45/70 question

P

pshaw

Inactive
Hi All,

I have a T/C with an SSK 45/70 barrel. The reloading manuals suggest a much lighter powder charge for the handgun as compared to the rifle loads. I've purchased and shot factory ammo and reloads from gun show dealers for years without any problem. Is the lighter loads specifically for Thompson barrels or is my SSK barrel better able to handle the factory rifle loads?

Thanks, Rog
 
45-70 factory ammo is loaded at very low pressures due to the fact that a lot of old guns simply can't withstand the pressures some of the new designs can. Example - trapdoors are rated for very low pressure and Ruger #1 very high pressure. The ammo manufacturers don't know what gun the shells are going to be used in so they load them to low pressure levels. When you handload, you need to load for the type of gun you are going to put the shells in. A TC isn't capable of handling the pressures a Ruger #1 can take and is more in line with the older trapdoors. No one can tell you what to do or not to do but I'd strongly advise against loading beyond the suggested loads for the TC. The TC action is not designed for very high pressure loads.
 
NoSecondBest hit the nail on the head. I have a T/C with a 14" ported barrel ion 45-70 ( don't know if its SSK, it doesn't say), and what I shoot is a 400gr bullet at standard (black powder) velocities. In fact, I use the "factory duplication load" from an old Lyman manual. The T/C is probably a little stronger than the old Trapdoor Springfield rifle, but it is not nearly as strong as a Winchester or Marlin lever gun, and they are not as strong as a Ruger No.1 or No.3, or a custom bolt action.

Rifle data in some reloading manuals has three sections for the three different strength levels of rifles commonly found in .45-70. Data for the Trapdoor is safe in the T/C. Data for the leverguns probably isn't, and data for the Rugers certainly isn't. IF your manual has a T/C section, use that. If you want something more, carefully develope your own loads, working up slowly using accepted reloading practices. And remember, anything that goes wrong is entirely your responsibility.

I find the recoil from a 400gr cast bullet to be quite stout, but manageable. However, I still get my middle finger wacked by the triggerguard sometimes. And a friend who wanted to shoot it (after watching me fire several rounds) got wacked on the nose! He thought he was ready for the recoil, but while his wrists were, his elbows weren't!:D

I use the Pachmayr grip and fore end when I shoot the .45-70. It seems to help, a little.;)
 
Thanks guys.
I use it for hunting pigs and squirrels. It's dead accurate at 150 yards and was wanting a little more range. The SSK barrel is from before T/C made 45/70 barrels. I use a 5x burris scope and 300 gr. jhp which work very well. It's my favorite handgun to shoot! :D
 
Big 45-70 fan... I have enough guns in that caliber, that I load for 3 different energy levels ( I always put my reciepes on the ammo boxes, & mark mild, medium or hot on the box as well... my 45-70 Contender ( 14" ported "hunter barrel" ) shoots the medium loads, & I've been expirementing with more pointed bullets for my medium loading )... mine wears a Burris posi lock scope, & I can put 3 shots touching at 75 yards... but I don't often shoot it over 100 yards... I have other calibers better suited to the longer handgun ranges...

... I do have an older SSK barrel in 6 X 223 though...
 
Its not just a matter of size, but also of pressure

There is the T/C Contender, Contender G2, and there is the T/C Encore. The Contender is not built to handle the pressures that an Encore is.

Size does matter some, as the Contender (and its current version, the G2) will handle the .223 Rem, but as rounds get bigger, the limits are cartridges like the .30-30, .35 Rem, and .45-70.

The Encore handles rounds like the .30-06, .270, and some of the Magnums. It has a beefier action than the Contender. All the T/C pistols look very similar at a glance.

The Contender is not suited to high level .45-70 loads. DO NOT SHOOT A MAX LEVEL RUGER LOAD IN A CONTENDER!

The .600 Nitro, while a huge round is not a really high pressure cartridge. And after watching the video, with the shooter taking 3 tries to lock the action shut (by slamming it), I am not impressed. I have seen an inexperienced shooter wack themself in the face with a Contender in .45-70, also.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top