Looking for cast bullet load for 45-70

Papaclaude

Papaclaude

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I'm looking for a load for my Marlin 45-70 Guide Gun using 405 gr. HP bullets. I'm actually looking for a fairly low-velocity load, so leading won't be an issue. It's really just to practice snap shooting during the off-season. I have to shake off a few bad habits picked up from too much bench shooting.
 
Papaclaude said:
I'm looking for a load for my Marlin 45-70 Guide Gun using 405 gr. HP bullets. I'm actually looking for a fairly low-velocity load, so leading won't be an issue. It's really just to practice snap shooting during the off-season. I have to shake off a few bad habits picked up from too much bench shooting.
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Welcome to the club, of needing practice away from the bench.
I loaded and shot the last 45-70 Marlin I had, but I was tending to load it too heavy and a few shots gave me a headache, So I sold the rifle and went a few years without a Marlin 45-70. Then I got the chance to get a really nice older 1895, the 22 inch barrel model. I have vowed to load this one light and enjoy it.
Using the old Lyman cast book as a guide, I looked at loads that would run 12-1300 fps and, looking at the powder I had available, I tried 26.5 grains of 4227 and shot a few over the chronograph. The 420 grain bullets had very light recoil, but were only doing just over 1100, so I will next time try about 28 grains.
From my experience with my last rifle, loads in this class were very accurate at 100 yards.
There is just no end of powder that will achieve those velocities and one faster type powder may be as good as the next. Unique, 2400, Lilgun, H110, 4227 and on and on. Maybe up a step to the 4198 class. Pretty much a case of what powders do you have that you aren't using in anything else!
 
12-14grains of trail boss is the ticket.... Turns a 45/70 into a mild 45LC... Punched thru both sides of a mulie a while back with that load with a hole in it's heart I could put my thumb thru... Very pleasant load for young folks too.
 
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