newbie looking for help...

[kozman4907]

Good morning Nosler forum members,
I am totally new guy to reloading and jumped into the deep end of the pool. I recently purchased an Uberti 1885 highwall in 45-70, the gun came with 300 fresh Starline primed brass, 200 count of Hornady 300 grain JHP and 500 count of 300 grain Better Bullets super hard cast. The gun came with 3 Rcbs die set.1000 Winchester primers. I am using single stage press.

My goal is to create a load to thump deer. I hunt PA,ME thick timber. My lead hard cast don't have gas checks, are they really needed? I would like to make something to shoot close to same POI with both rounds so I can practice with the lead and hunt with the jacketed bullet.

Thanks Koz

 

[jimbires]

here is the info I have on gas checks .

 

[salmonchaser]

Welcome aboard Koz. You’ll find a lot of love for the 45/70 around here. I carried a Marlin guide gun for 20 years in Alaska, a fantastic cartridge. While I am pretty finicky in developing loads for my rifles I only had two for the 45/70. One used 400 grain Barnes “busters” the other a 300 gr. Hornady. The 400gr was loaded very hot and was what I normally carried for bear protection. The 300 gr was for familiarization practice for my new guides and for clients to shoot the steel across the river.
Getting two completely different bullets to go to the same point of impact takes a little luck and a little close enough for the intended purpose. If you’re content with being able to use your practice rounds to hit a steel plate at 100 yards from field positions more or less in the center, you will probable be able to do that. Seeing them group together with your jacketed bullets at 100 yards might proove difficult. The difference in velocity might be your greatest struggle. Resolving these ambiguities is what makes this fun. While I have great respect for the old war horse I only developed two loads in two or three sessions using two different bullets, both that hit the plate at 100 yards some twenty years ago. I used Rl 7. That’s the sum total of my experience with this cartridge. It worked every time I pulled the trigger and I carried the rifle with complete confidence every day I guided. Others will have much more information to share.

 

[JD338]

Welcome to the forum. I load my Marlin 1895G with H322 and 300 gr Nosler Ballistic Silver Tips for 2100 fps. This load shoots .400” at 100 yards and has flattened WT Deer out to 160 yards. I do have hard cast bullets but haven’t loaded any to date.

JD338

 

[PJGunner]

Welcome aboard. It's been a very long time since I played with a 45-70. The first was a first run Marlin 1895. When that rifle first came out, even the very conservative gun writer Ken Waters thought it could handle Ruger #1 loads. I'm here to say it won't. I sold it at a gun show and a few months later I acquired a Ruger #3 and later on another one after I'd sold the first one. Guess I'll never learn but in that light carbine, a 510 gr. cast bullet hits very hard at both ends when the velocity is around 1800 FPS.Most of the work I did with the cartridge was with 400 gr. cast bullets running at roughly 1650 FPS in a a Ruger #1. I never hunted the load. Powder of choice was IMR3031 and the charge about the middle of published loads for rifles in the Ruger #1 class IIRC. Your Uberti 1885 should qualify to be in that level.
Regarding your cast bullet, does it have the step at the base to take a gas check? Also, what is the measurement (diameter) of that bullet. .458" may work with a softer alloy but with hard cast I think you'd need at least .459" and I ran .460" hard or soft without any problems. Probably be a good idea to slug your bore and run cast bullets .001 to .002" larger. My reasoning is if your bore is the nominally .458" and you run .458" hard cast you'll probably get some leading, even with a gas check. Stuff just happens. The time spent removing a serious leading problem can be hours of fun, NOT! I've been shooting cast bullets in various cartridges since 1954. Mostly 30-30 and 30-06. I've taken a few deer with those loads back in the day. I cast my own bullets and decide just how hard I may want them to be. I've learned a lot over the years regarding cast bullets and will be the first to admit I sure do not know it all.
PJ