Homemade 45-50, anybody?

[jamesinalaska]

I am very fond of my 45-70. It is my "go to" rifle and comes along on nearly every family outing we take. And as awesome as the 45-70 cartridge is, often I don't need so much power, and this is true especially when I am at the range. Shooting 8 or 9 rounds at a range session is all I want to do and I don't dare give the rifle -not yet, anyway- to my boys to practice with as it is too much for them still.

Can I shorten a 45-70 case down to something managable, to 45-50 or 45-55 for instance, and have a really nice, mild cartridge for practice and for tin cans, and will such a "45/50 special" cartridge still cycle through my Marlin? I have searched a this but not found much. Any High Road insight will be appreciated. I think it would work as the cartridge seats itself in the rifle's chamber from the case rim. Am I missing anything?

 

[Mauser lover]

It does headspace on the rim.

If you are going to manufacture your cases anyway, why not just load them lighter, perhaps with a filler?

 

[Pat Riot]

^^^ What Mauser Lover said...

 

[Pat Riot]

You could get a Lyman manual and use the loads listed for pistol powders like Unique to create reduced loads. Also, you can use 5744 powder for reduced loads.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

You won't gain anything with short brass.
Try 11 grains of Unique behind a 405 grain cast bullet.
If you don't have a Limbsaver recoil pad it may be worth trying.

 

[Obturation]

Trailboss

 

[ilgac]

Try loads with Hodgdon Trail Boss. It really tames the 45-70.

 

[someguy2800]

No need to go through all this and ruin cases, just get some trail boss. A 350 grain cast bullet with around 15 grains will be quite pleasant and give excellent accuracy.

 

[mustanger98]

If you are going to manufacture your cases anyway, why not just load them lighter, perhaps with a filler?

Check this against some published data, but I've seen it work... 405gr Lazercast over 12grs of Unique. It reminds me of my muzzleloader... little or no perceived recoil. It'll still put a whomp on a heavy gong too.

 

[crest117]

I think you would be better off trying some reduced loads. I shoot 405 gr lead bullets over 28 grains of H4198. This load is accurate and will not beat you up with recoil. Another possibility is reduced loads with H4895. Check Hodgdon's website where you will find some very mild loads. I would beware of using Unique as it would be easy to double charge which could be dangerous.

 

[Obturation]

I think you would be better off trying some reduced loads. I shoot 405 gr lead bullets over 28 grains of H4198. This load is accurate and will not beat you up with recoil. Another possibility is reduced loads with H4895. Check Hodgdon's website where you will find some very mild loads. I would beware of using Unique as it would be easy to double charge which could be dangerous.

I didnt know you could load h4198 low like that , i use 37.5 grains h4198 with a 405 grain lasercast to get about 1500+ fps ,it has a bit of recoil . I like the trailboss a lot but its not cheap, a pound canister is only 12 ozs or so too.ive wondered about the rifle loadings with unique but never tried it, i think it needs a filler and a keen eye so you dont quintuple charge a case like you said. I like useing components i have for other specific loadings to make plinking rounds. But i prefer a full case of powder , when i make plinking rounds i am careful and cautious but im not making 338 lapuas that have to be precise in every way. I like 12.5 grains of TB and a winchester mag lrp with the 405 gn rn.thats just my favorite light loading.it pushes back so little and still has great power ,has proven to be clean and accurate too.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Trailboss

My first thought halfway through the OP

 

[jamesinalaska]

Thank you, all. I will try some trailboss powder.

 

[BigBore44]

My 10 year old nephew could handle a 405gr MBC #1 Buffalo over 12gr of Unique, with ease. And he was kind of a weakling. It was harder for him to hold the rifle up than it was to absorb the “lack” of recoil. Put him on a table and he didn’t want to stop shooting it. I had only brought 40 rounds.

 

[Varminterror]

Piling on here - just load down with a faster powder.

 

[Steve S.]

A 45-70 shell is a 45-0 and everything in between when safely and properly loaded. Or in turn, just like everyone else said (I just wanted to say it so cleverly that I would be the mostest cleveristest on the forum and modestly revel in my newly found cleverlyishness).

 

[mustanger98]

Another option I recall hearing about with the 405gr cast... 18grs of 2400... but it's more position sensitive than the 12grs of Unique. With the 2400, you'd use a quarter of a square of toilet tissue... a spacer, but not a filler... to keep the powder back towards the primer.

 

[redneck2]

I had a Marlin 1895. Added a pachmyer Deceleratior pad. Even with very heavy loads it was easy to shoot

 

[caribou]

I have some original .45/50 Winchester, I think they came out with the 73' model lever action, and they have the primer as part of the case, rather than separate.
Found them coming out of the river bank, from an old Eskimo midden that the rivers washing out.
The daughter found a split .45/70 case apon a smooth stick, apparently an archer's bird blunt (The Kiwalik river area is a birders heaven) and one .60 or so cal lead bullet.

 

[TRX]

+4 (or 5?) on the Trail Boss. That's what that powder is *for*. Use it with some 300 grain bullets and Bob's your uncle!

 

[748]

There are tons of reduced 45-70 loads out there.
If you find one that tosses a 250gr bullet at around 1,800fps, kind of like a 44 mag rifle that should be pretty manageable.