45/70 long range

[wintertx003]

any body shooting 45/70 long range? I know a person don't think long range when talking this caliber but I enjoy shooting it, primarily because of all the bullets & loads available.
I do have & shoot 6.5 creedmore, but the 45/70 is more fun.what is your favorite bullet & load?

 

[BallisticsGuy]

My coach and I do a little. We've been toying with the idea of taking a Sharps or Trapdoor to a PRS match. 500gn or 550gn cast black powder loads.

 

[RT2506]

1874 Sharps Copy in 45-70 is what I shoot. My rifle likes the RCBS 500 gr BPS bullet cast from my mix weight is 518 grs. I make my own bullet lube 50% bees wax 40% olive oil 10% STP oil treatment by volume melted and mixed in a double bowler. I designed a mold out of PCV pipe to mold lube sticks that will work through my lube sizer. It depends on the propellent I can get these days. Black powder Goex Cartridge, or FFG of a couple makers and I have a really good load with Pyrodex Select. Black powder is getting harder to come by these days unless I get a pretty large order together with other folks. No one in my area carries black powder due to the restrictions these days. I use proper black powder loading procedures, full case compressed 1/10th inch with over powder card or wad between bullet base and powder. I mostly use Winchester cases because they have the greatest volume and I use Fed 215 primers because they are the hottest. One little tip I will also pass on for cleaning is if you have a Dollar Tree store around get you some of their Awesome Orange cleaner. That stuff makes cleaning BP fouling a snap and it only cost $1 and comes in a spray bottle. It takes a lot of time to cast bullets and prepare BP loads and clean cases and everything up afterward but it's fun shooting. When you get everything worked out with BP it shoots much more accurate at long range than smokeless powders. At least in my experience. I got to do some 1000 yard shooting one time at an old strip mine with a bunch of friends. I shot prone over cross sticks with Vernier open sight at 4 foot square steel plate. Once I got the sight set it was no problem to drop one on the steel as it was about a zero wind day. I could shoot then lay the rifle aside and lean over and look through my spotting scope and see the bullet drop and hit the plate. About 3 seconds latter you hear the clang.

 

[wintertx003]

I hear you on the availablty of black powder, I put my flintlock up on the wall because of that. I bought a CVA V2 scout this spring & that is what I am playing with. I can shoot 100 yds. Right off my deck so most of my shooting is that. My biggest problem is getting decent groups with cast bullets, have loaded 300, 350 & 405 ,all with red dot, blue dot, unique, 3031, benchmark, & varget. I have cast with Hi-trek coating in 300 & 350. The coated shoot a little better than alox lube, but still around 3 in.-100 yds. 325 & 350 jacketed bullets most all shoot right around 1 in.

 

[RT2506]

If you want to shoot smokeless with cast bullets in the 45-70 get you some Accurate 5744 powder. Don't worry if it looks like the powder is not all burning when you look into your bore. This powder burns dirty but it really shoots in my rifle very accurately, just as accurate as BP at shorter ranges. When I do my part with my cast bullet from the Lyman 405 mold it will ragged hole groups at 100 yards. You might also want to slug your bore to see what diameter bullet you actually need. You may be shooting bullets that are too small.

 

[imyourhuckleberry]

Had a friend of mine shoot my Sharps 45/70 but only at 200 yards as he was not convinced that it was an accurate round plus he did not have to much faith in my vernier sights. He shot 7 rounds, 2 in the X and 5 in the 10. Now he is considering buying a sharps.

 

[Kmccord]

I have a David Pedersolli 45-120 sharps, it is very accurate, when I was loading it, I was using clean shot black powder I don't believe they make that anymore, and used 500gr Hornady jacketed soft point. It was very accurate, I carried it deer hunting, one time, and shot an 8 point buck at 100yds, it had a 45 caliber entry wound and a 50 caliber exit wound, buck ran 50 yards and fell over dead. That was the least damage meat I have ever harvested, if that was my 270 or 7mag, it would have been two damaged shoulders gone to the dogs. The only thing I did not like about it is the weight, that 34" octagon heavy barrel put the weight of that rifle unbearable for toting in the brush or up a tree stand.

 

[sable tireur]

There is a 1,000 yard black powder shoot at Ben Avery every year. Most of what you see are the .45-70 cartridge rifles where they shoot over crossed stocks. Lots of fun to watch since you can almost take a nap before you hear the plate ring!

 

[imyourhuckleberry]

I have a David Pedersolli 45-120 sharps, it is very accurate, when I was loading it, I was using clean shot black powder I don't believe they make that anymore, and used 500gr Hornady jacketed soft point. It was very accurate, I carried it deer hunting, one time, and shot an 8 point buck at 100yds, it had a 45 caliber entry wound and a 50 caliber exit wound, buck ran 50 yards and fell over dead. That was the least damage meat I have ever harvested, if that was my 270 or 7mag, it would have been two damaged shoulders gone to the dogs. The only thing I did not like about it is the weight, that 34" octagon heavy barrel put the weight of that rifle unbearable for toting in the brush or up a tree stand.

I have a Pedersoli too with the 34" barrel which makes it very forward heavy. I do not know if the 32 inch barrel would make much of a difference so now I am looking at buying the 1878 lyman with the 30" barrel for hunting. Having a hard time finding one online.

 

[Kmccord]

I have a Pedersoli too with the 34" barrel which makes it very forward heavy. I do not know if the 32 inch barrel would make much of a difference so now I am looking at buying the 1887 lyman with the 30" barrel for hunting. Having a hard time finding one online.

I shot a friend's sharps that did not have the 34" heavy barrel, it was 32" and he was into cowboy shooting, his Sharps was a lot lighter, I want to say it was the Billy Dixon model. I have thought of getting a high wall, or another Sharps that can handle smokeless powder. I did get tired of cleaning that rifle after a shooting session, definitely is not one of those you show a friend and let him shoot it once or twice then put it up.

 

[imyourhuckleberry]

I shot a friend's sharps that did not have the 34" heavy barrel, it was 32" and he was into cowboy shooting, his Sharps was a lot lighter, I want to say it was the Billy Dixon model. I have thought of getting a high wall, or another Sharps that can handle smokeless powder. I did get tired of cleaning that rifle after a shooting session, definitely is not one of those you show a friend and let him shoot it once or twice then put it up.

I shoot all smokeless on mine try using A5744 it fills an important niche in smokeless loading for original BP cartridges/pressures.

On my earlier post I meant to say 1878 Lyman not 1887. From what I understand all the replicas produced my Pedersoli will handle all smokeless powder and you can use all factory ammo even the Hornady Leverevolution bullets on your sharps. All factory ammo is loaded to SAAMI specs which is safe for your sharps to handle. Called Hornady myself and talked to them. I have shot the Remington and Winchester brands without a hitch. I am now powder coating by bullets so as not to have too much leading.

I am thinking of getting a rolling block too or the high wall in a 30" barrel if I cannot find a Lyman 1878 sharps. I want to used it for deer season this year.

 

[RT2506]

The reason for the 32" barrels is when using a Vernier rear sight it usually puts the sight radius 36" which makes sight adjustment work out better.