45-120 project DONE. AND VIDEO!

[dpe.ahoy]

Nice work on the recoil pad, and the fact you did the reaming will add to your enjoyment.  You should be proud.  DP.

[tykempster]

Now, down to business! The 45-120 was SHOT today!
Bad news, it now has a couple small dings in the barrel. I'll explain. First shot was with the rifle on the lead sled with 25lbs of sand on the lead sled frame. A medium load with 405 grain bullets. Tied a string to it, hid behind the basement door to make sure the gun wouldn't kill me. Pull the string, BOOOOM, the rifle scoots the lead sled back about a foot, then flips the lead sled on top of it! what in the world I exclaim, but with the real words. Luckily, only a couple small spots with no bluing left on the barrel, and a small, small ding in the stock.

Now, down to the real business, it was also shot off the shoulder by me a fair amount. As it turns out, the sights are totally spot on. I never missed a soda can at 25 yards with the rifle, and it penetrates quite well even with Remington 405 grainers meant for 1200-1300 fps. I'm expecting 2400+ fps with the 405 grain bullet. I will not lie, I have never dealt with anything that recoils like this before. However it doesn't "hurt" like any other hard kicking gun I've shot before. The Kick-Eez pad does work. Bad news, after a couple of shots I got a headache...but I can deal with it, because big-bores are just too much fun! And as promised...drumroll please....a video! And yes, I hit my target, a one liter tea bottle, and yes my voice is low, but the camera made it seem about 3 octaves lover, and yes the recoil really did about make me fly, I'm just too light I guess.

Tada!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKdAY30tWxg

If anyone can help me with my shooting stance it would be great.

How 'bout that mini-mohawk?

[quickdtoo]

Nice video Tyler, way to go!! Sorry to hear about the accident, but stuff happens sometimes!

Tim

[dpe.ahoy]

What recoil?   Might not want to lean into her quite so much, let it roll you back.  "Course if your head touches dirt, might want ot back er off just a bit.   TIME TO GO HUNT CATFISHES!   PS. Great job.  DP.

[PHATINJUN]

Good job looks to me pretty much what a 45/120 supposed to do ain't it? Kurt

[tykempster]

I want to try some of Ranger Ricks 700 grain cast bullets.  Maybe 1500 fps with black powder?  1750 with smokeless?

[quickdtoo]

Make that 720gr, the 700gr are .500".

Tim

http://www.lsstuff.com/ranger-rick/

[Tencubed]

I've been doing some research on the 45-120 and have been getting more and more confused.  The data is contradictory about what to expect in velocity gain over the 45-70.

From you fellows that have experience with the Handies what can a person reasonably expect to gain with the various bullet weights in these rifles.

I'm interested in doing this but want to know what to expect prior to buying another BC.  Tylor's vidio really convinced me to look further into this.

Thanks

Mike

[quickdtoo]

Unless you're shooting blackpowder, the 45-120 won't do anything the 45-70 won't do if you don't consider pressure, but look at Lyman's data for a 500gr cast bullet at 1800fps and Hodgdon's data for the 45-120 cast 500gr bullet, the larger case will push a 500gr bullet over 1800fps at 28.5kcup, while the 45-70 does it at 38.2kcup. And there's no such thing as a short throat in the 45-120 meaning you don't have to load to shorter COL or ream the throat to shoot big bullets. Try loading the 720gr bullet in the pic below in a 45-70 case and see how much room there is left for powder, that's a 250gr SST 45 Colt round next to it!!

Tim

http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

[tykempster]

If you would like to PM me about the smokeless 45-120 I'd tell you all you want to know.  However smokeless loads can go over pressures safe in a Sharps or other old action so I can't post them on here.  Quickdtoo actually knows more than me if I had to guess, but I keep him busy with PM's.

Quick, if you reeeeaaaaally wanted to, could you run the 720 grain bullet through quickload to find out what powder to use, and what velocity to expect?  How much did they cost?

[quickdtoo]

I don't remember how much they were for sure, seems like $28 for 50 of em, just email Richard and ask him.

Theorethically a healthy dose of Hodgdon ### will get 1850fps @ less than 50kpsi and a 99% burn, but QL doesn't do well with cast bullets, so I'd not try it without working up from well below that and as much as they cost, I don't think I'll be doing it, I'll shoot the loads that Richard emailed me that his brother shoots in his 45-120 BC, they're very modest loads.

Tim

[tykempster]

How do I know when I'm getting near max pressures?

Just got an e-mail from Richard, nevermind!

[STUMPJMPR]

Shooting bullets that big with smokeless you guys are into pain....Be careful of detached retina's or dislocated shoulders....

[tykempster]

Shooting some max loads today.  Trying to hit a piece of computer paper offhand at 200 yards, came close a couple of times, then the third time I bring the gun up, wow I can't find the peep.  Wiggle around a bit...nothing...what am I doing wrong?  Turns out somehow the recoil popped the rear sight out of it's dovetail!   I had just tightened it after the last range outing, it wasn't really loose even...tightened it again after I found it (hands and knees searching through leaves for about 10 minutes) and tightened it again...hopefully it doesn't come off again or else I'm going to need to earn some money and buy the better Williams sight with target knobs!

[mattparliament]

the grin after the shot says it all 

enjoy your new toy!

[coyotejoe]

You should know that when recoil gives you a headache you are suffering brain damage. Of course you must have already had some brain damage to even consider such a project!

[tykempster]

One of these links should work...45-120 MAX load video.

<embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://i64.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid64.photobucket.com/albums/h190/tykempster/07-17-08_1510.flv">

[quickdtoo]