A good powder for 45-70?

3031 is pretty much the standard for 45/70 but I have had good results loading top loads for an 1885 with Varget. I worked up to 60 gr of Varget behind a Hornady 350. The cartridge oal was 2.655" which is longer than would fed thru a lever action reliably and the powder was still compressed. It chronied at 1970 fps.
 
My only go-to load for my Marlin is 50 gr of 3031 and a 400 gr cast bullet. Pretty hard to beat 3031 with any bullet weight other than the real lightweights, when 4198 is the shiner.

Ted
 
I get best results with a faster rifle powder. I have used 3031, 4895 and WW844. The ball powder meters so well there is no need to weigh each charge. 3031 does not meter very well. SC4895 would be better.
 
You are right about 3031 not metering very well. I do not weigh charges in the 45-70 either, but my experience has been that it hardly makes a difference if the measure dumps 49.5 or 50.5 gr, they still go into the same two inch group. :)

Ted
 
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For heavy loads with heavy bullets in the Marlins and Rugers:
a) AA2015
b) H-335
c) RL-7
In that order...the top 2 will push a hardcast 465gr. or 480gr. gascheck bullet to 1900fps., safely,lots of recoil....for light loads i like Trail Boss as even a light load will fill most of the case.
 
I used to load 405 gr. bullets with 3031, but I have switched to H-335. Meters better, and a bit slower burning, which I find better for my heavy loads through my Marlin. I also worked up my loads with Fed. 215 primers. Don't really think I need them, but they work great nonetheless. Good luck, Eric
 
depends what pressure level you're shooting for. Varget/4895/4064 work well for mild pressure loads, and RL-7/3031/H322/H335 work very well for marlin/ruger level loads
 
For the heavier loads, especially using jacketed bullets, my 'go to' powder is IMR 3031. A couple of my shooting buddies have got some good results with IMR 4198 so I've loaded some up with that but haven't tried them out yet.
For some of the lighter cast bullet loads, IMR 4227 & 2400 using a filler has worked really well.
 
For the heavy loads in my Ruger #3 and 350gr JSP's I use RL-7 and I am getting 2200 fps and excellent accuracy (3 shot cloverleafs at 100yds) and it meters extremely well through my RCBS powder throw. Recoil is on the stout side to say the least.

For light loads in my 1885 Uberti I use 25.5 grs of SR4759 behing a 405gr cast RNFP. Believe it or not but I had absolutely amazing results accuracy wise with 55.0 grs of IMR4350 behind the 405gr cast bullet (100 yd 10 shot groups were 1.5 inches), but the amount of unburnt left powder in the bore was horrible.
 
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