45-70 plinker loads

TomADC · March 13, 2010, 04:41 PM

These were 480.1 grs on my scale powered by 10.5 grs of Unique going to try htem out Monday in my Sharps, but of course I have 40 rounds of BP to run thru it also.

spitpatch · March 14, 2010, 12:12 PM

Is that a published load from a good source? Be carefull!! A guy I have shot with blew the action up on a sharps playing around with light loads and pistol powder. It was one of the expensive ones from Big Timber, Mont. I know this 1st hand. Forget exactly what the load was.
NRA life
RET US Army

PetahW · March 14, 2010, 06:12 PM

When I had a .45-70, I used a commercial (Speer) .457" lead RB over an Ox-Yoke lubed wad & 35gr Goex FFFg as a plinking load w/o issue (except for cleaning).

There was an entire article, covering these gallery loads, in an issue of Guns Of The Old West a few years ago.

I notched the rims of the brass used for the BP gallery loads, so they wouldn't be used for anything else, though.

.

TomADC · March 14, 2010, 06:21 PM

I have is old 1973 Lyman Cast Bullet book this page is from it:

Ralph Allen · March 15, 2010, 10:03 PM

Do a search and try Trail Boss powder. These published Trail Boss loads are a real pleasure to shoot!
Ralph

darkgael · March 16, 2010, 06:10 AM

+1 about Trail Boss. There are quite a few threads on different fora about how well it works.
Fill the case with TB to the base of where the bullet will be seated. Dump that and weigh it. Take 70% of that; it is the start load.
I have read of it's use in cartridges from .38 Spl. all the way through 8mm Mauser to .416 Rigby. Look in this forum - in the Handloading and Reloading section for a report about the use of TB in the .416 and the .375 H&H.
All positive reports. The stuff is so fluffy that you cannot put enough in a given case to surpass SAAMI max. pressures.
4.2 grains fills a .38 Spl. case to the bullet.(158 gr. LSWC, 804 fps, 13700psi)
Pete

B.L.E. · March 16, 2010, 06:40 AM

I use 15 grains of Trail Boss behind 300 grain cast bullets for my plinker loads. Recoil? About like a .410 shotgun.
If you want low recoil, a lighter bullet goes a lot farther in reducing recoil than reducing the velocity of a heavy bullet does.

TomADC · March 17, 2010, 04:26 PM

This was 11 grs of Unique with a 405 Magma bullet there are 4 rounds in the 10 ring, 1 in the 9 and one flyer I called after I started to turn blue from letting too much air out and waiting to long to pull the trigger. Wind was bad blowing left to right at 40 mph and gusting even worse. Iron sight no tang yet.

B.L.E. · March 17, 2010, 06:53 PM

15.7 grains of Trail Boss and 300 grain Meister cast bullets shot at 100 yards with a tang peep sight, Remington RB1 sporter rifle. This chronographed at around 1300 fps.

March 13, 2010, 04:41 PM	#1
TomADC Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2009 Location: San Diego County Posts: 795	45-70 plinker loads These were 480.1 grs on my scale powered by 10.5 grs of Unique going to try htem out Monday in my Sharps, but of course I have 40 rounds of BP to run thru it also. __________________ US Navy Retired,NRA Life Member,SASS member, Time magazine's Person of the Year 2006!

March 14, 2010, 12:12 PM	#2
spitpatch Senior Member Join Date: August 31, 2009 Location: Arizona Posts: 171	45-70 Is that a published load from a good source? Be carefull!! A guy I have shot with blew the action up on a sharps playing around with light loads and pistol powder. It was one of the expensive ones from Big Timber, Mont. I know this 1st hand. Forget exactly what the load was. NRA life RET US Army

March 14, 2010, 06:21 PM	#4
TomADC Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2009 Location: San Diego County Posts: 795	I have is old 1973 Lyman Cast Bullet book this page is from it: __________________ US Navy Retired,NRA Life Member,SASS member, Time magazine's Person of the Year 2006!

March 16, 2010, 06:10 AM	#6
darkgael Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2006 Location: Homes in Brooklyn, NY and in Pennsylvania. Posts: 5,473	TB +1 about Trail Boss. There are quite a few threads on different fora about how well it works. Fill the case with TB to the base of where the bullet will be seated. Dump that and weigh it. Take 70% of that; it is the start load. I have read of it's use in cartridges from .38 Spl. all the way through 8mm Mauser to .416 Rigby. Look in this forum - in the Handloading and Reloading section for a report about the use of TB in the .416 and the .375 H&H. All positive reports. The stuff is so fluffy that you cannot put enough in a given case to surpass SAAMI max. pressures. 4.2 grains fills a .38 Spl. case to the bullet.(158 gr. LSWC, 804 fps, 13700psi) Pete __________________ “Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games.” Ernest Hemingway ... NRA Life Member Last edited by darkgael; March 16, 2010 at 06:22 AM.

March 16, 2010, 06:40 AM	#7
B.L.E. Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2008 Location: Somewhere on the Southern shore of Lake Travis, TX Posts: 2,603	I use 15 grains of Trail Boss behind 300 grain cast bullets for my plinker loads. Recoil? About like a .410 shotgun. If you want low recoil, a lighter bullet goes a lot farther in reducing recoil than reducing the velocity of a heavy bullet does. Last edited by B.L.E.; March 16, 2010 at 06:50 AM.

March 14, 2010, 06:12 PM	#3
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 4,678	When I had a .45-70, I used a commercial (Speer) .457" lead RB over an Ox-Yoke lubed wad & 35gr Goex FFFg as a plinking load w/o issue (except for cleaning). There was an entire article, covering these gallery loads, in an issue of Guns Of The Old West a few years ago. I notched the rims of the brass used for the BP gallery loads, so they wouldn't be used for anything else, though. .

March 15, 2010, 10:03 PM	#5
Ralph Allen Senior Member Join Date: January 21, 2007 Posts: 436	Do a search and try Trail Boss powder. These published Trail Boss loads are a real pleasure to shoot! Ralph

March 17, 2010, 04:26 PM	#8
TomADC Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2009 Location: San Diego County Posts: 795	This was 11 grs of Unique with a 405 Magma bullet there are 4 rounds in the 10 ring, 1 in the 9 and one flyer I called after I started to turn blue from letting too much air out and waiting to long to pull the trigger. Wind was bad blowing left to right at 40 mph and gusting even worse. Iron sight no tang yet. __________________ US Navy Retired,NRA Life Member,SASS member, Time magazine's Person of the Year 2006!

March 17, 2010, 06:53 PM	#9
B.L.E. Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2008 Location: Somewhere on the Southern shore of Lake Travis, TX Posts: 2,603	15.7 grains of Trail Boss and 300 grain Meister cast bullets shot at 100 yards with a tang peep sight, Remington RB1 sporter rifle. This chronographed at around 1300 fps.