Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Nearly Finished #3

I got a good deal on this .45-70 because about 1/2 the finish was missing on the stock. Started with BLO and finished with 8 coats of hand rubbed Min-Wax Satin Tung Oil Finish. I'm still waiting on a front sight, Leupold QD Rings, and a Leupold 1.5-5X20 scope. I had one when I was young and I missed it.

Looks pretty nice. What kind of loads are you going to shoot in it?

Trapdoor or a little warmer. Probably start with 30 grains of IMR-4198 and a 405 cast bullet.

Just for giggles load 70 gr by volume Goex ffg. You will be shocked with how accurate it is, and it will kill anything you shoot up to and including big moose.

Randy

Lose the white spacer on the buttstock sling swivel stud! BLEH!!

Try some Hodgdon's Trail Boss, its great for Trapdoor equivalent loads in the 45-70 without having to worry about air space inside the cartridge case.

And I agree, blackpowder in a #3 or #1 is great fun, and clean up is as easy as it gets.

Swampman, that #3 looks really nice now. The nicest #3 I ever owned was a 30-40 Krag that I had the receiver CC'd by Doug Turnbulls outfit. At least, I did get my money out of it when I sold it.

I worked some with a Ruger .44 carbine, that had the same style buttplate, and that thing slid all over my shoulder when I fired it. You may find it helps accuracy to put some rubber strips on the plate, so it stays put in firing.

Levergun Leather makes a stock/butt cuff for the #3 with some cartridge loops. I'm thinking the leather cover over the buttplate might help.

LeverGun Leather makes a fantastic cover for the rifle. Below is a picture of the one he made me for my 45 Colt Low Wall.

That #3 you have looks great. They are a great rifle. Very fast handling IMO.

Trail Boss would be your friend in that #3. A heavy load would be a real kicker in the #3's. I have been there. Tom.

That looks really nice!

Swampman700 - #3's are a fine woodsman's carbines (fine for open country use as well). In 1982 I had a .223 rebored to .25 caliber and chambered to .257 Roberts - rear of barrel is stamped "by Dennis Bellm, P.O. Ackley" - used it for caribou in Alaska for years. Had another #3 in .223 rebored/chambered to .308 WCF with 1-in-11 twist, very accurate! Another #3 in .30-40 Krag and Willimas receiver site. I use 10.0 grs of Unique and the Speer 100 gr Plinker, for about 1550fps, in both the .308 and .30-40. Came across a #3 last year, someone had rebarreled it with a 28" octagon barrel and chambered it in .40-90 SS - what a sweatheart to shoot using 385 gr cast bullets. Came up with a good buy on a #3 in .45-70 this spring. I normally use 28.5 grs of AA 5744 beneath a 405 gr cast bullet - a "user friendly load", yet will go through most anything you apply it to! You might like to read a book by Paul Mathews "Forty Years With The .45-70", as he used a 300 gr cast bullet for plinking/practice loads. Go online and enter in to Google about using light loads of Unique for 'practice/plinking' loads - no need to practice with full loads all of the time. best of regards, outsidebear

That #3 with the octagon barrel sounds really cool. I've been wanting to order that book for some time.

C.Sharps Arms, Big Timber, Montana, I believe still offers the service of re-barreling the #3 with a Badger octagon barrel. The #3 .40-90 SS 28" octagon barreled iron I came up with last year, has become a favorite, as the balance and hang is VERY good...this has found to be liked by a couple of shooting buddies as well. One is also thinking of finding a #3 to rebarrel with a 28-30" octagon barrel, just from handling the .40-90 SS one I have. The extra weight of the octagon barrel (this #3 balances & hangs at the shoulder, similar to a long barreled 1886 Windychester) dampens any appreciable recoil as well. I've only used smokeless powder loads in .40-90 SS so far. Entertaining to see the cast slugs kick up dirt around the sagebrush out there at 735 yrads (range finder), along with friends son using his .300 Remington Ultra Mag!

I'd sure like to see some pics.

I looked at the FAQ section about sending an image!!! Not sure yet how to do it? I'm sending you a PM...ok.

I like that as well. Much better looking than the rubber slip on butt pads. Heck I may try that on an old MIni-14

Very nice job, Swampy. Looks great!

I suggest this load in your #3: 405gr cast plain base (no gas check) and 11 grains Unique powder for about 1000 fps. NO FILLER MATERIAL. These are very accurate and pure joy to shoot. You can shoot them all day, no problem. Even my younger kids like shooting them.

I have some Unique. I'll try that too.

There is a reason I have Rug3 as a tag. Like them. Congratulations. You certainly have a nice one there. The 45-70 WILL get your attention when fired in a #3. There have been some excellent loads recommended here. Enjoy
Jim