TC 45-70 reloading w/ a 16" barrel

[Old 180]

I'm looking for some good components to start reloading for a TC with a compensated 16" barrel.  I'm interested in any info someone might be willing to pass on from there personal book of pet loads.  I'll shoot paper mostly, but I would like to take this along on a deer hunt someday too.

[Castaway]

For what it's worth, I was at the "Big Buck Expo" in Lakeland, Fl last month.  TC had a table set up there with displays and Larry What's-his-name was signing autographs.  I asked about pressure's the TC could take in 45-70.  Emphatically, the rifle representative said that "Marlin" pressures were fine if you reloaded.  There was a caution though about moving up to Ruger loads.

[jhalcott]

  Consider 300 grain bullets . Any thing heavier increases recoil to an UNPLEASANT level. Hornady,Remington and several others make them. varget ,H4895,h4198  and many other powders are fine in the 45-70. Using cast in the compensated barrel MIGHT cause a leading condition that is hard to remove. that depends on the type of compensator. I've used 2400 and Unique powder in mine with no problem. I have a ported barrel and found cast bullets foul the ports rather quickly. Hornady 350 grain bullets are much harder than needed for thin skinned deer. They would be Okay for targets though, depending on accuracy!

[Old 180]

Thanks!
I have some 300 grain bullets from sierra and hornady.  I also bought some varget and H322.
But is the modern Marlin 1895 rifle max pressure 28,000 cup or 40,000 cup?

[Lloyd Smale]

depends on if its a contender or an encore. I load 540s in a 16 inch contender carbine but at about 1200 fps i reach about what i consider a recoil threshold but i dont do as well with recoil out of a rifle as i do a handgun.

[Old 180]

This will assembled as a carbine on a Contender frame.  Should I not use the Marlin modern rifle pressures if it is on a Contender frame vs an Encore frame?

[Blackhawk44]

I believe that if you check the reloading manuals for a factory duplication load with 300 grain bullets you should be doing fine.   Increasing velocity beyond about 1700fps is simply self-defeating since you gain no functional advantage in trajectory. 

[Racer X]

38 grains of IMR4198 with a 300 grain Hornady HP is very accurate in my Guide Gun with a 18-1/2" unported barrel. I chronied the load and it runs ~ 1550 FPS or so. The extreme spreads were wide, but it still shoots 1" off a rest. I believe this is a near factory equivalent load because I also chrongraphed the Winchester factory loads and they were 1550 - 1600 FPS.

[KN]

TC load books will tell you Trap Door loads for a Contender. Heavier loads should be saved for an Encore.

[Lone Star]

I asked about pressure's the TC could take in 45-70.  Emphatically, the rifle representative said that "Marlin" pressures were fine if you reloaded.  There was a caution though about moving up to Ruger loads.

As stated above - This is absolutely incorrect - when referring to the Contender.  Trapdoor loads are what T/C has recommended as maximum for that frame.  Marlin loads are fine for the ENCORE.

For punching paper with my 16" Contender rifle I use either 300 or 405-grain Remington bullets over charges of BlueDot, which gives great accuracy at low recoil.  For deer I load the RP 300HPs over Hornady's max charge of IMR4227 for the Contender (listed as a pistol with the same 16" barrel length).  Even with the relatively heavy laminated stocks on this rifle, recoil gets your attention.

.

[Old 180]

Trap door pressures it is then.  I'm not one to push that envelope.