howdy yall. I made some rounds for my grampa's 45-70 H&R. I was actually the first to shoot it. At 65 yarsd or so, it was already sighted in, how often does that happen?? I like this round alot, it doesnt kick the livin daylight outta ya, and it's enough to drop a Buffalo. The first shot ever fired out of it was bye me, and I hit a 5 gallon propane tank about 50 yards or so away, had a exit wound size the size of a small dinner plate! was alotta fun to shoot. Any of yall ever shot one?

-Travis-

Kinda have, lately I've been shooting 70 grains and a 410 conical in a 50 cal. More like a 50-70, really, but what is the difference, other than one is a cartridge and the other muzzle-loaded?

I used to think I had all the cartridge guns I wanted, but that changed a couple years ago. I'd like to add a 45-70.

By the way, the buffalo went that away .

Happy Hunting, Phil

One of my best loads for the .45/70 uses 65 grains ofg Swiss FFg powder and the Lyman 457122HP, 342-grain bullet cast of pure lead and shot unlubricated with a .45 cal. Wonder Wad under it. The same load, butsubstituting 46 grains of IMR 4064 for the black powder, has about the same MV (1350 fps) and point of impact. The WonderWad totally eliminates any leading!

Try it. You'll like it!

Wait, can you guys explain something to me really quick. Are you saying that you can reload 45/70 casings with black powder or smokeless? I didn't think you could do that...I guess you learn something new everyday. How does that work? Is that only for certain caliber/ case configurations....or can you do that with any casing? Like I said, I've never heard of this before, so any insight you can give me would be great.
Thanks,
Steven

You can reload ANY cartridge case with black powder. But it does not work too well in bottleneck cases, as it is very dirty and gives a lot weaker ballistics than a load of smokeless powder. However, there are some guns for which it is very appropriate, such as the Winchester lever actions of the toggle-link lockup type, such as the Model 73 and 76, neither of which is particularly suited for higher pressure ammo.

The old-time straight-sided cases, like the .45/70, .45/90, .50/70, .50/90, .38/55, .32/40, etc. etc., .44/40, .45 Colt, etc., were all originally loaded with black powder, so naturally it is appropriate to use BP in them, even though they will shoot a lot cleaner when you load them withsmokeless powder.

With 45/70 it all depends on the weapon itself. Ruger makes one that one you can charge alot more than that (I think to operating pressures around 46,000 psi). The smokeless charge eldequello recommended probably peaks below the black powder charge he mentioned. It would be good in a trap door replica with steel and construction approved for smokeless.

Eldequello:

Do you use a dry wonderwad? With the bullet unlubricated, it would seem very important to use the pure lead you recommended. It that so?

Happy hunting, Phil

The Wonder Wads I use are "dry", but no doubt are lubricated with something-perhaps impregnated with Wonderlube? I don't know how important it is to use a pure lead projectile (as opposed to some harder alloy??). The pure lead bullets I used in the .45/70 were cast originally to use in a fast-twist .45 cal. ML rifle, and I just had to try them in the .45/70 too.

My .45/70 is a Ruger No. 1, and after cleaning it following the test with BP, I thought "I wonder if I can use a charge of smokeless to get the same performance without the dirt?" Since I had just used up the last of my IMR 3031, I tried IMR 4064 instead, and it seemed to work OK-accuracy was acceptable, and I am sure that 457122HP (Gould-type) bullet at 1350 FPS MV would be a good deer load out to 100 yards or so.

I do have one 400-grain Barnes Original semispitzer load for this rifle that produces 2270 FPS MV, but it has such horrendous recoil that I would only use it for BIG BEARS! (58 ft/lb.)

Thanks you guys...like I said, learn something new everyday!

uh.....yall do know that if you have a traditional Sharps 45-70, and reload and use smokeless powder...the rifle could expload...

-Travis-

That's what I meant. Are they lubricated or no?