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Subdeacon Joe

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.45-70-405

 

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Undoubtedly, I was getting somewhere; the "Most American Rifle Cartridge" had to be big, it had to original and it had to have cowboy ties. And it had to be relevant, not some one-off cartridge that faded into obscurity. The question pretty much answered itself: The .45-70 Government. It’s as big as the Grand Canyon, it’s right at home when chambered in a classic lever gun like the Winchester Model 1886, the Marlin Model 1895 or a classic Sharps falling block, and like America herself, it’s big enough to handle Alaska.

 

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I just bought a box of 20 rounds for my new (3rd hand) Sharps.  I haven’t had the time to fire it yet.

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28 minutes ago, Crooked River Pete, SASS 43485 said:

Kills on one end, maims on the other.

Not if you load your own! But your right. Full house loads are real thumpers. 

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Got two boxes coming for my Winchester (Browning) '89 rifle.  An octagonal 26" barrel helps soak up some of thr recoil but it will still bust you up if you don't handle it right.

 

Had a repro Sharps '59 conversion to .45-70 with a 19" barrel.  Even had the tape primer device on it that worked like the original.  That little carbine HURT every time you fired it.

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I like my Henry Single Shot thumper with HSM Cowboy 405 grain hard cast loads. I haven’t loaded my own yet but I might just have to come up with a similar load. It’s stout, not too stout, but stout enough. 
 

The rifle weighs less than 7 pounds so those 325 grain 2000+ FPS loads can just stay on the shelf, as far as I am concerned. 

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The .45-70 hasn't faded into obscurity.  It's attained legendary status and still has enough popularity to keep it in production.

 

It's the only one of the early rifle rounds to has survived into the 21st Century.  You buy currently manufactured factory ammunition for it at most sporting goods stores. 

 

Try that with any of the Sharps, Ballard, Bullard, Peabody, etc.... rounds that were its' contemporaries.

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2 hours ago, Dawg Hair, SASS #29557 said:

Haven't had a chance to try out my Pedersoli 1873 Trapdoor carbine.  Also concerned about the ammo.  Don't want to blow it up.

I don't have any experience with the modern replicas of the M1873 Trapdoor Springfields, but the originals are somewhat stronger than has been reported.  That does NOT mean that I would fire any high velocity ammo in them, but most of the commercial ammo available with 405 gr bullets loaded to a listed 1315 ft/sec (will be lower in the carbines) are okay for guns that are otherwise in good condition.  At one time I heard there was a problem with some of the repos having the locking latch using a set screw to keep the bolt from rotating in the latch.  The originals had the extension into the latch keyed with a square shape.

Stay well, Pards!

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3 hours ago, Trailrider #896 said:

I don't have any experience with the modern replicas of the M1873 Trapdoor Springfields, but the originals are somewhat stronger than has been reported.  That does NOT mean that I would fire any high velocity ammo in them, but most of the commercial ammo available with 405 gr bullets loaded to a listed 1315 ft/sec (will be lower in the carbines) are okay for guns that are otherwise in good condition.  At one time I heard there was a problem with some of the repos having the locking latch using a set screw to keep the bolt from rotating in the latch.  The originals had the extension into the latch keyed with a square shape.

Stay well, Pards!

Thanks for your thoughts.  Mine is a brand new Pedersoli manufactured in Italy.  These people have a heck of a reputation for manufacturing high quality stuff and my rifle is simply gorgeous.  I intend to start off with HSM Cowboy Action 405 grain and some Fiocchi 405 grain Cowboy Loads.  I think it will be safe.  After that it will be depending on how my right shoulder feels after the pounding. 

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22 hours ago, Michigan Slim said:

Not if you load your own! But your right. Full house loads are real thumpers. 

I intend to begin loading my own cartridges soon.  I’ve been accumulating my kit over time.

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Best loads for the 45-70 uses black powder. My cowboy plainsman load is 50g 2f and cream of wheat filler to the base of a 350g cast lead. My Quigley load is 65g of 2f under a 500g cast lead. I am shooting a Shiloh Sharps Business rifle.

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The cartridge, too tough/popular, to die!!! Life span... 1873 to infinity? (or a leftist/liberal take-over of the government).    

 

I use my 45-70 on the tons of wild hogs we have down here. 

When I shoot one, they usually die of pneumonia, from all the wind blowing through that big hole in their hide!!! har de har har!

 

Love reloading them with black powder.  Smoke & power & history...don't get much better than that.

 

W.K.

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