Favorite 45/70 load

[U.P. Bulldog]

I just received a set of Lee dies about a week ago for my 45/70 Handi.
Does anyone have a pet load that seems to work well as a good accurate, all purpose load?

Thanks,

U.P. Bulldog

"Blessed be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle"  Psalm of David, 144:1

[ogo]

These two work great in both my buff classic and my T/C contender.300gr cast over 27gr's SR-4759 and 300gr JHP Rem bulk over 51gr's H-322, very accurate load's. I took a whitetail with each last season using my buff classic.***************ogo

[quickdtoo]

A nice accurate and easy shooting load is the hornady 350gr RN and 28gr of 2400, shoots 1½" at 100yds with peep sights on my Handi. My other pet load it a heavy dose of H4198 and 300gr Nosler partitions, but it's not for the recoil sensative.

Tim

[mt3030]

Bulldog:
My favorite load has become the 300 gr Hornady over 41.0 gr Reloder 7 in a Remington case with a CCI 200 primer. Works well in two H&R Shikaris and my Marlin. It shoots to the same POI as the Remington 300gr factory load for me. This is a "Springfield" load, but I learned it will go completely thru a whitetail doe and take her sisiter behind her too. (Late season hunt, had two tags!!)

Wally

[Stan in SC]

300 grain Remington HP over 40 gr. of IMR4895 with CCI LR primers.
I was surprised when it outdid factory Remington 405 grain loads in the accuracy department.

[U.P. Bulldog]

Thanks guys,
Looks like I have a whole lot of components to buy!
I'm looking forward to trying some of your loads and will let you know how my rifle likes them.

Thanks again,

U.P. Bulldog

[quickdtoo]

That H4198 and 300gr nosler partition load I mentioned earlier is perfected now, spent the day at the range, with a velocity close to 2400fps, it groups 3 shots touching at 100yds, a perfect long range(for a 45-70) elk load!! Next time at the range, after I buy some more bullets, I'll shoot it at 200yds to see what's happening there. :wink:

Tim

[MSP Ret]

, Hi U.P. Bulldog, glad your still here after the hot welcome!!! I am sure another 45/70 shooter like you will be a great asset to this site.
I agree with Quick on that load of 28.0 grains of 2400 behind a 350 grain Hornady RN bullet, it's my favorite 45-70 accuracy load also.

Question for Quick, did you ever get a chance to run that 45/70 load of 28.0/2400/350 Hornady RN through your chronograph? I would appreciate it if you could do it for me. I would really like to know what it does for velocity, also if it's out of a 22" barrel or out of a Buff Classic with a longer barrel. Thanks for the effort if you can do it for me. Anyone else out there tested that load and know?....<><.... :grin:

[glock29]

Favorite load for my Handi:
350gr Hornady RN over a CASEFUL of H4198.
Actual powder amount is 1 grain below max Hodgdon Level 3/Ruger load taken from their data manual.
I get about 2300fps with this load, with no signs of over-pressure in my Handi-Rifle.
Recoil is STOUT, but that jest lets you know the load is WORTHWHILE !

[quickdtoo]

MSP, I haven't yet, but intend on it sometime soon! Was going to head for the mountains this week, but my shootin partner who wants to go with me, isn't up to the long ride yet after his triple by-pass. I intend on shooting thru both the Handi and the BC to see what the velocity difference is for both loads. Up in the hills of Klickitat there will be no other shooters to bother whilst I'm setting up the chrono, that's the problem chrono users have at the range, the time it takes to set up properly.

Tim

[stuffit]

I started out with these two cast hollowpoints, one a Lee 405 gr and the other the Lyman 330 gr:

I used Reloader 7, 3031, and Varget with varying success.  All are good, I think.  The key was to size these bullets at .458 or even .459 (not always possible because I found they both tended to cast undersized) and keep the velocity below 1700 fps using an alloy of about 14 Brinell or a little less.  

I later obtained an NEI mould that dropped these two big meplat, gaschecked bullets at 360grs and 435 grs (all weights are lubed and sized):  

I discovered 5744 and it was kinda like joining the church.  Using it has been a real revelation of how good things can be.  I used a randomly selected but mentally interpolated charge of 31.5 grs with both bullets and mvl avgs 1590fps with the 435 gr bullet and 1610fps with the 360 gr bullets.  They were sized at .458.  Alloy hardness seemed to make no difference at these velocities nor did primer selection (standard LR vs MLR).  Accuracy for the 100 yard 3 shot groups I like to shoot are usually within one minute with both  bullets.  5744 is reputed to be non position sensitive, and I have found this to be true.  I believe I have the perfect whitetail loads (or hogs, for that matter), and my only quandary is which bullet to use first.  

I am going to go back to the two plain based bullets now that I've finally gotten some of them at the size I want and try some of them with the 5744 and also with some Reloader 7.   But the two NEI bullets are going to be a kinda hard act to follow.

Oh yeah.....  used homemade Felix lube for all bullets.   I don't think it can be improved upon.
 :wink:
stuffit

[quickdtoo]

XMP5744 is definitely not position sensitive, I shoot it in my 45-120 BC, 39-43grs in that big case hardly half fills the case regardless of bullet size. I shot 1½" groups with a peep sight at 100yds with a 3 different bullets, gas checked and jacketed. Some of the groups I deliberately tipped the muzzle down after loading to move all the powder against the bullet and away from the primer.....made no difference in group size or POI.

Tim

[mt3030]

stuffit:
Those NEI slugs look great. Do you know of anyone casting those commerically? I do not cast, but would love to try those in my H&R Shikaris, which have cut rifling. Also glad to hear what you and Tim had to say about 5744.

Wally

[stuffit]

mt3030,
Try here:
http://www.creeker.net/bullets.htm

I just looked on his site and he has this bullet at 430 grs:


It appears to have an even larger meplate than the one I am casting and that is definitely to the good.  Might be just what you want to try here.  OH!  btw, I didn't use the crimop groove on mine.  I just seated to what I considered a good OAL and used my Lyman taper crimp die.  Can''t really see a need for a roll crimp in a single shot rifle.  I have roll crimped em in the past though and they shot very well that way too.
 :wink:
stuffit

[mt3030]

stuffit: Thank you for your time.

Wally

[MSP Ret]

Quick, Stuffit, and MT3030, Thanks to all of you for the time, effort, and info!!!....<><.... :grin: