45/70 loads

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive got a 16 inch contender and need some suggestion for loading 500 and 540 grain cast bullets in it. Ive got about any powder you can think of so dont hold back. Id prefer something the meters well and would welcome pistol powder recomendations along with rifle powders. Thanks.

[Graybeard]

IMR3031 is my favorite. I use Lyman's loads with it.

[kennisondan]

Lloyd : I have stored a few sites and recipes for use with my rifle... but think the 16 to 18 inch guide gun recipes would benefit you. I have a need for a 45 70 contender barrel if there is such a thing... you can try Marlinowners.com and levergunluvers.com  I saved a bunch and could cut and paste a bunch for you if there is a lack of info forthcoming... I have no appreciable experience but a lot of downloaded recipes...let me know and I will either e mail it or pm it to you .. though I am a little low tech and guarnatee no formatting cause I never saved to a google note pad then to my hard drive before...just say the word.
dk   

[Lloyd Smale]

Bill 3031 is a good powder but it doesnt meter well in the dillons and i dont have the time or patients to start loading them on a single stage press. If you have some specific 500 grain loads that youve played with even with 3031 id sure appreciate an email or a pm.

IMR3031 is my favorite. I use Lyman's loads with it.

[MePlat]

MR. SMALE:  I know you don't want to listen to me on any subject but I have a Contender and an Encore in 45/70 plus 3 rifles.
H322 and Reloader 7 are the go to powders for the 45/70.
Both will do very well at low to meduim velocity to high velocity.  Another powder that will do well with heavy cast is Hodgdon H4350.  It is way too slow but bulks up well and will be consistant in velocity for low velocity.  I have never used H4350 in a dillon mesure but in my old Lyman measure it meters well and should be no problem in the dillion.  Another powder is AA2460 especially if you want muzzle flash as part of the wow factor.
Loads in the Speer #13 manual for the Marlin using the start of middle loads with the 400 gr bullet will give you a pressure standard to go by in deducing your own load data for 500 to 550 gr bullets.
My 515 and 550 bullets are similar to the old Lyman 545 gr bullet which allows seating out because of the bore ride feature.
In my Contender barrel it is SSK and my Encore barrel is stock Encore 15 incher no brake and tapered.  The recoil of a 550 gr at 1500 is just fun to behold.  Even with the cushioned Encore grip (not the hard rubber backed grip but the one with a hollow in the back)  will leave my hand brusied after 8 or 9 rounds.
In my own Contender with the long throat I have used 44 gr of 3031 so you get idea of the type of loads you can generate.  Velocity will be in the 1300 fps range with a 550 with a safe load in the Contender.
Inthe one Contender a buddy of mine that we loaded for has really no throat so to speak and Encore is even worse.  Speer 400 gr bullets seated to their OAL won't even chamber in mine so be careful in selecting bullets jacketed or cast.  Bullet design s like Garretts 540 will work if seated deep which then infringes on powder space so loads have to be cut down.  Another thing with my bullets they keyhole a lot if not seated very close to the rifling but if done so will do perfectly.
I use the same 550 gr in my 458 Lott Encore pistol and it does extremely well.  Funny though I haven't used in in my 458 Win Mag Encore 14 incher though. 
Another side though even pushing the 500 gr Hornady in the Win Mag at 1900 fps the recoil is not near as rough as pushing the 500 gr Hornady from the Encore 45/70 at 1550 fps.
Also I am a fan of bulkier powder in a rifle cartridges and not pistol powder even though they have be used for eons with good results.
XMR5744 is a good one though.  I still don't use it.

[Hopalong7]

Lloyd; I'm sure you're already aware of this, but for the sake of others, let me state that 500gr is an awful lotta' bullet for a Contender.  I've been shootin' an old  S-16 45-70 barrel fer years, but 405 is as far as I've been.  Rel-7 is one of my favorites, but as stated with lighter bullets.  GOOD SHOOTIN', Walt 

[Lloyd Smale]

metplat i sent you a pm.

MR. SMALE:  I know you don't want to listen to me on any subject but I have a Contender and an Encore in 45/70 plus 3 rifles.
H322 and Reloader 7 are the go to powders for the 45/70.
Both will do very well at low to meduim velocity to high velocity.  Another powder that will do well with heavy cast is Hodgdon H4350.  It is way too slow but bulks up well and will be consistant in velocity for low velocity.  I have never used H4350 in a dillon mesure but in my old Lyman measure it meters well and should be no problem in the dillion.  Another powder is AA2460 especially if you want muzzle flash as part of the wow factor.
Loads in the Speer #13 manual for the Marlin using the start of middle loads with the 400 gr bullet will give you a pressure standard to go by in deducing your own load data for 500 to 550 gr bullets.
My 515 and 550 bullets are similar to the old Lyman 545 gr bullet which allows seating out because of the bore ride feature.
In my Contender barrel it is SSK and my Encore barrel is stock Encore 15 incher no brake and tapered.  The recoil of a 550 gr at 1500 is just fun to behold.  Even with the cushioned Encore grip (not the hard rubber backed grip but the one with a hollow in the back)  will leave my hand brusied after 8 or 9 rounds.
In my own Contender with the long throat I have used 44 gr of 3031 so you get idea of the type of loads you can generate.  Velocity will be in the 1300 fps range with a 550 with a safe load in the Contender.
Inthe one Contender a buddy of mine that we loaded for has really no throat so to speak and Encore is even worse.  Speer 400 gr bullets seated to their OAL won't even chamber in mine so be careful in selecting bullets jacketed or cast.  Bullet design s like Garretts 540 will work if seated deep which then infringes on powder space so loads have to be cut down.  Another thing with my bullets they keyhole a lot if not seated very close to the rifling but if done so will do perfectly.
I use the same 550 gr in my 458 Lott Encore pistol and it does extremely well.  Funny though I haven't used in in my 458 Win Mag Encore 14 incher though. 
Another side though even pushing the 500 gr Hornady in the Win Mag at 1900 fps the recoil is not near as rough as pushing the 500 gr Hornady from the Encore 45/70 at 1550 fps.
Also I am a fan of bulkier powder in a rifle cartridges and not pistol powder even though they have be used for eons with good results.
XMR5744 is a good one though.  I still don't use it.