Shooting 45-70 BP in a 45-120 Uberti 1885 High Wall

B

backlash

New member
Anyone doing this? Lots of bullet jump. I also have a Henry 45-70 lever gun and I reload for both.

Don't know why I would do it but it has crossed my mind.

Similarly, I shoot a Uberti 1858 Conversion pistol in 45 Colt. The bullet jump is considerable. With the proper cylinder it will shoot 45ACP with even more jump. I got on interested in this after reading/YouTube about bullet seating and "land chasing" in some shooting sports and hunting rifles.

Anyway, must be a 3/4" jump for the 40-70 in a 45-120 bore. Wonder how fast the bullet is going when it hits the rifling?
 
Once upon a time, way back in the 20th century, it was celebrated that .45-70 would shoot in .45-90, -100, and -110 because proper ammunition was seldom available. That would let you shoot Grandpa's Gun on Ceremonial Occasions. I do not recall a report on accuracy.

I can't imagine why anybody would do it now with the BPCR revival and the availability of correct supplies.
 
They always say that. Yet there are people afraid to do even that.
I have not seen a range report on accuracy and velocity. Maybe the OP will.
 
It can be done, and relatively safely, but it's NOT like "shooting 38 Specials in a .357". The .38 and .357 cases have parallel walls - they're the same diameter all the way. The .45-60 to .45-120 family of cases are tapered .025" end to end, so shooting a .45-70 in a .45-120 chamber puts the mouth of the case in a larger part of the chamber, resulting in excessive blow-by and expanding the mouth of the case beyond what it would in the correct chamber. The brass is worked more when resizing, and will rapidly develop mouth and neck splits.
 
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