45/70 BUFF CLASSIC LOADS

[DECKAPE]

i recently purchased a buff classic.....problem........im loading for it....i cant seem to get any accurate loads........tried 300 gr.hornady jhps...tried 300 gr lead.....tried 405 gr. hard cast........nothing groups at all (100 yds)..smaller than 4-5 inches........used reloader #7.....imr powders........different load weights......use large rifle primers.....need help........what works the best in your rifles????i will mention sighting in was done off bench rest ........thanks for any help

[lonewolf5347]

DECKAPE: I myself also am trying to work up some loads for the BC.I was out the other day loading BP 2f 65 grains in the BC with a 405 FP .458 bullet
for the first time out seem the group was there at the 50 yard target. I here from other people who load the BC that IMR 3031 seem to o.k. in the 45-70
I yet had a chance to load jacketed ammo with smoke less powder. I would look at the OAL and maybe try some .459 cast in the gun.
I think my next step is to try some larger bullet diameter if the .458 does't perform well ,but will have to shoot it a little more to make up my mind

[quickdtoo]

I've had great accuracy with the 350gr Hornady and 28gr of 2400, 1½" groups at 100yds with the peep sight, even better with a scope. H4198 is accurate using stiff loads shooting the 300gr Nosler partition. Matt Parliament shoots the 300gr Hornady with H4198 and gets exceptional accuracy at 200yds!!

http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=74591&highlight=hornady

[Nixter]

My only Buff load.


63gr of ffG Goex and a 500 grain rn from Montana Precision Swaging.

Hit a 10 inch circle at 200 meters off-hand 3 for 3 shots. Then I fouled out. No blow tube between shots.

I'm guessing you are looking for smoke-less loads but this is all I have. I've yet to try white -powder in my Buff.


Nixter

[tanoose]

I sold mine last year but i had great accuracy with Hornady 350 round nose bullets and 45.0 grains of IMR 4198 As i remember the 405 remington bullets also did well .

[dodd3]

tim is right on about the h4198 powder in australia it is known as ar2207 i use it for my smokeless loads in the buff classic with the lee 500r cast bullet i get 1500 fps ,i use rooster red bp7 lube and get no leading. it is a very accurate load with good knockdown its really good on scrub bulls and wild donkeys and camels .  
bernie

[quickdtoo]

it is a very accurate load with good knockdown its really good on scrub bulls and wild donkeys and camels .  
bernie

Bernie,

Please tell us some huntin stories for those critters, they are truly exotic for us on the other side of the world!!! :eek:

[stuffit]

DECKAPE,
What I've learned with my handloads for my BC is that 1)  Even though the bore slugs at .457, it likes over sized bullets .458 to .460.  It's a totally different paradigm from the handgun type cast loads I've loaded.  2) It's also particular in regard to bullet hardness.  The plain based bullets I've loaded for it have to be a little softer than I'd have thought - maybe Brinell 14 or 11.  I've had some that shot OK at 1700 fps but making them harder doesn't make them shoot more accurately at higher velocity.  40 gr Rx7 has been tops for decent accuracy with the Lyman 330gr hollowpoint or the Lee 405 gr HP at that hardness, and that is only if they are not sized too small.  If you want to avoid finicky performance related to alloy hardness, I've found that gas checks will compensate for a multitude of imperfections.  I have an NEI mould that throws a 365 gr and a 435 gr GC large meplate bullets and they both shoot very accurately with either the 40 gr Rx7 or, surprisingly to me, 31.5 grs of 5744.  I got close to one minute groups with these 5744 loads the one time I shot them.  The plain based bullets, so far, have not performed as well as I've seen other shooters report with the 5744, but, again, the alloy hardness has to be just right.  I can't give you a lot of data on the jacketed bullets, but I suspect they'd do good over the 40 grs Rx7.  I have fired some 300 gr Sierra JSPHP and they were accurate.  An amount of 3031 giving an equivalent velocity would likely do good too.  Varget is also a good powder for the BC if the alloy and the velocity are as I've noted.  

I have a scope on my BC and it's restocked with a recoil pad.  But it was accurate enough with the Williams peep that came on it.  I just prefer a scope and a non-blue shoulder.  Hope some of this information will be helpful to you.  
 :wink:
stuffit

[Ed Hill]

Deckape, I worked up some very accurate rounds last week, but what are you looking for, hunting or plinking? I'm shooting cast bullets to save $
and found better luck with harder bullets.

Let us know what you want to do with the rounds, and I'm sure you'll get several good load suggestions.
E.D.

[stuffit]

DECKAPE,
Got so involved with the loads in my post to your query above, I neglected to mention floating the forend.  There are several ways to aceive this, the simplist of which is a spacer "O ring" around the forend screw to create enough space for the fload.  Some Handis (and the BC version too, I suspect) won't shoot consistantly unless something like this is done.  That may well be part of your problem.  There are several threads on this forum that have detailed discussions of how to accomplish this.  I think there is a "sticky" thread at the top on it too.
 :-)
stuffit

[sureshot2040]

try 38.5 grains of imr3031 topped off with a remington 405 jsp will make one hole at 50 yards and abt 3/4 to 1 inch at 100 using the smith ladder rear sight and the factory front off the bags
this load is supposed to clock a tad under 1300 fps and i can shoot it all day with out and fatique
sureshot