Author Topic: 45-70 and Sabots (Read 2892 times)

Longcruise · « **on:** March 05, 2004, 09:19:46 AM »

Here are the results of some sabot loads for the 45-70.

http://www.mikeswillowlake.com/45-70_fun.htm

We talked about these in a previous thread. I think JPH45 was looking for a way to shoot .40 cal slugs in his 45-70.

My intent was to arrive at a light load for small game or maybe even deer size game.

Finally!!! the 45-70 is now proven to be good for all game from Cape Buffaloe down to squirrel!!

JPH45 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 05, 2004, 05:23:17 PM »

I'll be over in the big city tomorrow, with some spare cash, my first chance to get some components to try this out. Hopefull I will be able to post on it in the coming week. That's great longcruise, I am pretty well convinced that the next level of performance possible for the technology we have today will be the use of sabots, smokeless powders and bullets like the Barnes X.

I doulbt there is a lot of demand for shooting 22 balls from a 30 bore. There is however a lot to be said for shooting 25 cal 80-120 grains from a 30 bore. In our case, is the possiblity of getting 375 JDJ or 405 Winchester performace from a 45-70, the object of course being the flatter trajectory available from the smaler diameter, thus high BC bullets. With high speed jacketed bullets BC generally doesn't add up to much untill one reaches 300 yards. with slow speed stuff though a difference of 15 points can mean a 225 yard rifle as opposed to a 150 yard gun. That, if successful, would bring the 45-70 into a whole new world.

Longcruise · « **Reply #2 on:** March 06, 2004, 04:54:52 AM »

JPH,

Thought you would weigh in on this :-)

One thing to watch for is the depth of the sabot you select. The Hornady 45/38 worked good for my project but when you get into longer bullet lengths they may not be deep enough! There must be deeper ones out there considering the bullets that some guys are shooting out of their 50 and 45 ml guns.

There are some sweet .358 rifle sulgs out ther that might do exactly what you want to do. As for me, I'm thrilled to have a small game 45-70. Only problem is my 45-70s are all heavy weights. I had previoulsy decided I had no use for a 45-70 handi barrel but that is all changed now!

I have previously used the Rem 30-30 accellerators with .224 55 psp and found them to be wildley erratic and inaccurate. Might have something to do with exceeding 3000 fps?

Keep us posted.

Leftoverdj · « **Reply #3 on:** March 06, 2004, 06:37:21 AM »

Longcruise, I tried that and got as far as trying maybe 10 shots on paper. Accuracy was not encouraging. My best results at a .45-70 small game load have been with .490 RBs run through a Lee sizer. 25 yard accuracy was easily minute of squirrel head.

My next try will be with .45 pistol bullets patched with a couple of wraps of masking tape.

JPH45 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 06, 2004, 02:58:37 PM »

I've been having a terrible time posting here, hope this goes through, I have not yet tried the masking tape thing, but it strikes me that the sabots and pistol bullets could work vey well. I had once upon a long time ago a 45 caliber Lee mold that threw a 50 grain hollow point that was .46 in diameter. I tried a few in the 45-70 then persued other courses. Of course that mold is long lost to time

wish I still had it, and that was long before the internet and easily hooking up with knowledgable folks everywhere. Perhaps we should get together and have lee cut us a mold using one of their existing designs of 255 grains, simply making it to drop .459 boolits. Would there be any other who would want this?

?

JPH45 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 06, 2004, 03:01:45 PM »

Longcruise, forgot to mention....Bill the Cat is one of my favorite cartoon characters, being bested only by Opus. Bloom County ended far too soon

Longcruise · « **Reply #6 on:** March 06, 2004, 04:20:49 PM »

Things are crazy here on the board lately. Hope Graybeard and company can get it back on track. They must be going crazy trying to deal with this.

My last post didn't show up right away and a message told me I'd posted nothing or something of that sort.

Well, here goes again, hope this works.

I have in the past tried .457 round balls dipped in lee liquid alox and had only marginal results. I also tried some 255 gr .454 Colt slugs with not such good results either.

Tommorrow I may have a chance to try the .350 rb and 158 .357 on paper and will report back on the results.

You can buy some rather odd sized round balls here; www.trackofthewolf.com they may have the size you are looking for. If that address doesn't work, do a google on track of the wolf.

The .490 round ball through the sizer seems kind of interesting :-) Does it come out kinda egg shaped? Wonder what would happen if one ran a .530 or .570 through a .490 sizer? Would that give a sugar loaf heavy weight round ball??

Quote

forgot to mention....Bill the Cat is one of my favorite cartoon characters,

Yes, it was so much about my real life! :-D

Leftoverdj · « **Reply #7 on:** March 07, 2004, 06:51:49 AM »

Even with .490 RBs you get some shaving unless you radius the entry hole. Lubing the balls helps. I just roll them on my case lube pad for that. They come out capsule shaped with a flat where they were pushed. I load the flat up since the rounded end is more uniform.