Buffalo Creek Law Dog Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Since I'm having a hard time finding a load for a 450 gr LRNFP bullet in smokeless for a 45-70 Pedersoli 1874 Sharps, I decided to go with the holy black. I currently have a Hawken style cap and ball rifle and a cap and ball revolver and understand the need for a bit of compression. Is a spacer wad necessary or can you load the bullet directly to the powder, the bullet in question has 4 lube grooves. Appreciate your time and comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brownie Nash SASS #3656 Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Law Dog It is not absolutely necessary but most seasoned shooters use them to protect the base of the lead bullet. If you use a wad they are usually .030 or .060 thick. Also a piece of newsprint between the wad and bullet base so wad will not stick to the bullet. You can get the said wads from Buffalo arms or John Walters. Regards Brownie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Howdy Get your self a copy of Mike Venturino's Shooting Buffalo Rifles of the Old West. It will tell you everything you need to know about loading Black Powder cartridges for single shot rifles. Buffalo Gun Book I usually put a .030 vegatable fiber wad between the powder and the bullet in my 45-70 cartridges. The thinner wad lets me stuff in a tiny bit more powder. Here is the bullet I usually use. It is lubed with SPG. The lube grooves are kind of skimpy, they do not hold as much lube as a Big Lube bullet. With bullets like this it is normal to use a blow tube to blow moist air into the bore between shots to keep the fouling soft. Otherwise, the fouling can harden and ruin accuracy. Bullets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 The wad helps to keep the lube(you ARE using BP lube)from "bleeding" into the powder when its hot. It also is nice to have when you compress the powder before seating the bullet. BTW, your Sharps will like a heavier bullet, at 500grns or better. Check out Buffalo Arms Co. Cheers, LG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virgil Ray Hality, SASS# 37355 Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 A couple of things I found for me. One, a card wad to protect the base of the bullet is a must for longer distance accuracy. You can buy these from various places, or you can make them from cardboard similar to milk containers (avoid waxed or lubed wads. These can and will stick to the bullet base and cause "fliers". Thick veggie wads can be problematic. If you compress them, they will expand and push the bullet up. Quite the PITA if you are trying to adjust for optimal freebore in your load. If you plan to use this as a hunting round with a really firm crimp, its not so much of an issue. If you plan to shoot BPCR with minimal/no crimp, vegie wads may not be right for you. Think about how/what you are shooting before loading up. Mike V.'s book is a really good bit of advice. Good luck and have fun with your journey. BPCR can be quite consuming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Woodrow Cahill, SASS # 54363 Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 If you want to retry smokeless, Accurate 5744 is a good choice. http://www.reloadersnest.com/detail.asp?CaliberID=91&Powder=Accurate+5744&LoadID=10578 http://www.accuratepowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/accurate_load_data_3.5.pdf The 45-70 loads are on page 20. In lieu of experimenting with various wads, you might consider gas-checked bullets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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