45/70 do's and don't's

[1Shirt]

Well Onondaga, have never heard of anyone hunting deer with a 458, but to each his own, and IF I had one would probably try it as well cuz other than the fact that the rifle is probably heavy as he-double-ll, just figure it is an over grown 45-70 with a belt. You must be deer hunting in the Adarondics, or out of state, unless they changed the laws since I left home (Livingston Co.) 50 years ago when it was all shotgun w/slugs. Did hear that they now allow ML's in New York as well.
1Shirt!

[mpmarty]

The beauty of the 45/70 is the ability to digest reduced loads of smokeless without getting fussy.

[onondaga]

Yes, even the Southern Tier of Western New York allows rifle now for the past several years. I like heavy rifles for all of my shooting. My .458 is a scoped Colt Sauer Grand African and weighs 10 pounda even. I do notice the extra magazines in my pocket when hunting. They are extraordinarily noticeable in the pocket. Actually the hunting loads I shoot are light for even a 45/70 with a 340 grain bullet at 1610 fps.. It is a fine shooter and will group less than an inch at 50 yards for myself or my grandson. Actually it kicks less than a 30-30 lever rifle with the load I use. And It is prettier.



Yes, muzzle-loading has been here for a while too. Currently there is pressure to open hunting in NY with the use of Atlatl and darts. I am competitive in that ancient art, make my own gear and flint knapp my own dart points. I'd love to hunt with that and can group about 10 inches at 20 yards with Atlatl and darts.

Gary

[geargnasher]

I like to use a piece of Dacron pushed down firmly on top of 10-12 grains of unique under cast bullets in 45/70.

This seems to give more shot to shot consistency than without it. I have used it under cast bullets from 300 to 405 grains in weight.

I cut the Dacron in approx 1/2 inch squares from a supply I got from the local fabric store. I use a regular old pencil to "tamp " the Dacron down on top of the powder.

Be careful with these types of loads - it is VERY easy to double load the powder. I adjust my process on these loads - and after i put powder in the case - complete the load process on that one before I put powder in another case. I always 'invert' the cases before i drop in the powder too - can't be too safe.

Cheers,
Rusty

Rusty, be advised that many people report gun damage from doing just what you're doing, TAMPING the Dacron down over the powder. This is supposed to create a massive spike in chamber pressure with powders like Unique because the filler is acting like an overpowder wad and and the airspace between the wad and boolit base makes the boolit act as a bore restriction. The powder gets a good light and starts a burning pressure wave against the wad, then rapidly accelerates the flame front pressure wave forward and is almost up to full steam when it slams into the boolit base. The resulting outward pressure spike is blamed for ringing chambers.

I use a lot of Dacron, but the important thing is to "fluff" the Dacron to fill the space between the boolit base and powder, it doesn't have to be compacted to keep the powder situated. Even fine grain powders like 748 don't migrate much at all through a light fluff of Dacron, and the fluff reduces case capacity effect slightly while not providing a dam for the flame front to build against. As an experiment, cut a window in the side of an old cartrige case and tape a piece of clear plastic cut from a package over the hole. Fill 1/3 with whatever powder, however much of a fluffy Dacron tuft will minimally fill the void to the boolit base, and seat a boolit in it. Carry it in your pocket for a week, observe powder migration. Then you'll know how much is really needed.

Gear

[Fixxah]

There you go making all kinds of sense again.