45-70 trajectory

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jgh4445

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I'm shooting a 500 govt and a 535 Postell over approximately 70 gr of Swiss 1.5 with about a 1/4 inch compression and slight neck tension.

If I zero at 100yds does anyone have any idea where I'll be at 50, 150 and 200? My Chrony is dead so I don't have velocity numbers.

Oh, its a Lyman Model of 1878 Sharps replica by Pedersoli. The barrel is 30 inches.

I'd appreciate any input.
 
Thanks Dicky. Weather and schedule have kept me from the range as of late. I want to work up a load to shoot deer with next season. May have to change to a flatter shooting bullet. Also have one of Lee Shaver's med range tang sights as well as the Lyman No. 2. I think I might change back to the lyman rear sight for such close ranges. Really wanted to shoot the bigger bullets as my rifle doesn't like the 405 or 300gr HP. Besides, I think the big bullets are just "cooler".
 
You probably won't get a "flatter" shooting load. It will take about 12 -15 minutes elevation to go from 100-200 yds. That's what makes the ladder sights on the barrel preferable for hunting, it's much quicker to make the yardage adjustment than a tang mounted vernier sight.
 
You probably won't get a "flatter" shooting load. It will take about 12 -15 minutes elevation to go from 100-200 yds. That's what makes the ladder sights on the barrel preferable for hunting, it's much quicker to make the yardage adjustment than a tang mounted vernier sight.
Thanks Don. You're probably right. My rifle doesn't have a rear sight, just the Lyman and the Shavers. I guess I can go to the range, shoot with the Shavers at 50, mark the sight, and do the same out to 200. Got a whole year to do it in.
 
The ballistics of these older calibers can vary to the extreme. The only way to know is by firing on paper at a known distance. The 400-550 grs. etc bullets sighted at 300 yds will be over 2 feet high in some applications at 100 yds.. It is a could idea to chart your loads and keep them tapped to your rifle butt. We all prefer clean kills regardless of the caliber.
My Sharps .45-110-535 Gemmer wears a 6X Power John Malcolm scope. It is loaded with a 535 cast 40 to 1 alloy over 110 grs of Goex Ctg grade powder. It is zero at 300 yds. :thumbup:

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My REM with 385 grain over 60 ffg was 24" low at 200 from a 100 yard zero.
 
Assuming you get a velocity of 1225 with the 500 gr govt bullet , zero at 100, it will be about 3 high at 50,10 inches low at 150 and 28 inches low at 200. 10mph winddrift at 200 will be about 9 inches.
Zero at 200 and at 100 will be about 15 inches high, 10 high at 150.
 
I would rely on nothing but my own shooting if I am searching for the trajectory of a given rifle over ranges extending to extreme.
Best method I've found is to use a 4x8 sheet of plywood or sheetrock with butcher or wrapping paper for marking targets.
Not every gun and caliber will perform exactly as the ballistic tables.
 
Take your range finder and an some wind meters. It will be a shock to find out how much a 10 mph wind quartering in from the right will drive that bullet down, and you may not believe what the same wind quartering from the left and behind will do to it.. There's good reason the 30-30 made those big single shots obsolete...
 
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