Woodycreek
Handloader
- Aug 2, 2007
- 2,240
- 0
No thanks! I will get the lead so we can start casting.
.45-70 hunting loads
- Thread starter redrider03
- Start date
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,402
- 6,210
How long do you carry that fish before eating it?
Scotty,,,,,I started out with Benchmark on the 405's. Haven't played with the other weights as of yet. I found out after finally running them over a chrono, that my starting load was abit faster than I really had planned,,,but they shot well. I tried backing off a couple grains, and accuracy was less than hoped. So now I am going to give Reloder 7 a try. Evidently the lower pressure of the lesser charge, wasn't what the alloy and rifle wanted. Once I get that load fiigured, I'll move on to 425 gr. then the 2 heavy weights. H335 would be another, as well as H322,a n I also have some 3031, and VV N130 here to play with. At the slow, slow end, Varget may even prove to do well. There are many a good powders out there, to run the gamut in the 45-70. But I will start again with the Benchmark, once I get to the next heavier weight.
Oh and the 350 gr.,,,,, I haven't given that one a lot of thought as of yet. I went ahead with that cavity, just in case I wanted a lighter for bullet deer. But that particular bullet, has had success being sized down and loaded in Colt or Casull cases. Might give that a try, in my Casull barrel, to see how it compares with my 360 gr. micro lube grooves.
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,789
- 6,036
I'm reminded of a couple of one-shot, instant kills I got with a 385 gr lead bullet from my .50 muzzle loader at a mere 1400 fps... Nothing at all wrong with a lead bullet launched at reasonable velocity and placed well.
Back in the day of my Contender, RL-7 gave me the best with the 400 gr. Speer Scotty. I went with the slightly slower Benchmark on these cast, as to give them a hopefully softer launch. I will try the RL- 7 next however.
I spent a lot of time on the phone with the guy that made my one aluminum mold, his experience showed H-335 to be best, but then he is using a much softer alloy (aircooled bhn 8-9), but also heat treated to bhn 22, (can't remember what vel. or pressures he was running however, but think vel. was around 14-1500).
Evidently, the alloy I am currently playing with, likes the tad higher pressures I'm getting at 1800 fps with the 405gr.. That alloy is 14.5 bhn aircooled, but I heat treated them to bhn 19, as to hold their shape on impact. It may prove, aircooled with the lesser charge/pressure at 1600 fps works. That would likely have some expansion, until down range terminal velocity is near 14-1450 fps, however that isn't quite what I'm looking for. (some day once I get the loads figured out, I will so so testing in wet saw dust also).
With the RL-7, I'm speculating roughly the same pressure with less velocity, than with the Benchmark, using the same heat treated. With softer air cooled alloy, then I'm back to wanting that softer launch,,,at least, that seems to be the general consensus I have picked up.
With cast, there are far more variables than with jacketed. But that is part of the fun,,,,experimenting and shooting a lot, in order to find out what the rifle likes best, and trying to get close to one's personal goals or criteria. That part is pretty much a personal/individual thing, and there is no real right or wrong. I know guys that use fairly soft alloy, at 1200 fps, with great success, and other's that push to max with extremely hard bullets.
With cast, there are a few general, sometimes often disputed rules, revolving around the heat and metalurgy of alloy's, chamber pressure for given hardeness, and rpm. Beyond that, one rule stands out everybody agrees on,,, "bullet fit is king". Eventually, it pretty much boils down finding a combination that the firearm likes, and will suffice the shooter wants, as there are little if any ideal's. Perfection is generally impossible, like with most anything else, but seemingly more so with cast due to all the variables. As in life, so may ways to achieve an end!!!
Regardless, casting your own, is quite the addicting hobbie.
I apologize to all, for what feels like to me, a highjacking of this thread,,wasn't my intention
P.S. if hadn't mentioned it before,,,while hard cast do penetrate, and the greater share of commercial casters tout them highly for penetration and being better killers, the main reason for such, is to prevent damage in shipping however.
Sometimes expansion is desirable, but that in my mind, it is more desirable with sub 40 calibers. That part are just my thoughts, as I still want higher momentum exits, hence either harder cast, or heavy for caliber.
I spent a lot of time on the phone with the guy that made my one aluminum mold, his experience showed H-335 to be best, but then he is using a much softer alloy (aircooled bhn 8-9), but also heat treated to bhn 22, (can't remember what vel. or pressures he was running however, but think vel. was around 14-1500).
Evidently, the alloy I am currently playing with, likes the tad higher pressures I'm getting at 1800 fps with the 405gr.. That alloy is 14.5 bhn aircooled, but I heat treated them to bhn 19, as to hold their shape on impact. It may prove, aircooled with the lesser charge/pressure at 1600 fps works. That would likely have some expansion, until down range terminal velocity is near 14-1450 fps, however that isn't quite what I'm looking for. (some day once I get the loads figured out, I will so so testing in wet saw dust also).
With the RL-7, I'm speculating roughly the same pressure with less velocity, than with the Benchmark, using the same heat treated. With softer air cooled alloy, then I'm back to wanting that softer launch,,,at least, that seems to be the general consensus I have picked up.
With cast, there are far more variables than with jacketed. But that is part of the fun,,,,experimenting and shooting a lot, in order to find out what the rifle likes best, and trying to get close to one's personal goals or criteria. That part is pretty much a personal/individual thing, and there is no real right or wrong. I know guys that use fairly soft alloy, at 1200 fps, with great success, and other's that push to max with extremely hard bullets.
With cast, there are a few general, sometimes often disputed rules, revolving around the heat and metalurgy of alloy's, chamber pressure for given hardeness, and rpm. Beyond that, one rule stands out everybody agrees on,,, "bullet fit is king". Eventually, it pretty much boils down finding a combination that the firearm likes, and will suffice the shooter wants, as there are little if any ideal's. Perfection is generally impossible, like with most anything else, but seemingly more so with cast due to all the variables. As in life, so may ways to achieve an end!!!
Regardless, casting your own, is quite the addicting hobbie.
I apologize to all, for what feels like to me, a highjacking of this thread,,wasn't my intention
P.S. if hadn't mentioned it before,,,while hard cast do penetrate, and the greater share of commercial casters tout them highly for penetration and being better killers, the main reason for such, is to prevent damage in shipping however.
Sometimes expansion is desirable, but that in my mind, it is more desirable with sub 40 calibers. That part are just my thoughts, as I still want higher momentum exits, hence either harder cast, or heavy for caliber.
