After six years without a .45/70 I've got one on its way to me again. While I realize that the more popular powders are the 4198s, Reloder 7 and H-322 I don't have any of those on hand at the moment and there aren't any gunshops in the area.

I do have H-4895 on hand and I understand it works well. In fact I seem to remember a 45/70 reloading article by Brian Pearce where it was used a fair bit.

Does anyone have favourite loads with H-4895 to share so I can get started?

Which 45-70, what weight bullet and how fast do you want to push it?

DF

IMR-3031 is good.........used it for years.

Elmer liked it too.

MM

The rifle is a Marlin 1895SS with Micro-Groove rifling. Now the funny thing is, that since I owned this exact rifle at one time (not one like it, this one, I bought it back) I do know it is quite accurate with 300 grain Remingtons and H-4198 loaded to 2000 fps.

As for bullet weight and velocity I'm open to any and all suggestions if it is a load that has worked well for someone else.

Lots of H4895 loads for Marlin 45-70 and 300 gr. bullets on line. I use Loaddata.com, but it requires a nominal yearly fee, much cheaper than buying load manuals, IMHO.

DF

I don't believe Hodgdon even list H4895 in their data. Let us know how it works out.

I've had good luck with faster powders. AA2015BR is a good one.

It'll be a little dirty, I think 4895 is on the slow end of things for the .45-70, and the pressure doesn't quite get up to where it will burn real good. But, it'll work.

At least that's been my experience with it. I tried it with a 425 grain LBT style bullet, and it was accurate enough, and velocity was in the mid 1700s.

I forget the load details, I'm at work and away from my notes right now.

I agree with H4895 being slow for what you're doing. To me, using what I had would be less inviting than finding out the best powder for the bullet I was wanting to shoot.

I like to check out the Barnes Bullets site and their loads, even when I'm looking to load C&C bullets, not mono-metals. They seem to use the latest powders, vs. some of the other data sites.

In my Browning BPCR 45-70 (1885 JMB design made my Miroku), I'm shooting 250 gr. TSX FB bullets with Vv 120 powder, pushing those bullets at 2,550 fps. (Barnes Marlin load). This gun has a 30" bbl and is my "primitive weapon" for deer hunting. I'll use it this up coming weekend.

It has a Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x40 CDS, the turret calibrated for this load. I can put these bullets on a pie plate at 300 yds, all day long (4" or so) and around an inch at 100. Not too primitive...

DF

I run a Marlin Guide gun with 400 gain Sierra slugs. There's 55 grains of H4895 in there too and the slug leaves at about 1,750 fps. That load does get ones attention on ignition.

Factory velocities of around 1,200 fps are much more plesant experiencess.

I used H-4895 very briefly in the past with hand cast 425 gr. FPGC bullets. I then picked up a can of H-4198 and used it the rest of the time I owned a 45/70. I would recommend you pick up a can of 4198. For me it gave better velocity, consistancy, and less recoil.

Mark in GA

Well, I was into the city and managed to get H-4198. The only bullets I could get were Hornady 300 grain HPs. I was hoping for a more stout bullet but they will do fine for now. I will just make a point of not pushing them too fast.

Let us know how it shakes out please.

4895, generally the IMR version, is one of my standard powders for the 45-70. It isn't generally the one that'll go absolutely the fastest, but it is a good reliable powder which will lay flat virtually anything you hope to kill with it. It's a fine powder for 350-400 grain cast and jacketed bullets. As a bonus, kind of like H322, you can load it milder or hot and it will shoot well. I've never had an issue with getting it to burn well BTW.

I should have some results by Sunday. At some point on the weekend I plan to get out shooting so I should have some accuracy and chronograph information. The rifle has a Skinner peep sights so it might not show the entire accuracy potential but it should give a good representation.

I'm going to aim for about 2000 fps with this bullet not to overstrain it.

Around 49 grains of IMR 4198 with 300 jacketed bullets should put you in the neighborhood of 2000 or just a bit more depending on barrel length. Sierra has 49.9 listed as the accuracy load for their 300 with that the IMR version of 4198 for 2100 fps in a 22" barrel. They also show it at lesser quantities in the less stout actions for accuracy loading. I have been pleased when using 4198 with 300s.

That sounds good. I was figuring on trying around 50 grain witht the hopes of that being around 2000 fps. I've been reading a lot of old posts about the 45/70 and its clear that you've used it a lot.

There was a thread about the 300 grain Speer which is much sturdier than the Hornady and you seemed quite pleased with it. Is there a short list of .458 bullets that you trust? Any thoughts on the limitations of the bullets that you like?

My own use near home will be deer, black bears, and possibly moose. Other than that I'm hoping to be in Texas in March to visit a friend and go after hogs.

I like the Western Powders Burn Rate Chart as it give parallel rates for 8 manufacturers, side by side.

Faster to slower in the range for 45-70:

Vv N120
H4198--IMR4198
RL7
H322
Benchmark--IMR3031
RL10
BLC(2)--748
TAC--RL12--H335
H4895
Varget--IMR4895
IMR4064

So, you see that H4895 is in the slower section, but not that far from the middle of that pack.

DF

I load 350's with H4895.

H4895 - 59.0grs
Hornady 350gr FP
WW Brass
CCI 200

1912fps average - great accuracy

50 grains of H-4198 and a 300 grain Hornady gave 1940 fps and excellent accuracy