magoo
NES Member
Hi I have a trapdoor 1884 I would like to cast a 405 gr bullet. I will be buying dies a bullet mold and a sizeing die. I was thinking lee bullet mold. I can't find a good load for a 405gr bullet.
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45-70 trapdoor
- Thread starter magoo
- Start date
Fixxah
NES Member
I have a hollow point 2-cav Kamer mold from Mihec on castboolits. If you send some WW I will cast them for you. Best brass molds by far IMNSHO.
Hex or round hole or a flat point. Hollows are 352g. and I guess the flat point is around what you want.
I will see what the recipe I used says when I get a chance.
Hex or round hole or a flat point. Hollows are 352g. and I guess the flat point is around what you want.
I will see what the recipe I used says when I get a chance.
magoo
NES Member
I have a nice set up for casting. But have not used it in 9 years. I picked up a trapdoor and wanted to cast and load some 45-70 loads. Out of my 4 relaoding books no 405 cast loads. I may take you up on your offer. I have a lot of w.w. all cleaned. I just may buy the dies to get brass ready. When I get back work I will cast my barrel to find out what size is it. For I can buy the sizeing die.
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Lyman 49th Edition has loads for a 1873 Springfield with 405gr cast bullets.
Powder, Min, Max:
SR-4759, 24.0, 26.5
XMP-5744, 26.0, 29.0
IMR-4198, 31.5, 35.0
XMR-2015, 36.0, 40.0
Reloder 7, 37.0, 39.0
IMR-3031, 34.0, 38,5
N135, 42.0, 46,5
Varget, 42.0, 46,5
Powder, Min, Max:
SR-4759, 24.0, 26.5
XMP-5744, 26.0, 29.0
IMR-4198, 31.5, 35.0
XMR-2015, 36.0, 40.0
Reloder 7, 37.0, 39.0
IMR-3031, 34.0, 38,5
N135, 42.0, 46,5
Varget, 42.0, 46,5
The data for 400 gr bullets can be used for bullet weights from 395-405 gr without any problems. Have you slugged your bore? My buddy has a trapdoor and IIRC his bore is .002 oversize or .461". I've used 5744 in my Sharps in 45/70 with good luck. The other thing you might try is a heavier/longer bullet say a 500-520 gr bullet. The blocks I use are Redding/Saeco 400,500 and 520 gr. I have 400 gr bullets that ae unsized if your in my neck of the wood PM me and I let you some to try out.
No. Those are all smokeless loads.
I've done a fair amount of screwing around w/ 45-70 in smokeless. I like RL 7 for cast. You can easily load down to 31 or 32 gns with good results...which is where I'd start for trapdoor. Very accurate. My favorite plinking load is 34 grns RL7 behind a 405 cast. It produces 1370 fps from an 18" bbl lever.
magoo
NES Member
I have to make a mold of the bore and check it for size. I'm off this week I have stuff at work to make molds of the bore. Then I can order sizeing die. I may be wrong some smokeless loads my need a wad.
Knob Creek
NES Member
I've used 5744 in my C Sharps 24.7-27.5 Gr. with a 405 bullet. Gives 1192-1355 FPS. Not sure if that is Ok in your Trapdoor. Lyman Cast Bullet book restricts loads in Trapdoors to be 17,000C.U.P or less. 3031, and 4759 powders are also used in 45/70 quite a bit.
I wouldn't use a wad of any type wih smokeless powder without reducing your charge by 10% and work your way back up. The older Lyman manuals do mention using a kapok or fiber fill wad in smokeless loads but the most recent manual #49 has no mention of a wad of any type.
Fixxah
NES Member
PM the Goose, he lives for this thread.
The boolits I cast are sized to .461" and have a gas check.
Send your address and I can throw you samples if they will work for you after slugging the bore.
Sent from the Hyundai of the droids, the Samsung Replenish, using Tapatalk.
The boolits I cast are sized to .461" and have a gas check.
Send your address and I can throw you samples if they will work for you after slugging the bore.
Sent from the Hyundai of the droids, the Samsung Replenish, using Tapatalk.
The Goose
NES Member
I have 2 trapdoors. An original made in 1883 and an H&R repro. I only shoot black powder in my original. In the H&R I shoot smokeless and BP. In either rifle I much prefer the classic Lyman 500 gr. roundnose 547125. I typically cast with a 20:1 alloy and size to .459. I do have a Lee mold that casts a 405 gr. rnfp that I use in some of my other rifles. I find that 32 grs of IMR4198 over a 405 gr bullet to be a very mild and extremely accurate load (in my rifles). When I load smokeless for my H&R trapdoor I load the 500 gr, bullet over 41 grs of IMR3031. However, I do agree that both RL7 and 5744 are very good powders for the 45/70. The original loads for the trapdoors were a 500 gr bullet over 70 grs of blackpowder for the rifle and a 405 gr bullet of 50 grs for the carbine. With modern cases the most I can get in a case (with compression) is 62 grs. under the 500 gr. bullet with a .060 Walters wad. Also as Fixxah said, get me your address and I will send you a variety of samp;lle bullets for the 45/70.
magoo
NES Member
My friend was shooting his Win. 45-70. He said it was Win 1st bolt gun. He was shooting a 405 gr over 31 grs imr4198. He had had 3 of the win. 45-70. I got my trapdoor from him. He had a 1873 and one more 1884. Fixxah Is hooking me up with some bullets to try. The Win gun was cool ammo came out of the stock. I think the name started with a H.
The Goose
NES Member
Hotchkiss?
The Goose
NES Member
Wow, very cool!
I found "Loading Cartridges for Original 45-70 Springfield" to be a great reference for this.
magoo
NES Member
My trapdoor Is very nice. They were sitting in his greatuncle's closet for 40 years. He has a lot of rifles per 64 Win's 30-30 and 32. Two Krags. I got the trapdoor for a shooter. The bore is nice. I'm thinking of picking up a Krag. He has one with a rough bore. He will give me a good deal one it. The other one is very nice. But don't have the cash for that one.
The Goose
NES Member
I just got this book. It is a wealth of information. If you own a trapdoor get this book. Seriously!
