?
Click to expand...

I can't measure to confirm at the moment but I think my copper drop tube is 3/8". It's belled slightly and just fits inside a 45-70 case. It also just fits over a 38-55 case so works well for either.
 
I have been reading the drop tube post's and notice references to all sorts of fittings at the bottom of the tubes to fit one or a # of cases but to my thinking anything that restricts the speed of the powder downfall kind of defeats the purpose of a drop tube. Make separate tubes for each caliber so the powder falls unrestricted from top to bottom.
 
fingers284 said:
I have been reading the drop tube post's and notice references to all sorts of fittings at the bottom of the tubes to fit one or a # of cases but to my thinking anything that restricts the speed of the powder downfall kind of defeats the purpose of a drop tube. Make separate tubes for each caliber so the powder falls unrestricted from top to bottom.
Click to expand...

Like installing exhaust, make sure any seams are all "in" on the "down" side so nothing gets trapped; never had an issue. As long as it's pretty smooth in there, the velocity seems to drive everything home. I usually rap the side a bit to make sure, but... never had an issue. Like everything else in life, YMMV.
 
I don't have a Sharps, but I do have a High Wall - the almost top-of-the-line Uberti version with the 32" barrel and the (ouch) crescent butt. I only shoot 200m, so my load is similarly limited to a 405fe FB hard-cast bullet over 32gr of 4198, or, for a bit more commotion, 45gr of Pyrodex RS loaded using the old toothbrush trick to vibrate/settle the load. Both work for me without kicking the snot out of my feeble old shoulders. You can see it in use on Youtube - tac's guns High wall.

I'm about to put one of MVA's beautiful Winchester Model 5A scopes on it, when it finally arrives...

You might take a peek at pal Roger's Youtube site -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2SdqGriNbI He farms near Peace River and is as crazy as a loon about BP stuff. Tell him I sent you!

tac
 
My drop tube is flared to fit inside a 45/70 case. It is a .375 tube flared to .44. Nothing bounces out due to being quite tight. I can send one down at the end of the month with a buddy you just have to go to Langley and pick it up. Clean it out and giver. How long do you want it 28" I hope.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom