djl4570
Member
I've always liked the 45-70 cartridge. It was the first US Military metallic cartridge and was in service in National Guard units as late as the 1940's.
The loading data I am using is from Lyman #48 page 296 45-70 data for Trapdoor Springfields and is recorded on the scans of the targets for comparisom purposes. The Lyman 535g Postell is a good bullet and not all that expensive from Midway. These bullets measured .459 and appear to be lubed with SPG. All of the following three shot groups were shot at 100 yards from a Shiloh Sharps 1874 Long Range Express fitted with MVA Medium Range Soule sight and an MVA bubble level front sight. I shot the first good group with them on Friday. Shooting a group like this will make you smile like "Bob" in the TV commercials. I followed this up Sunday with two very nice groups here and here. The group from Friday was shot in bright sunlight. The groups shot on Sunday were shot on a cool overcast damp gray day that anyone from the California Central Valley will know. There was no wind and it wasn't raining so it was a good day to shoot.
One of the most fun things about 45-70 is the wows you get when people see the cartridge for the first time. I met up at the range Sunday with 45R who bravely tried the Shiloh. He put the first shot on the X ring but had a bit of a .45-70 stare in his eyes afterwards. Even at a mere 1400fps the recoil of a 535g bullet will get your attention. The set trigger suprised him on the second shot but he came back and put the third shot on top of the first. His M1A felt like a .22 afterwards
Here's what happens when the bullets are too hard, poorly lubed or improperly sized. These were Meister 500g RNFP obviously keyholing at 25 yards. I shot lighter loads Friday that could not find the target at 100 yards. I measured these bullets at a very consistant .458 and they're a good looking product. Too bad they won't shoot in Ballard style rifling. The general consensus at the range is that they're too hard and poorly lubricated.
The loading data I am using is from Lyman #48 page 296 45-70 data for Trapdoor Springfields and is recorded on the scans of the targets for comparisom purposes. The Lyman 535g Postell is a good bullet and not all that expensive from Midway. These bullets measured .459 and appear to be lubed with SPG. All of the following three shot groups were shot at 100 yards from a Shiloh Sharps 1874 Long Range Express fitted with MVA Medium Range Soule sight and an MVA bubble level front sight. I shot the first good group with them on Friday. Shooting a group like this will make you smile like "Bob" in the TV commercials. I followed this up Sunday with two very nice groups here and here. The group from Friday was shot in bright sunlight. The groups shot on Sunday were shot on a cool overcast damp gray day that anyone from the California Central Valley will know. There was no wind and it wasn't raining so it was a good day to shoot.
One of the most fun things about 45-70 is the wows you get when people see the cartridge for the first time. I met up at the range Sunday with 45R who bravely tried the Shiloh. He put the first shot on the X ring but had a bit of a .45-70 stare in his eyes afterwards. Even at a mere 1400fps the recoil of a 535g bullet will get your attention. The set trigger suprised him on the second shot but he came back and put the third shot on top of the first. His M1A felt like a .22 afterwards
Here's what happens when the bullets are too hard, poorly lubed or improperly sized. These were Meister 500g RNFP obviously keyholing at 25 yards. I shot lighter loads Friday that could not find the target at 100 yards. I measured these bullets at a very consistant .458 and they're a good looking product. Too bad they won't shoot in Ballard style rifling. The general consensus at the range is that they're too hard and poorly lubricated.
