45-70 Leading - Follow Up Report / Question

[Red Sky]

The 425 RD has lotsof bearing surface. Combine that with a gas check and it will handle velocity and pressure better than you might think.

I would have no problem trying a 12 Bhn alloy at 1500 for or better as long as the bullet fits and lube is up to the task.

Hard isn't needed in most cases.

Thanks! I'll give air cooled hardball a try for the time being and see how it goes.

[tall grass]

Red Sky

I really don't like cleaning out copper, never as easy as everyone else says it is. I think that any cleaner for copper will work. I have had better luck if I clean it with the copper cleaner and then work it over with a tight patch with some "JB compound". If you have any copper wash showing at the end of the barrel then repeat. You probably know not to send any Boolits down the tube with copper fouling.

Jim

[btroj]

I have shot many cast bullets down copper fouled bores. They may not be the most accurate but it isn't like they go all oer either.

I find that shooting lead in a copper fouled bore actually does a good job of removing most of the copper.

Every gun/load/ situation is different. There are no absolutes in shooting, cast even more so.

[mpmarty]

My 1895 has never leaded and never shot jacketed. My load of choice is 25gr of 2400 over a RD 350gr boolit without a gascheck. Plenty of power and definitely minute of ground squirrel accurate. Boolits are tumble lubed in a 50/50 mix of LLA and JPW. Alloy is straight clip on ww air cooled.

[Red Sky]

My 1895 has never leaded and never shot jacketed. My load of choice is 25gr of 2400 over a RD 350gr boolit without a gascheck. Plenty of power and definitely minute of ground squirrel accurate. Boolits are tumble lubed in a 50/50 mix of LLA and JPW. Alloy is straight clip on ww air cooled.

Poor squirrel, did you find any of it? Honestly amazing how good 45-70 is in regards to game versatility as it actually does NOT explode the little things with the right load. This is my first hunting rifle (or at least my first purchase for that use) and will probably be my only for some time unless Africa gets involved (silly laws telling me 45-70 isn't good enough...shot placement!) or I move where a lot more range is needed.

In any case, I should make it out to the range today with some of both loads mentioned before. I'll post my findings tonight or tomorrow. Thanks again everyone!

[Red Sky]

Well, I finally made it to the range this weekend. Unfortunately I have no target pictures this time as I didn't wait for the ceasefire to collect them. However, after shooting some more sub-par groups, I decided to stack up some beanbags and get a really firm rest. The result was a 3 shot group of touching holes at 100 yards. I then proceeded to suck again, partially from the barrel heating up I'm sure but mostly my technique. So the problem was 100% me, and the rifle seems to be sub-moa with that load!

I also shot some of the GC'ed boolits with 3031, working up to the max load from Ranch Dog's data. The result was 1 more 3 shot group of touching holes, a lot more sucking on my part aside from that, and no leading even with the alloy air cooled!

Thanks for all the help so far, and it looks like I not only did not get a lemon of a shooter, I got quite lucky! Or maybe, the personal attention the gun got on being returned for a new barrel made some difference. Most likely both. Regardless, I'm exceptionally happy with the performance of the boolits, loading, and rifle - and can focus on the REAL problem here, which exists only between the rifle and chair.

Looking forward to a lot of fun practice and good hunting. Thanks everyone for your suggestions and support! I'll continue to experiment with new ideas and loads for this rifle and will post results as I get them. Next up will be some lighter boolits and some of the light jacketed things that expand faster than they should to see how well I can convert energy with less penetration (for those rare situations that full length gas checks *might* be superior).

Now I just have to decide on the Ranch Dog 300 or 350, and do it before he closes shop!

[runfiverun]

the 45-70 don't need flgc bullets it never has and never will.
if you can't put two holes in something with the 45-70 you just ain't using a heavy enough boolit.
those things will recoil you into bad groups off the bench.
just keep on working the 3 shot groups untill you get used to shooting the rifle.
then try plinking some stuff with it.
a 350-400 gr boolit at 1300-1600 fps is a ton [okay probably more than a ton or not i ain't gonna go look] of energy but i bet it's enough to shoot through a buffalo.

[Four-Sixty]

I used a lot of reclaimed shot so I to have had an issue with the high antimony content coating the inside of my barrel. I found that a couple drops of Lee's tumble lube and a about 1/2 a teaspoon of JPW swirled around 50 .38 special bullets fixed the problem. Maybe a tumble lubing over your rifle bullets would work as well.

Also, read "From Ingot to Target" for some good insight on high antimony lead and its effects on bullet casting.