45/70 cast loads

jed

jed

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I have just aquired a 45/70 and am looking for a smokeless load that is equivalent to black powder ballistics. I was thinking of using a 405 gr plain base cast bullet. I intend to use the load for regular plinking and maybe the odd whitetail or hopefully even a moose. The rifle is an original 1886 win that has been rebarreled but I would still like to keep the pressure down and the velocity below 1700 fps.

I found a few references to 47.0 grs of imr 3031 in the search engine, does anyone hunt with this load? What kind of pressure does it generate and what is the recoil like with a steel buttplate?

What loads are you guys using in your vintage rifles? Thanks Jed
 
47 grs of IMR 3031 is still considerably faster than black powder velocity. I use 43 gr behind a RCBS 410 gr GC - seems accurate. 25 gr of SR 4759 works well also. Unique is great for plinking loads. Good info can be found on the cast boolits site.
 
Howdy, I load for five 45-70 rifles and found IMR 4198 is a great powder. With 405 grain bullets you can start at 30 grains for about 1200 fps 35 will give you around 1350. My favorite load for my Marlins is 40 grains and depending on barrel lenth is close to 1600 fps, this will handle anything that walks. I highly recomend the hard cast 405 and 450 grain from Bullet Barn
www.thebulletbarn.com they make high quality accurate hard cast slugs.
 
For light plinking loads, using a 405gr BB bullet I found some loads in the 1st edition of the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook. Loads, with that bullet, of 20 - 25grs of 2400 and 22 - 27grs of 4227 and using a filler worked well. I don't know what bullet weight you're looking at using but if you're really stuck, I could scan some of this info and e-mail it to you. Send me a PM and let me know.
 
jed said:
I have just aquired a 45/70 and am looking for a smokeless load that is equivalent to black powder ballistics. I was thinking of using a 405 gr plain base cast bullet. I intend to use the load for regular plinking and maybe the odd whitetail or hopefully even a moose. The rifle is an original 1886 win that has been rebarreled but I would still like to keep the pressure down and the velocity below 1700 fps.

I found a few references to 47.0 grs of imr 3031 in the search engine, does anyone hunt with this load? What kind of pressure does it generate and what is the recoil like with a steel buttplate?

What loads are you guys using in your vintage rifles? Thanks Jed
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I get good results with a 420 cast over 40 grains of either 4198 powder. my rifle is a Marlin 1895,you could drop the charge to about 35 grains and still be safe with accuracy.
 
An excellent,accurate powder(if you can get it) is AA5744, it was developed for black powder equivalent loads in the big cases.
 
My rem. rolling block does extremely well with Saeco's 425gr spire point bullet and 24 - 25gr of 2400 and nearly as well with 13gr of Unique. Both those loads also worked well with Lee's old 405gr bullet.
 
Thanks for all the info guys. Johnn I have a can of 4227 and I am going to order some 405 gr's from the bullet barn real soon so I think I will start with that.

Ben,I will see if I can find some AA5744. Have you used the 405 gr from MT Chambers? as well as the bullet barn slug I was considering trying it also.

I am looking at the Trailboss as well. This might be the winner. Thanks again guys Jed
 
jed said:
Thanks for all the info guys. Johnn I have a can of 4227 and I am going to order some 405 gr's from the bullet barn real soon so I think I will start with that.

Ben,I will see if I can find some AA5744. Have you used the 405 gr from MT Chambers? as well as the bullet barn slug I was considering trying it also.

I am looking at the Trailboss as well. This might be the winner. Thanks again guys Jed
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Both the 1st and 3rd edition of Lymans Cast Bullet Handbook have a wide variety of light loads. I did scan the page from the 1st edition so if you need or want it, give me a shout. There are six bullets they've used ranging in weight from 140gr - 500gr.
A shooting buddy of mine, hs4570 uses trailboss and has had great results with it. I ment to pick some up on my last shopping trip but for some reason didn't.
 
The only problem with TRAIL BOSS is that you are limited to around 1200 fps or the pressure escalates very quickly. Many other powders can take velocity up higher without the pressure spikes, 4759,5744, even RL-7 and AA2015, 4198.....M.T. Chambers has about 10 diff. bullets for the 45/70 and a great guy, but of course I'm going to say that!!!
 
With a LEE 405 gr flat base 32gr of H4198 give me 1340 or 37gr H4198 gives me 1573. All shot in my stainless guide gun. 40grs of IMR will give you around 1300 fps but I found a lot of unburnt pound with this charge. 40grs of RL7 will give you around that 1500 fps mark as well. All these loads will not give you to much of a push. I have tried 9grs of TrailBoss with the same bullet and recoil is hardly present.
 
My old Lyman manual has loads that were tested in an 1886. The downside is that the only 405 grain loads are for jacketed bullets. Cast bullet weights are 292, 385, 482 and 552. The last two with gas checks.
IMR4227 is used for a jacketed bullet, but not the two lighter cast bullets. IMR3031 is used for all of 'em though. Max loads for the light bullets are a bit over 1700. 1782 and 1745 fps respectively for the light bullets.
E-mail me if you want the data. toheir@hotmail.com
 
Sunray thanks but I have that old Lyman manual as well I think (45th?). My not so old lyman (47th) has a 420 gr cast load I could work with. My new Lyman manual (49th) lists a 405 gr cast bullet for the 1886 but only with crazy new powders that I know nothin about. Stuff like the 4759 and 5744 Ben mentioned and 2015. My 3rd edition of the lyman cast bullet handbook isn't much better.

John I am curious about the data from the first edition so there is a pm headed your way.

I can always use 4198 in the 25/20 and I found some 4831, 3031 and 4227 on my bench. I think I better get lots of bullets finding the right load might take a while. Thanks again for all the info guys Jed
 
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