eldeguello

I don't know, Dan! Pretty stupid of me, I guess. You are right, of course! I apologize to all.

As a matter of fact, I seldom fire that 400-grain heavy load either. It has just too much recoil to be fun to shoot! My "standard" .45/70 load these days is the old Elmer Keith load of a 400-405 grain bullet with 53 grains of IMR 3031. It gives around 1800 FPS, and is alot easier on the shooter.

Sounds like your 350-grain load is a good one also.

bigcountry

Even that one can be a harsh load. I have been shooting 300gr partitions with 46gr of IMR4198. Its kicking out at 2000fps. But I wanted a good whitetail load. But I am almost out of 4198, and am going to try 3031 next.

eldeguello

I have never found a 300-grain load that shoots well in my rifle. Perhaps they are too short. About the best of the "lighter bullet" loads I've found uses the Lyman 457122HP which weighs 342 grains cast from wheelweights in my particular mould, and IMR 3031. It is a plain base bullet, so I put an inverted gascheck on top of the powder charge to compensate for this. I heat-treat the bullet by heating in an oven for two hours, then quenching the bullet BASES ONLY in cold up to the first grease groove, which hardens the base portion, leaving the noses relatively softer for expansion. I have never shot anything with this load, nor have I tested it in some bullet-expansion medium, so I really don't know how well it would work. Does good punching paper, however!

I will refrain from giving load or performance information on this bullet/load for fear ofadverse reaction from certain person(s).......

Another load I've developed for that same bullet, cast from pure lead, uses 65 grains of Swiss FFg with a Wonder Wad under the bullet. This load gives 1350 FPS and is pretty accurate. I have found that 46 grains of IMR 4064 with the same bullet/Wonder Wad combination essentially duplicates the BP load, but of course without the dirt......

These loads use the pure lead bullet w/o any lube in the grooves. The Wonder Wad seems to keep the bore from leading, even with an all-lead bullet........

[email protected]

eldequello, I have something you might try, it's not a weighed charge but a 1.9cm dipper of lee mfg. I use a 350 gr laser cast coated with Lee alox, which may be unnessary, the alox that is. Alliant Blue Dot powder and CCI200 primers This load gives 1396 avg volicity and great accuracy. I use no fillers and consistency has also been tight.

MinnFinn

It's a 19th century carbine ammunition. It's slow by today's standards. If you zero it at 100 yards with the 300 gr slug, it's ready dropping by nearly 6" at 150 yds and nearly 14" at 200 yds. It's dropped velocity at 200 yds. to 1240 ft/sec. Maybe for a short range cartridge you want to protect from bears or something as a backup, it's fine. But for other big game beyond 100 yds. it wouldn't be anywhere in the list of ammunition I choose to hunt with. There are so many cartridges that shoot flatter, develop much more speed and force to break through bone and create the shocktobig games'internal organs needed to bring big animals downquick and clearer. Idon't know of a reason to go back to a cartridge developed 125 years ago.

Matt/TN

they are plenty proficient enough, and i already have a 270 and 308 i want a short yardage gun, i never shoot over 150yds really.

DANTHEHUNTER

I can tell you why we use a 125 year old round. It works!!!!!! There was a great story about a man in Africathat shot thrugh two cape buffalo with one shot. That is called penatration at it finest.

Brush hunter

Most hunters (and I use that term loosley) need a round that is flater shooting with a longer range, because they don't have the skills to stalk an animal. Besides the further away you shoot an animal , the further you have to pack it out.

Matt/TN

the longest shot ive had has been 125 yards.......every other one has been 70 and under with the majority under 50

Pighunter56

[quote]ORIGINAL: Cougars09

the longest shot ive had has been 125 yards.......every other one has been 70 and under with the majority under 50
[/quote
The 45-70 is a good cartridge, not too many cartridges have a better track record on NA game.