hamburg shoulder

[kimbershot]

i have a t/c contender 45/70 16 inch carbine with choate adj. stock. love the gun--light, cool, accurate. i load my own--340-405 cast lee lead bullets (i am cheap!).

i had been using trail boss for essentially fart loads, pushing these projectile per ballistic tables to around 1000fps. i want to use this rifle for hunting--deer and hogs (recent move to sc). been looking at loads and recently purchased some 3031. i worked up some loads from 40-43 gr. under the 405's. the most accurate was the 43 grain. after my range trip, my shoulder looks like overcooked hamburg!!! ugh.

well, i am going to live with this rifle as i know it will do the trick (my limit is 100yds). i would like to be able to develop and shoot without crippling myself!!

is it advisable to go back to the trail boss loads (more of a whoosh vs. kaboom)--will it kill a 200 lb. pig at 100yds. also--would a limbsaver type of recoil pad be advisable.

care to opine?

 

[Texan Scott]

check it out:

http://www.gunblast.com/CharlesDaly-LittleSharps.htm

Note this little girl shot a 900 lb BUFFALO with a sub-1200fps 260 gr .45 Colt!

I'm pretty sure a solid lead 405gr. at 1000fps will go through ANYTHING - and its mother-in-law - at 100 yards. Stick to the Trail Boss loads.

 

[firesky101]

Texan beat me to it. If you are limiting yourself to 100yds, keep the trail boss load. It will drop any hog or deer you want in that range, and you will not develop a flinch. I would probably set up a 75yd zero and figure out my drop, but that is me.

 

[Coltdriver]

I had an Encore with a 45 70 Barrel. In fact I started with a 450 Marlin Barrel and all of that ammo in manufactured form is serious magnum. I put a Limbsaver on the plastic stock and it utterly tamed the magnums, still not pleasant to shoot, but I was about to give up.

Fast forward, sold the Encore and got a Marlin 1895 in 45 70. I automatically put a limbsaver on it. Then started working up a 405 grain load. The stiffest I go is 49 grains of Varget which puts the round out at about 1450 fps. Stiff but more on par with a 12 gauge. With the limbsaver you absolutely can shoot these over and over with no bruised shoulder. Might be a bit hot even with a limbsaver and a contender.

I believe the original black powder 45 70 rounds were at about 1300 fps.

A 405 grain bullet over that load will freight train anything you hit with it at that velocity. And keeping to 100 yards is a good idea. You can get out to about 150 yards at ~1400 fps before the arc becomes a problem. I did get some dead soft lead bullets and they seal right up at low velocity and will distort a bit on target.

 

[x_wrench]

do yourself and your shoulder a HUGE favor, and buy a "Limbsaver" brand recoil pad, and install it. the difference it will make is amazing. i had a hard time hanging onto my Marlin guide gun shooting hot loads when it was stock. the Marlin pad is to hard. you want a nice soft pad. they advertise up to 70% felt reduction in recoil. i am not sure what percentage actually is, but i can shoot 400 grain bullets @ 1900 fps with this installed, and still control the gun. before, it literally wanted to jump right out of my hands. i will not lie to you and tell you that loads that hot are easy to shoot. but they are at least controlable.

 

[Vlad357]

Ditto on the "Limbsaver"

Ditto on the "Limbsaver". I can say that recoil is not usually a problem for me, but I have added one to a couple of my nasty kickers, and I just seem to shoot them more.

 

[Maverick223]

Personally I prefer Magnum Pachmayr (I like the F325, but the F990 is even softer), but either way a good pad is where I would start. Trailboss (FWIW I have hard that Unique works good too, but I've no experience with it) should be fine for that sort of range (I imagine that the average shot is taken at even closer range anyway), but you may want to try 35.1-39.0gr. of RL-10 (or 37.0-39.0gr. of RL-7) under one of those 405s (they will penetrate much better than the "light" 340s) and see how that does for you...it's still a fairly light load. To use up the 3031 you already have try a load with only 34.0 grains (note that this is a starting load), as it should offer some relief.

Personally I think I'll stick to my standard loads: 54.0gr. of RL-7 pushing out a 400 (or 405), or 60.0gr. topped with a 300 (note that these loads are above max., I am not recommending that anyone try them without a very stout action and meticulous care working up the load).