I have a Springfield Model 1873 (a late 19th Century Assault Rifle) in .45-70. It is in beautiful condition, and the rifling is very good. I would love to take it out to the range to see how she does, but I want to be very careful not to damage it. I know that jackted bullets are a no-no, so I will be hand-loading lead bullets. My question is: Do I have to be careful with the hardness of the lead bullets that I load in it? If this is the case, does anyone know a source of soft lead 500 grain bullets I could buy?
Does anyone have any advice or recomendations about shooting this relic?
For the record, I am well aware that most loading manuals have data for the Trapdoor rifles that is separate from the newer lever guns and single shot rifles.