how strong is his action ? does it compare to a ruger #1 ?
the 45-120 i have is on a ruger #1 .
my go to load is to fill the case up to the rim with imr 4831 , tap the side a few times to settle the powder , then fill it to the top , then card the top of the case mouth to remove the excess powder .
i then seat either a 400 grain barnes x bullet or a 350 grain hornady round nose . i use a very light crimp to hold things in place .
i use a remington mag rifle primer .
it is around 100 grains of powder
i'm using heavy walled brass ( made by ballard rifle in the late 90's ) . other brands of brass may use a thinner wall and hold more powder .
this is a very safe loading for my rifle , absolutely no signs of pressure .
i've also used other faster burning powders and found this long skinny case is very temperamental .
( the following load info is off the top of my head , take with a grain of salt )
for example 85 grains of imr 4064 absolutely no pressure signs and some unburnt powder and a somewhat gentle report from the rifle .
86 grains of powder , primers flattened very hard , loose primer pockets and intense recoil / report , no unburnt powder .
it is like the pressure curve of the burning powder reaches a " sweet spot" where it is able to burn ALL the powder creating high pressure .
i found this with 3 or 4 other powders too .
hope this helps .
