Pyrodex in .45-70

Hi am Stan from Sweden!
I´ve been loading smokeless fore over thirty years, only a few times v´with real blackpowder, and i must say, i dont like all the cleaning.
But now i will try Hodgdon pyrodex in my 1895 High Wall .45-70 and single action in .45Colt. Is there any propellant of this type that i can use for both calibers.
I`m not looking fore high pressure,hard kicking loads. Just for fun and the smoke.
In the rifle i use cast bullets between 300-500 grs and the revolver RCBS 250 grs,
a little harder than only wheelweights.
I am looking forward for your advice.
Take care!
/Stanley

Hi again!
Of course it should be a "1885" high wall.
It´s a Browning and i think they are assembled in Japan,maybe fabricated there to. Never mind, it`s a nice rifle, chambered for a cartridge with a very interesting history.
/Stanley

45Colt

230 RFNP

30

One Pyrodex Pistol

870

9,600




45 Colt

250 RFNP

30

One Pyrodex Pistol

787

9,900

45-70 gov

405 RNFP

60 gns

Two Pyrodex Pistol

1231 FPS

21,900 CUP

Hello Dave and thank you!

Now i understand the Hodgdon pyrodex data.
Do you hunt a lot with your .45-70, and what do you use it for. I know there is a large number of hardskinned buffalos in Australia, maybe you take one with this oldtimer.
I search Flinders Ranges on on Googles Earth, and my friend, its almost a whole world beetwen us. But not more far away than one press on a enterbutton.

20 years ago i get my hands on a Rem 700 in .17 Rem ( i sold it damn it ) back then i was told that this little cartridge was very popular by furhunters in Australia.
Is that thrue?
I used it only for crows,ravens, jays, and ten wildcats back then, and i sure like to have one again.

/Stanley

Better ask and seems to be stupid, than never ask and remain stupid

Back in the late 60's & then in the mid 70s (the Australian Army took up a little of my valuable time in the early 70s ) I used the 45-70 for Buff shooting after starting with the .303 Brit . It was the start of a long "affair" I still use it for Camel on occasion.
For many Years the price of fox skins was sky high over here,in Australia! It was a terrible time for those of us who were & still are Pro shooters ,as everybody wanted to make a dollar out of fox skins ! We Pros were forced to hunt remote places like the Nullabor Plain were we'd go for the 3mths that foxes over here have the best pelts ! The .17 became very popular ,though most of us Old hands just stuck with the .22 hornet ! I used a .17 ackley Hornet for a while .The thing was with the 17's over here where as a Mod 700 BDL Rem was selling in .222 for $250.00 a .17 in the same rifle was going for $500.00 ! Gun writers went mad telling of what a great round it was (one idiot even shot a Sanbar Deer with one ) When the fox market collapsed in 1985 ,so did the popularity of the .17 ! It's very rare to hear of one these days ! I always felt that they were a little harsh on skins at close range & temperamental under windy nights for long range work.

Dave

Hello again Dave!
I know this is not the right forum for this kind of conversation, but i must hear from you again, because when you wrote about foxcollaps in the mid 1980, it was the same here at the same time.
But on the other side of this planet.
But... Our foxes died from terrable deceas. Scabeas!
For the last five years they seems to recovered very vell,and today we have a pretty good population of healthy foxes again. But less roedeerfawn.
Thats life! Only accept it.
/Stanley

Stangrips... I guess you'll have to use black powder or one of those substitutes if you want the smoke and all that goes with it. Personally, I hate anything other than good old smokeless powder. I use Accurate Arms 5744 for lead bullet loading the .45-70. I use Alliant Reloder 7 if I want to shoot jacketed in it. For the .45 Colt I think Alliant Unique is hard to beat with normal loadings. If you are into high-power .45 Colt loadings you may want to try Hodgdon H110.

If you are really into playing with loadings it's possible to use Unique for both calibers but I've found it better to use the first-mentioned combinations for better results.

You can also use 777 FF for both cartridges. I use 60gr for 45/70 behind a 405gr LRNFP and 30gr in .45 Colt behind a 200gr LRNFP

My Hi-Wall is a tack driver utilizing 405 gr LFN's in front of a .030 Veg wad and 65grains of Pyrodex RS FFg.

I've enjoyed reading the above. Where else can people from all over the world just sit and chat about their pet loads and learn from each other. Guess I'llhave to try some 5744 in my Sharps (replica) soon. I realize you mainly talk about black powder and Pyrodex loads though. I've shot a lot of Black powder over the last 35 years and even tried some of the Pyrodex until T/C advised me against using it in my Hawken. Speaking of 45-70 loads and light weight bullets- I've discovered that the new IMR Trail Boss powder allows good loading density under light weight (320 gr) bullets works really well. I haven't hunted anything live with it but I regularly shoot steel silhouette targets and have been using 17.5 grains of Trail Boss under a .060 wad and a 317 grain bullet (RCBS mould) without a gas check but with DGL lube. Out of my 30 inch barrel I Chronied it at 1330 fps. I use this load for practicing my offhand shooting and it comes close to the same velocity as my Goex load (60 grs of FFG) using that same bullet when I shoot at the 200 meter chicken silhouettes. I haven't hit one yet that gave me any guff about falling over. I also use the Trail Boss load in my new Marlin XLR 45-70 in Cowboy lever action silhouette matches. I have been amazed at the lack of recoil with that powder and bullet combo. Hope this helps Stangrips!

Just wanted to add that I have also tried 8.0 grains of Trail Boss in my 45 Colt (Ruger Blackhawk- 4-5/8") and like the way it shoots. Again, the recoil is minimal and it burns really clean. I use a wheelweight metal 255 grain SWC bullet and standard W/W primers.