Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Michigan 45-70 1.8 inch brass

What powder and how much ! Just starting out with this cartridge , and I need help.

45-60 data would probably be prudent, since it's 1.85"

Load Data has a pdf article listing some 45-60 loads. I can't get the link to work, but if you Google "45-60 load data" it comes up near the top.

The loads are all for 300-ish grain bullets, since they're for the 1876 Winchester, and they're pretty length sensitive for feeding.

What are you shooting it out of?

I went through all of this here in IN. I do have some .45-70 cut don brass I do not use anymore. I used the Barnes 250 gr TSX bullet and 1680 powder. My info is in reloading room in basement but I was pushing it at about 2400 FPS. PM me and I will answer.
Have a great day.
Jim

That's smoking. The best I could get from 2.040" brass and a 250 Hornady mono-metal bullet with 1680 was 2,300 ft/sec. My Marlin has an 18.5" bbl so that could account for some reduction in velocity.

My .45-70 Marlin was the 22" barrel. The bullets also could have an impact. Pardon the pun. But at 2300 FPS it will be a killing machine. I did have a compressed load.
Have a great day.
Jim

I would be concerned about bullet performance at those speeds. Are those Barnes bullets designed for use in the 45-70 or 458 WM?

I shot a deer years ago with a Barnes 225gr XPB in a hot loaded 45 Colt Handi rifle (20" bbl). The bullet lost it's petals upon impact and the base penetrated through without much of a permanent wound cavity. That would have been fine if I aimed at the shoulder but I put the bullet behind the shoulder. I discussed the issue with Ty Herring at Barnes and he concluded I shot that bullet way too fast.

Thanks, Dinny

I also ran 45-70 1.8" accuracy tests with Varget and A2400. Both those powders shot well with lead cast bullets from 350-405 grains. Today I would be tempted to find a load using Unique. I can't imagine it would take much to find an accurate load using published trap door data. Don't focus on speed. A 350+gr bullet traveling 1000 fps will kill well.

Thanks, Dinny

A 45 -70 1 .80 inch

What was you over all length? Do I need to worry about it. Or do I need to get as close to the length of a 45-70 as I get?

That largely depends on the rifle. The action type/design, chamber, and throating are all factors. Some are pretty length sensitive for feed and function, and others aren't at all.

As far as accuracy goes, with straight wall cases, you can usually run them pretty short without issues. I had a 357 Maximum rifle that would shoot stubby little 38 Specials fine, and my main squirrel rifle is a Henry 327 Federal running 32 S&W Long hard cast loads with excellent accuracy.

I’ve been running a similar experiment with a 38-55. I find if I fill the 1.8” case with the same powder charge as my full length 38-55 and seat the bullet to the same OAL, I get the same performance. I call it the .38-55K. I’m currently shooting a 220 gr. Cast FP at 1750, it should do the job.

Old70

It is a single-shot Knight kp1.

Length shouldn't be much of an issue, then.

I tried when I had a Marlin. I loaded the 250 ttsx flat nose. With the shorter brass I could still load them to the same OAL and powder charge. Just seated to a different crimp groove.

Problem was I didn't have a die that would crimp the short brass.

Only tried one brass but it worked fine.

That is how completely stupid that law wording is.
Should be any straight wall case

My brother in law shorted the crimping die for me!

Indiana has the PCR 1.8" limit, but no straight wall mandate.

Trimmed .35 Rem is pretty sweet.

I don't recall my exact OAL, but I do recall taking some pictures showing the short and full length cases side by side with the same OAL. That works better with long, heavy bullets. In a ss rifle I would only be concerned with a OAL that gives good neck tension and accuracy. Just like most any other cartridge, OAL can be adjusted for best accuracy.

I did the same thing a few years ago with a 444 marlin. If you keep the same cartridge over all length you can use the same loads as 45-70 with full length brass.
Here is a pic of a 444 next to my MT4 (Michigan triple 4). As you can see I seated a long bullet shallow to keep the C.O.L. close to the factory round (had to keep it a bit short to feed in my Marlin rifle).



Lee