Powder for .45/70?

[CZ93X62]

Ian--3F?

 

[Ian]

Ian--3F?

Yes, especially with the hollow base bullet.

 

[TXTad]

24 grains of 2400 under a 405-grain cast bullet is probably in the top three world-standard universal load recipes on the planet.

Just got to throw my two cents in here, for my Handi 25 Colt carbine rechambered to 45/70, 12 grains of Unique and the 405 bullet is just right. For the 1990's short barreled Guide Gun, 24 grains of 2400 if a good load. The Trapdoor gets 55 grains of GOEX FFF and a greased wad under the 500 grain bullet. All are fun to shoot and will kill any wolf at the door issues.

What is the velocity with 24gr of 2400 under a 400 gr cast bullet?

 

[popper]

I was in a fancy and expensive LGS in Houston years ago. Racks of 45/70 rifles of all brands. Never did understand why Texans needed 45/70. Still don't. Buffalo are all gone, no Polar bears either. Marfa is a bad joke.

 

[RicinYakima]

What is the velocity with 24gr of 2400 under a 400 gr cast bullet?

About 1400 f/s. The old max load was 25.5 at 1500 f/s and safe in Trapdoors.

 

[fiver]

you can go down to about 22-22.5 no problems.
the straight case takes Dacron well too..
24.5... LOL shoots good but it's on the doorstep of annoying.

 

[creosote]

24.5... LOL shoots good but it's on the doorstep of annoying.

I've been easily annoyed lately.

 

[fiver]

my kids must be over there.

 

[creosote]

my kids must be over there.

The only drunk monkeys I see here, is when I look in the mirror.

 

[Ian]

I was never clear on the numbers, which was which, especially now that he's minus one.

 

[richhodg66]

12-14 grains of Unique under pretty much any bullet from 300 to 450 has worked well for me. A grain or two more of Herco is nice too.

 

[fiver]

so your sayin BE-86 would work good too?


i'm down to numbers 2 and 3,, but it still feels like all three are here.

 

[RicinYakima]

24 grains of 2400 under a 405-grain cast bullet is probably in the top three world-standard universal load recipes on the planet.

Well, I won a CBA National Championship with that load in my Trapdoor. And with the Lee hollow base bullet cast from linotype.

 

[Missionary]

I would also vote for 3F but Goex.

 

[Brad]

My 45-70 is fed a steady diet of a 420 gr cast bullet on top of 24 gr of 2400.

 

[Thumbcocker]

I used to LOVE running my Ruger #1 in 45-70 to ridiculous velocities. This was my way even into early retirement.

The tip-over point came not so long ago when I loaded 100 cases with sufficient fuel to enable 350 grain Hornadys to go 2100-2150 FPS. There was a time in my life when I found such pastimes entertaining, and those lasted into my mid- to late-50s.

Good sense finally dawned upon me when the sensation of my right shoulder blade colliding with its left-side counterpart hit home. 15-20 of those at the end of a range session was quite enough, and it took almost a year's time to ration that recoil out over several range sessions to unload them through the muzzle. Having been raised in the Roman Catholic faith, I was cognizant of penance--so I knew it when I saw/felt it.

Ahem.

For some time I had been messing about with the 45/70 and WC-860 milsurp powders. Duplexed atop 6.0 grains if IMR-4198, 48.0 grains of this 50 BMG ball powder gives blackpowder ballistics to the Lee 405 grain bullet with about 1/16" of compression. 5-shot groups would cluster into 1.25"-1.5" at 100 yards pretty reliably.

Assembled together, all of the above constitutes what we called a CLUE at my old job site. 1250-1300 FPS even in that featherweight No. 1 still gave all-day recoil.....about like a 12 gauge trap load. Accuracy is sufficient for the critters usually sought using 45/70 rifles. In my present Marlin 1895, they are docile. I still have about 12# of that old $3.50/lb. milsurp stuff, so I'm set for a while. It works scaled down in the 38/55, too.

I have yet to scale this 6/1 powder ratio of WC-860/IMR-4198 to the 44/40, 32/20, or 25/20 calibers yet. I have tried the late Ross Seyfried's black powder-equivalent formula (BP grains x 0.4 of IMR-4198), and it worked pretty well. We shall see.

There is no substitute for experience, the trick is to survive getting the experience.

 

[CZ93X62]

Very true, sir.

And experience is defined as that thing you get when you don't get what you want, also.

 

[smokeywolf]

I was in a fancy and expensive LGS in Houston years ago. Racks of 45/70 rifles of all brands. Never did understand why Texans needed 45/70. Still don't. Buffalo are all gone, no Polar bears either. Marfa is a bad joke.

Popper, you're forgetting that, in our hobby, it's not what we need, so much as, what we want.

 

[Ben]

One of my friends just gave me a figurative shake and told me to quit loading to 1,600 - 1,800 fps and instead use my Unique to load to about 1,100 - 1,200 fps.

Maybe those are wise words.

Ever heard of Retinal Detachment ?

 

[Brad]

I have fired enough in the 1600+ range to know that unless hunting big stuff it just isn’t needed.