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45-70 blackpowder loads

divecop
I want to load some 45-70 BP loads, anyone have any favorites?
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35 comments

Date Votes
  • r1kk1
    In the Dillon catalog there is a powder die listed to use with other powder measurers. It is made to fit the older 450 and you still have to manually work the measure.


    just a thought,

    r1kk1
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  • r1kk1
    In the Dillon catalog there is a powder die listed to use with other powder measurers. It is made to fit the older 450 and you still have to manually work the measure.


    just a thought,

    r1kk1
    0
  • steve45
    quote:Originally posted by r1kk1
    Steve 45 writes:
    "If your using black powder or substitute you have to fill the case full with slight compression or the loading can be dangerous"

    Steve, I have loaded Goex, Elephant, Kik and substitutes with various amounts of compression to no compression. Results can vary rifle to rifle. I have loaded for the Springfield Trap Door using 405 and the Lee 500 grain with various combinations of wad, no wad, thickness, etc. Mileage varies of course with everyones rifles. I do NOT allow for air space. The drop tube allows me to get the maximum amount of powder, wad and/or cookie, bullet combination that I can use.

    camijr59 writes:
    "It is true, Trailboss DOES fill the case with only 13 grains"
    No it does not. Also check the hodgdon site for pressures using trailboss. With 13 grs. Trailboss does over 25,000 psi. Shake your cases with 13 grains of Trailboss and a 405 gr. bullet, it rattles.

    Group,

    I thought the pressure limit for trapdoors was 18,000 psi. Did this change? I know Hodgdon lists the Trailboss load for trapdoors, but looking at accuratearms.com website, 5744 powder comes in under 17000 psi.

    I shoot a 45-70 contender and an H&R handi rifle with both smokeless and black powder loads, my wife and I prefer the black over the smokeless. I now just cast the 500 gr. and use walter wads, sized to 459" , lube with l&r stuff blackpowder lube. It works.

    Your mileage will vary. My personal experiences are just that as I am not attacking anyone, just relaying what I have experienced.

    take care,

    r1kk1
    Rikki, compression of the powder is more important for a hunter or someone thats going to walk, drive or shake the cartridge. In a blackpowder cartridge that is not compressed SLIGHTLY the powder may respond to the shaking and settle, thus creating an airspace between the bullet and powder. Using a drop tube to compress or settle the powder is another way to avoid this problem. The main point Im trying to get across to anyone considering loading a blackpowder cartridge with blackpowder or a approved blackpowder substitute is that an airspace between the bullet and the powder is dangerous and should be avoided.
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  • Hawk Carse
    You can compress the dickens out of REAL black powder.
    The GOEX rep recommends filling the case level full of loose powder and taking that weight or volume as your starting load. Going to be 65-68 grains. When you drop tube it into a case through a 30 inch tube it will settle an eighth inch or more below the mouth. Then compress it with a die to the seating depth so you don't mash the bullet out of shape. GOEX will respond to .34" of compression; Swiss needs less.
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  • r1kk1
    [/quote]Rikki, compression of the powder is more important for a hunter or someone thats going to walk, drive or shake the cartridge. The main point Im trying to get across to anyone considering loading a blackpowder cartridge with blackpowder or a approved blackpowder substitute is that an airspace between the bullet and the powder is dangerous and should be avoided.
    [/quote]

    Amen on that Steve45. The rigors of what cartridges go through can be mind boggling! Leaving an airspace is a dangerous situation. I think Sam Fadala did an article on this years ago. It will bulge a barrel at the very least. I use different compression rates to do accuracy work at the range (always experimenting) and have a hunting load that has worked well for me. The difference is that my hunting load has a light taper crimp to keep the bullet seated into the case and the case is full length sized to enable me to drop a cartridge into the chamber no matter where I'm at (Alaska but Montana for the most part) and no matter what temperature. My target loads are very different than the hunting loads. If I go to Arizona to hunt Javelina, then my lube that I use is slightly harder. It is warm there even in January in the desert!

    Steve45
    That is sage advice. The air gap issue seems to be a more prominent issue in muzzleloaders due to the lack of eyesight seeing where the powder ends the projectile base starts. I have had a situation where in a smoothbore flintlock that I let a friend hunt with, shot a little far back on the elk and I took the muzzleloader poured powder quickly down the muzzle, dropped an unpatched round ball, slam the butt on the ground in an attempt to seat it and fill the pan and fire. It is rare that I do this but he hit the animal a little far back, later I was right, a gut shot. I fired and the elk went a few yards and piled up. I immediately reloaded the same way. My friend asked me if that was proper, I replied NO! They may have done that in the Revolutionary War in order to survive. I told him that the ball can still roll away from the powder and bulge the barrel or worse. Your comment brought back memories of that day and the choices I made also that same day. I am very aware more so of the airspace issues in rifled muzzleloaders than in cartridge.

    Steve45 you are most definitely right... Hunting rounds have to handle the rigors not thought of before.

    take care,

    r1kk1
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