45/70 with cast bullets and trail boss...

Hotwheels81

Hotwheels81

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Anybody out there playing around with this combo?

Curious what sorta velocity others are getting... I still haven't replaced my chrony yet after a tragic 9mm accident, I'm loading an OMA 405gr cast boolit over 15 grains of trail boss with a WLR primer and shooting them from an 18" Katahdin barrel on my encore... Accuracy is consistently 1.5-2" and the recoil is very VERY tame...

This load makes my 45/70 fun even for the ladies to shoot :)
 
I tried some test loads with trail boss. When I fired them I thought only the primer went off but they did hit the target. Quite low though. I was testing some 41gr , 43gr and 45gr IMR 3031 loads at the same time. I settled for the 41gr of 3031 with 405 gr cast FP. Recoil isn't bad with a 12lb rifle.
 
Just a guess but you are probably about the speed of sound with that load. I play with trail boss in my 45-70 but I'm at work and can't look it up for you. Just one rule with trail boss... don't compress it :)

I'm trying to get a whitetail right now with a 340gr hp with about that much trail boss behind it. The recoil and noise are almost non existent compared to other loads and I can hit a pie plate sized target at 100 with the open sights from hunting positions. It will work :)
 
Went looking for trail Boss originally but screwed up and bought Tite Group (store didn't have Trail Boss anyways!)
I'll be experimenting with 405 grn cast RNFP gas checked (thanks Jethunter!) using Tite Group in my H&R buffalo Classic over the next few weeks. Seeing loads saying anywhere from 8 to 12 grains per round ......... man a pound of powder is going to last a long time!
Just looking for a light fun plinking load with pretty decent accuracy at 100 yards.
Might still try Trail Boss!
 
unstableryan said:
Just a guess but you are probably about the speed of sound with that load. I play with trail boss in my 45-70 but I'm at work and can't look it up for you. Just one rule with trail boss... don't compress it :)

I'm trying to get a whitetail right now with a 340gr hp with about that much trail boss behind it. The recoil and noise are almost non existent compared to other loads and I can hit a pie plate sized target at 100 with the open sights from hunting positions. It will work :)
Click to expand...


Oh yeah it works just fine :)

I took a nice mulie doe on Sunday night at 35 yards with the load i posted above and the bullet made a fairly clean pass thru her ribs and heart then out the other side... That's pretty impressive for a cast lead bullet I'm assuming is traveling around pistol velocity.

Good luck with your white tail hunt, that HP load should drop it like the finger of god!!
 
With 15gr of Trail Boss I can launch 500gr cast at ~975fps. Sub sonic but still has a good deal of kinetic energy. Never chronied it with my 340gr cast.
I got better accuracy at the same muzzle velocities with Blue Dot (both bullet weights).
Best accuracy with higher muzzle velocity for the 500gr was with H4895 and for the 340gr was H4198.

A 500gr spire point .458" bullet trucking at 1450fps punches through trees nicely. Perhaps good for thick skinned game but I wouldn't use it for white tail.
 
boltonscouter said:
Went looking for trail Boss originally but screwed up and bought Tite Group (store didn't have Trail Boss anyways!)
I'll be experimenting with 405 grn cast RNFP gas checked (thanks Jethunter!) using Tite Group in my H&R buffalo Classic over the next few weeks. Seeing loads saying anywhere from 8 to 12 grains per round ......... man a pound of powder is going to last a long time!
Just looking for a light fun plinking load with pretty decent accuracy at 100 yards.
Might still try Trail Boss!
Click to expand...

14.0 grs TB = perfect!
 
The other day I tried 14gr TB behind 385 gr cast bullets - 5 rounds shot offhand made a ragged hole at 20 yds. The rifle weighs 12 lbs so recoil is zilch. But it's a chore to hold up such a heavy barrel for long. A hooked butt-plate would come in handy...
 
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12.0 g of trail boss gave me an average of 928 fps in a marlin guide gun.
405 g hard cast.
I would not want to risk leading up the barrel with more velocity.
Been there, (different gun) and no fun to fix.

I suspect this load would pass through broadside on the biggest whitetail.
Under 125 yards, the max useful range I suppose.


Before the scope was mounted I had peep sites.
And was plenty accurate enough for punching gongs.
fun to shoot...
 
I just shot some out of my guide gun at 12.0 and 13.0 today and man they are amazing loads. I am loading more up right now actually. I also like the heavy hitters so I am loading up some big monster loads using 4198 as I like the big kick. Hahaha. I only tested them today at 75 yards and I got 5 to group in about 3" off hand using skinner sights. I am very happy with the accuracy.
 
I'm shooting 15.5 gr of TB and a 350 gr cast lead bullet at 200 yards and consistently hitting a 10" gong, 19/20 times
The miss was a really wild flyer, from what I suspect was a mis-cast bullet. (I didn't weigh them before I loaded them in the case)
Won the 100 and 200 yard matches at my club using the load this year.
 
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