45-70 cowboy loads

[Franklin7x57]

I just bought a contender 16" barrel. Don't have it yet I've killed alot of deer with 50 cal muzzleloader with bullets from 265-385 grains. Anyway I would like to load something similar in 45-70, thinking that it won't hurt me or the contender. I'll reload it, but for now I've got a box of cowboy loads to try. I believe they are loaded about 1100 fps, not sure what their barrel length is. Will this load work for 125 lb whitetail to about 100 yds. Or when I reload should I look for more speed. Not looking for a load, I'll work up a load. A bullet weight range, I'd rather shoot lead because I cast my own and vel. range is what I'm looking for. I will shoot jacketed bullet too. Recoil is important, but I want it to be effective. I know recoil is subject and I'll find that out when I start reloading

[kitchawan kid]

Go to www.imrpowder.com,the Trail Boss part will give you a good start.

[stimpylu32]

A 405g cast bullet in the 1100 to 1300 fps range is more than enough to take a WT around the 100 yard range , as with all things shot placement is what you will need to work on , just make sure you know were its going to hit and it will do its part .

When you start to reload them , look at Trailboss and Unique for the speeds your looking for , both do very well in the 45/70 with small powder charges and no filler needed .

stimpy

[Lone Star]

What Stimpy said.  I'll add that BlueDot also works very well for reduced loads, and fills the case a bit better than Unique.  I have a 16" Contender too, and one of my favorite loads is BlueDot over a 405-grain Remington for 1052 fps and 995 fpe.  It gives low recoil and burns clean.  Accuracy is 2.5 -3.5 moa, plenty for 100 yard deer.




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[beerbelly]

I was just worndering, What were the old 45-70 goverment loads. I know they started out as black powder loads. But did they not change to smokeless?
  I rember as a kid about 14 ,I bought a springfield 1873 or 4 at a pawn shop and some 4570 goverment rounds. I don't think they were black powder as they didn't have all the smoke.
   A frind of mine still has that old gun. I gave $8 for it.
                                     Beerbelly

[Franklin7x57]

Thanks, I was pretty sure that range would work on WT from the muzzleloader. As far as recoil, would a 350+- grain bullet a couple hundred feet faster be less. Or should I just stick with the 405, I believe in KISS, one load for each gun.
Thanks.

[Lone Star]

I was just worndering, What were the old 45-70 goverment loads.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.45-70

As far as recoil, would a 350+- grain bullet a couple hundred feet faster be less. Or should I just stick with the 405, I believe in KISS, one load for each gun.

There would be little difference in recoil or in hunting effectiveness between the two.  Actually the 350 SP bullets are all designed for high velocity and would act like solids at 1300 fps.  But at 1100 fps so would most 405s.  The latter would be more effective due to their larger meplat.


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