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New 45-70 single shot shooter


Trooper Ozzy

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Loaded 10 rounds. New Starline brass sized and slight flare on die set.  CCI large rifle primer, 4.3 cc Goex FF (65 gr), 405 gr RNFP .459 dia (MBC #1 Buffalo Black Powder). Two thin 7/16 dia wads (punched from primer cardboard cover) over powder and under bullet. Seated bullet depth just enough to close rolling block. Light crimp with Lee FCD  Wiped them off and put them in a box for tomorrow if snow holds off.  

Original Remington action, 28" Numrich half Oct half round barrel. 

Good to start?  Missing anything?

 

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no, possibly-if your leaving an air gap between your wad under your bullet and your wad over your powder you can create a bulge in your rifle.  I am not sure how it affects black powder as he was shooting smokeless powder.  Had a fellow shooter have to replace his barrel on a 1886 Browning, his 1874  Shiloh Sharps and a Lone Star Rolling Block.  Tough checks to write.  Hope somebody jumps in with more experience that I have.

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Do not, not, not, leave a gap between your black powder, and the base of the bullet!!!   Black powder likes, and needs, to be compressed a little bit.  Muzzleloaders know this, and if you are loading "cat-ridges" with black powder, you cannot leave any gaps either.  If you don't put enough powder in the case to fill it so the bullet will compress it a little when seating the bullet, then you have to use a filler, between the black powder and the base of the bullet.  Some folks use dry grits, some use Cream of Wheat, some use a felt wad, and some use something of their own design, but you gotta use something.  You risk making a sort of "pipe bomb", if you don't compress that black powder a little.  I have been shooting, and using black powder since 1965, and my experience, and the experiences of others that I have heard, and have read about, confirm this.  I own everything from an 1851 Navy replica in 36 caliber, to a Shiloh Sharps in 50-90, plus some flintlocks, and percussion rifles as well.  You risk damage to your firearm, and to yourself, if you don't slightly compress that black powder in the bore, or the brass case.  Get in the habit of picking up a loaded black powder cartridge, and slightly shake it.  If you hear it rattle, do not use it.  Dispose of it right then, while you are thinking about it.  I am not talking about smokeless powder...I am talking about black powder.   

 

Oh, Mrs. Pat Wolf has an excellent book on reloading the 45-70 government cartridge.  She, and her late husband, J.S. Wolf, spent many an hour, and many a shooting session, working out the reloading methods of the 45-70, to get that old cartridge to perform to it's full potential.  It can be purchased from her on Amazon, if you are interested. 

Disclaimer for the lawyers, and those that don't have a life: I am not affiliated with Mrs. Wolf at all, just passing this information on to anyone that is interested in the 45-70 government cartridge, and the firearms that are chambered for it. 

 

A great cartridge, still going strong, since 1873.     

 

My Two Bits.

W.K.   

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No worries boys, BP compressed slightly, no gaps.

Dropped the powder through 24" tube to settle, hand pressure with dowel over wads to compress, long tail on the 405 gr that doesn't allow any gap. 

Shoot BP exclusively in matches. 

Appreciate all the info. 

IMG_1633.JPG.a587881ebb67981639113170682a9bc3.jpg

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Very nice! If you're shooting a S.A.S.S. event that sight isn't legal. That said I have had our long range match director waive it at a monthly.

 

PG. 36 - No bolt or receiver mounted sight is permitted.

 

 

PG 31.(Long range)

Front barrel sights may vary from simple blades to period hooded wind gauge 
designs using interchangeable sight inserts and having a spirit level mounted 
integral with the sight or sight base.
- Rear sights must either be open iron sights mounted on the barrel or original 
style tang or stock wrist mounted peep sights. Long range rear barrel mounted 
sights of the flip-up ladder type may use a peephole drilled through the sliding 
sight leaf. An example of this is the various ladder type sights used on the 
Springfield trapdoors.
- Bolt or receiver mounted sights are not allowed.

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Haven't decided on what sights or where to mount them. The action only has a single hole in the tang, would have to drill another if I install one there. 3/8 dovetail available on the barrel if I go that way. Are Marbles legal?  I have an old one gathering dust. 

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5 minutes ago, Trooper Ozzy said:

Haven't decided on what sights or where to mount them. The action only has a single hole in the tang, would have to drill another if I install one there. 3/8 dovetail available on the barrel if I go that way. Are Marbles legal?  I have an old one gathering dust. 

 

If it mounts on the tang or the dovetail in the barrel, then yes it’s legal.

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What alloy and lube are you using?

I suggest you anneal the case mouth of those cases.

Just close the case mouth enought to allow you to chamber the round.

No need to crimp a SS round.

Track each shot, to see if your fouling control works.

Weigh each charge.

OLG

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Hard cast bullets and bp not so good. Lube needs to be something that works with BP or fouling will be bad. As mentioned annealing the case mouths and no crimping works.

Weigh each BP load to get real consistency. Start with volume then equalize b weight.

 

I stopped using a blow tube years ago. I run a wet patch through after each shot and then dry mop the chamber. Of course shooting a SASS speed rifle long range match a blow tube will be the way to go.

Ike

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BHN 12. BP lube.

Light crimp just to reduce sharp edge of cartridge.

Will check brass after shot to see if fire formed adequately to reduce working case neck.

Next project to make is a blow tube and some shooting sticks. 

Thanks for all the tips. Will weigh next group for consistency. Definitely not a speed loading proposition. 

Snow and ice today at 2500'...have to wait for next weekend. 

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12 kinda 'hard', be best to get down around 10.

How is this alloy made up?

I use 30/1(lead/tin)and DGL lube.

The annealing helps with case sealing and increase case life.

Every time you crimp-You're work hardening the case mouth.

Just bump the loaded round in your size die to straighten the case mouth.

What's the ROT of your barrel?

Did you 'slug' the barrel to confirm bullet dia?

OLG

 

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OLGthanks

Purchased 200 black powder lubed 405 gr bullets to begin  1.3% tin, 4% antimony, balance lead per caster web site. 

Barrel is 1 - 20 twist, slugs measured .456 - .457 used Meister kit.  Loaded cartridge chambers snugly/firmly with thumb pressure. 

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That is an odd looking trigger guard for a rolling block.

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