I'm looking for a load to duplicate the original ballistics of the 45-70-330 (~1,380 fps) for use in an original Winchester 1886. Anyone know of a load using H4895 that will get me there?
The closest load I've found so far uses 53 grains of Accurate's 4350. If I can't find anything else I'll probably try to work something up using that as a starting point and substituting H4350.
4350 is not a 45-70 powder. Start at 54 gr of 4198 with a dacron wad wad and work up. Remember that's a plain base bullet and will lead if cast too soft. Also an original 1886 is not a modern Browning/Winchester 86 strengthwise.
You should be able to achieve 1800 fps with no drama.
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37 grains of 3031 will give you what you are looking for with the 457122 Gould bullet. I have shot thousands of them,and this is an accurate load. The downside is that it tears up a lot of meat.
Start at 54 gr of 4198 with a dacron wad wad and work up. Remember that's a plain base bullet and will lead if cast too soft. Also an original 1886 is not a modern Browning/Winchester 86 strengthwise.
I can't imagine 54 grains of 4198 keeping me in the realm of 1,380 fps with a 330-grain bullet...Hodgdon lists that as 2,100+ fps with a 350-grain bullet.
I'm not looking for elephant-stopping ballistics and therefore not worried about the strength of the '86 action...I shoot several of them (typically with factory Remington 405's) but this is the only one that doesn't have a nickel steel barrel so I'd like to stick to cast bullets. On top of that it's a "short rifle" with a crescent buttplate...so I'm not out to find a bruiser of a load for it.
37 grains of 3031 will give you what you are looking for with the 457122 Gould bullet.
Thanks. Are you using anything to keep the powder on the primer? I'm trying to avoid the use of any fillers or wads, and one of the reasons I looked for H4895 loads is that they typically ingnite consistently even with reduced volumes of powder.
I have a Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, Third Edition, printed in 1980, and for that particular bullet they list 29 grains of 3031 as a starting load. It is good for 1,056 fps., and the pressure is listed as 7,600 C.U.P. The max load is 37 grains at 1,435 fps. and the pressure is listed as 16,800 C.U.P. These loads are for a trapdoor Springfield.
I don't see any loads listed for that bullet using 4895 powder.
Thanks Jocko & sharpsguy...that's two votes for 3031 so it looks like I may be in the market for yet another brand of powder...
Take a look at accurate Arms AA5744. Works darn good with cast bullets and it doesn't need fillers etc. Not position sensitve at all.