50-70 government for deer and bear

[troy fairweather]

anyone here ever hunted with the 50-70, i picked up a nice cutdown trapdoor, i would think 100 yards is about max, after that they start dropping a lot. i am thinking 55 grains of pyrodex and a lee 450gr. should work nice. please share if you ever used the 50-70 to hunt and the load used. thanks. troy.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Never hunted with that obsolete cartridge. Sounds cool. I'm very interested in your results
I'm wondering is 55 grains of Pyrodex = to 70 grains of BP by weight? If not, why would you opt for that load instead of 70 grains of BP or the exact equivalent in a black powder substitute? Is the recoil that stout?

LD

 

[rdnktrkr]

I've shot one with a 45-70 405gr and it was drt, only about 20yrds head /neck shot i didn't recover the bullet, I've wanted to use it more it just seems other guns get put in rotation. My friends father used another 45-70 close to 50yrd away, shot blew out chest about softball size

 

[troy fairweather]

Never hunted with that obsolete cartridge. Sounds cool. I'm very interested in your results
I'm wondering is 55 grains of Pyrodex = to 70 grains of BP by weight? If not, why would you opt for that load instead of 70 grains of BP or the exact equivalent in a black powder substitute? Is the recoil that stout?

LD

i don't mind reloil, this trapdoor is cutdown to carbine length, i think the original carbine load was 55 grains.

 

[.308 Norma]

I'm wondering is 55 grains of Pyrodex = to 70 grains of BP by weight? If not, why would you opt for that load instead of 70 grains of BP or the exact equivalent in a black powder substitute?

i don't mind reloil, this trapdoor is cutdown to carbine length, i think the original carbine load was 55 grains.

When you’re using genuine black powder OR Pyrodex (a black powder substitute) the exact amount (by weight) of powder is not nearly as important as making sure there’s no dead air space between your powder charge and the base of your bullet – or between the wad (if used) and the base of your bullet. You can’t put too much black powder in a cartridge case, but you can sure put too little, and if you leave dead air space in your cartridge case after seating the bullet, you could end up with a ringed chamber.

I could cite numerous sources for the above information, but a real good source is “SPG Lubricants BP Cartridge Reloading Primer” by Mike Venturino and Steve Garbe. Another pretty good source is “Loading the Black Powder Rifle Cartridge” by Paul A. Matthews.

My own black powder cartridge rifle is a .45-110 (2 7/8” case) Shiloh Sharps. Through experimentation, I’ve found that putting 73.3 grains (by weight) of Pyrodex RS powder in the case, then seating a Montana Bullet Company 500gr. RN bullet and a .30” thick vegetable fiber wad, compresses the powder about 5/16”, and that’s about right.

BTW, also through experimentation, I’ve found that a .45-110 Sharps case filled clear to the top actually only holds about 106 grains (by weight) of genuine black cartridge rifle powder. And that’s after compressing the powder charge slightly by dropping it through a 24” long drop tube. My favorite .45-110 Sharps load is about 95 grains of slightly compressed black cartridge rifle powder behind a 500 grain RN bullet and .30" vegetable fiber wad.

I haven't used my .45-110 for big game hunting yet, but I have shot at a few rockchucks with it. Never hit one of them (I'm not Quigley) but those rockchucks must think they're under an artillery barrage when those big ol' 500 grain bullets land nearby.

 

[troy fairweather]

When you’re using genuine black powder OR Pyrodex (a black powder substitute) the exact amount (by weight) of powder is not nearly as important as making sure there’s no dead air space between your powder charge and the base of your bullet – or between the wad (if used) and the base of your bullet. You can’t put too much black powder in a cartridge case, but you can sure put too little, and if you leave dead air space in your cartridge case after seating the bullet, you could end up with a ringed chamber.

I could cite numerous sources for the above information, but a real good source is “SPG Lubricants BP Cartridge Reloading Primer” by Mike Venturino and Steve Garbe. Another pretty good source is “Loading the Black Powder Rifle Cartridge” by Paul A. Matthews.

My own black powder cartridge rifle is a .45-110 (2 7/8” case) Shiloh Sharps. Through experimentation, I’ve found that putting 73.3 grains (by weight) of Pyrodex RS powder in the case, then seating a Montana Bullet Company 500gr. RN bullet and a .30” thick vegetable fiber wad, compresses the powder about 5/16”, and that’s about right.

BTW, also through experimentation, I’ve found that a .45-110 Sharps case filled clear to the top actually only holds about 106 grains (by weight) of genuine black cartridge rifle powder. And that’s after compressing the powder charge slightly by dropping it through a 24” long drop tube. My favorite .45-110 Sharps load is about 95 grains of slightly compressed black cartridge rifle powder behind a 500 grain RN bullet and .30" vegetable fiber wad.

I haven't used my .45-110 for big game hunting yet, but I have shot at a few rockchucks with it. Never hit one of them (I'm not Quigley) but those rockchucks must think they're under an artillery barrage when those big ol' 500 grain bullets land nearby.

thanks for the info, i remember that bp cartridge loading book, dad had one wish he still had it. i have that rolling block in 45-100 i have to load for to, i heard pyrodex is not the best for that case, will have to get some real black one day.