Low pressure 45-70 or 45LC load for deer?
 

I'm looking for a low pressure 45-70 or 45LC load that I can use for deer out to 75 yards.

What I'd like to do is use this load in my CVA Kodiak Magnum inline 50 cal muzzle loader b/c the smokeless powder is so much easier to clean than black powder. I figured that as long as I kept the pressure under 10,000 psi that I should be ok.

I'd like to load a 250 grain Buffalo Ball-et to around 1000-1100 fps.

Any takers...am I nuts, or would this be safe? And if it would be safe, what would a good load be?

Thanks,
ths78

how much pressure would 25.0 grains of IMR 4198 behind a 250 grain bullet in a 50 cal. barrel produce? Is there any way to calculate this?

thanks

I think that it's, quite frankly, a patently stupid idea to load smokeless in a ML not designed to shoot smokeless powder. The results you get could be very unpredictable and possibly EXTREMELY dangerous. If you do so, it's at your own risk and anyone with half a brain wouldn't suggest you try such a thing.

Don't get me wrong, I' m a strong proponent of smokeless muzzleloading, but ONLY with ML's designed and proofed to shoot smokeless loads. I'm talking about the Savage 10ML and ML-II, as the 10ML-II is currently the only factory production ML rifle safe to shoot smokeless powder through. There are others, but they are custom and semi-custom rifles not readily available to the average hunter.

If you want near-smokeless performance and convenience with your current rifle, I'd suggest that you try Blackhorn 209. It is, for all intents and purposes, smokeless powder, but it's designed to be used as a volumetric BP substitute in inline ML's, and is supposed to be safe in all ML's. It might be hard to find and is very expensive, but it should be safe.

Mike

The BH209 is a good option. It does smoke some, I just bought 2 more containers of it at Cabelas.

The load you mentioned is close to what I load 223 cases in wt with. This is just not a good idea and take a few days to really think about what you are planning to do. Read up on burn rates and pressures produced. I am not saying it can not be done but sooner or later the metal of the barrel will fail as its not designed to take that. Even once may cause stress fatigue and it totally fail using ML powder the next time. Plan on keeping the weapon forever because it would be 100% gross negligence to ever sell it someone else.

You do not want to use IMR4198. Think about this, in my Para-Ord P1245 I load Winchester 231 @4.5gr and pushes a 230gr bullet near 800fps. Pressure is somewhere around 18k.

I am trying very hard to not insult you because I want you to think about this.

If after all this you decide to do it anyway make sure you film it :popcorn:

You've already been given excellent advice by others on here in regard to NOT DOING what you have inquired about. Please, please listen to them. You are only courting serious trouble, and nobody wants to see anyone get hurt. As to my knowledge, only the Savage muzzleloaders mentioned by driftrider are currently approved for smokeless powder......