winchester 1886

[Elk868]

Hy all .
Got me an Winchester Model 1886 in 45/70 ,and i plan to load it with barnes bullets 300 grain . Can somebody help me to find an accurate load for it . f( if possible with vithavouri powder because we not get the most of american powders anymore ,. ) i have no experience in loading cases like 45/ 70



thank you all very much

 

[RegionRat]

Be very careful with original/antique version, versus trapdoor, versus modern version load data.
The 45/70 has been around a long time and as a result there is a wide range of difference in the guns that shoot it, starting with weak ones and evolving into modern strong ones. Do your homework on the rifle you bought.

BTW, very few of the popular powders marketed by Hodgdon are "American". Some of the modern ball powders made at the St Mark's (General Dynamics) plant in Florida will be called Winchester for example, but I can't think of any civilian commercial extruded powders made and sold in the US. In so many words, I feel your pain in terms of the price gouging, but it is not because those were actually made in America.

 

[FEENIX]

Hy all .
Got me an Winchester Model 1886 in 45/70 ,and i plan to load it with barnes bullets 300 grain . Can somebody help me to find an accurate load for it . f( if possible with vithavouri powder because we not get the most of american powders anymore ,. ) i have no experience in loading cases like 45/ 70



thank you all very much

Come on, man, you know the rules ...

 

[wvbearhunter]

If this is a newer winchester you will need to see if that projectile will chamber. Miroku uses a very short chamber making the rifles very finicky about bullet length and profile. I had quite a disagreement with them about it

 

[wvbearhunter]

I actually use the shorter hornady leverevolution brass so that I can get a wider variety to work

 

[David_h]

I actually use the shorter hornady leverevolution brass so that I can get a wider variety to work

I trimmed some Starline brass to shorter length to accept Hammer copper mono bullets. Trying IMR3030 and IMR4895.

 

[David_h]

forgot to add, Mine is a Browning 1886 also made by Miroki.

 

[Hawk in WY]

In case you did not fully appreciate the second post above. Load date you read on line will vary from very mild to way too hot for your rifle. I would not go above loads specifically indicated for 1886 style rifles. Stay away from anything that says Ruger.

The load data in that second post looks fine. Barnes data for this bullet is a few grains higher, but start low. Barnes had best accuracy with N120. You will need to trim your brass to 2.095.

The problem I have loading for this rifle is I don't know how to read pressure signs from a lever action rifle. I use a chronograph and stay below what I know to be safe loads from published sources.

The biggest improvement in accuracy I see is by adding the Lyman peep sight. That cut group sizes in half. Crimping also reduced group size.

Good luck.

 

[wvbearhunter]

In case you did not fully appreciate the second post above. Load date you read on line will vary from very mild to way too hot for your rifle. I would not go above loads specifically indicated for 1886 style rifles. Stay away from anything that says Ruger.

The load data in that second post looks fine. Barnes data for this bullet is a few grains higher, but start low. Barnes had best accuracy with N120. You will need to trim your brass to 2.095.

The problem I have loading for this rifle is I don't know how to read pressure signs from a lever action rifle. I use a chronograph and stay below what I know to be safe loads from published sources.

The biggest improvement in accuracy I see is by adding the Lyman peep sight. That cut group sizes in half. Crimping also reduced group size.

Good luck.

Sticky or hard extraction and flattened primers are go to checks for pressure. I tend to load my 45-70s on the spicy side and have yet to have an issue. My favorite projectile is the 250 grain barnes tsx-fn.

 

[Hawk in WY]

Sticky or hard extraction and flattened primers are go to checks for pressure. I tend to load my 45-70s on the spicy side and have yet to have an issue. My favorite projectile is the 250 grain barnes tsx-fn.

Hard extraction, flattened primers, and ejector marks are certainly signs of pressure in bolt action rifles.

I don't have enough experience with lever actions to know if that's true here as well.

Since pressure = velocity, I rely on what my chronograph is telling me.

 

[3chester]

Firing warm loads, with that crescent steel butt plate in a T-shirt, usually, will let a guy know when the loads are getting up there.

 

[LVJ76]

Come on, man, you know the rules ...

View attachment 556781

And still no pictures, suspense is killing me LOL.

 

[FEENIX]

And still no pictures, suspense is killing me LOL.

LOL, me too! He's in the Central European Time zone, IIRC, he's 7 hours ahead.

 

[LVJ76]

LOL, me too! He's in the Central European Time zone, IIRC, he's 7 hours ahead.

No excuses brother, no excuses, LOL