Load development....hunting load....45-70

N

Nathan

New member
So, I have everything I need for 45-70 in 2 loads....

Load 1 is a 405 gr cast light load. Trap door to lever pressures.

Load 2 is a 300 gr OH deer load. Lever to max pressures.

I'm thinkng a 10-15 shot ladder load development might be fun.

So, is ladder loading a good choice for hunting/plinking loads??

Also, in a big brawler like 45-70, do you load to the crimp groove or also consider how far off the lands?
 
In a lever gun, you are pretty much tied to a COAL of 2.55" for magazine feed. So, that would mean use the crimp groove.
 
Ladder loading doesn't tell you a lot about how well the load shoots out of your rifle. Only tells you where the bullet hits in relation to other loads.
There's no Trap door to lever pressures. There's trap door loads and lever action loads. However, if you want pressure, look at IMR4166. Hodgdon shows it as giving big pressures out of either with a 405. Jacketed for the lever, cast for the TD. Velocities are nothing to write home about though.
 
if you get a good shooting load using a 405 grain soft point at around 1,400 fps you don't need anything more. the 45-70 didn't get it's reputation with high velocity. it got it by shooting a heavy bullet all the way through animals of all sizes. no matter how hot you load it the 45-70 is a 200 yard gun at best under ideal conditions. if you want to shoot further than that you had better practice a LOT.
 
Trap door pressures in my words are ~30k max. Lever are 40k max and Ruger are 50k max.

Doesnt ladder tell me the sweet spot in the powder charges where the most accurate powder charge is?
 
From the lever action you need to stick to the proper length. I do load mine just a hair long as my Marlin SBL seems to load them better at about 2.59.

the 405 grain bullet is capable of any hunting here in the lower 48 states. Many year ago when I was a younger man I harvested an american bison (note I said harvested. Its not my idea of hunting but the meat is very good!) with a 405 grain 45-70 pill moving about 1350 FPS at about 70 yards. It dropped right there. I did put a second shot in the brain when I got close but I don't think it was really necessary.

Make sure your 405 grain pill has a wide meplat. I understand you liking the 300 grain HPs I also like to have other loads to play with. I like my 550 grain pills going 1050FPS and my 325 grain hornady bullets going about 2000 FPS.
 
In my 1895GG, I have gone to exclusively using Missouri Bullet Company 405gr Buffalo and Benchmark or H4895 (Benchmark is my preferred flavor).

If memory serves (I don't have my data in front of me), 48 grains of Benchmark gets me to just under 1600 FPS with no leading and shoots about 1.5" groups at 100 yds with iron sights.

That load has taken 4 deer in the last 2 years, and is not brutal on the shoulder so I can shoot 20 or 30 with no problems if I want to.

I used to "tinker" with .45-70 loads, but as time went on, I saw not point to brutalize myself, my gun, and waste money in powder and bullets doing ladders on an iron sighted lever gun that shoots bowling balls.

By the way, I seat to the groove and crimp heavily.
 
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