BP load for 1874 Sharps Carbine?

[Fort Myers]

Sorry for this question if asked before but I don't seem to see any search function on this forum.

Simply, when loading BP in a 45-70 case for firing in a modern 1874 Sharps carbine rifle, do you reduce the standard load of 70 grains (for a 405 gr bullet) to something lighter, say 65 grains plus a filler or are the standard loadings for 45-70 (1873 Springfield level) always used in the Sharps carbine.

Also if using a lighter weight cast bullet such as 300 grains, should the load be the same 70 grains or should this load be reduced because of the lighter weight of the bullet.

Again I apologize for the redundent nature of these questions.

[ribbonstone]

The full charged load can be used in the carbine..recoil is a bit heavier (lighter weight gun) and velocity is lower than with longer barrels, but it will work.  Vel. is lower than with long tubes, but vel. of a 70gr., charge is still higher than that of a lighter charge...getting less becasue of the barrel elngth, but the increase over lighter charges is in about the same proportion.

A lot of us find full charges a bit uncomfortable...and the more powder you burn, the more fouling (possible that some of the "extra" is due to inefficnecy) so the ligher 55gr. loading is used.  Can get there by selecting bullets better suited to deep seating or by using fillers.

Haven't had much luck getting great accuracy with the ligher weight bullets in the carbine...390-420gr. seems the right area.

[Trapper-Jack]

Fort Myers,
I read somewhere that the Army loaded their ammunition for the carbine with a standard bullet but cut the powder back to 55 grains and used a wad column as a filler.  Personally I'd try several different loads and choose what felt comfortable to shoot and produced acceptable accuracy.

[powderburner]

one thing that helps on recoil is to change the powder granulation to 1F this makes a softer push than does 2F and still gives good velocities  even in a 45-70 ............. Dean