Several years ago I read an article on squib/quiet loads for the 45-70. I think the author was someone called Paco. I can't find this info anymore but would like to try it out.
What I remember is that by using minute amounts (1.5grs to maybe 4grs) of Bullseye or Clays and holding the powder in place with dacron or something like that. They were able to fire heavy for caliber cast bullets silently out of rifles.
My questions are .....
1. Do you use soft or hard cast bullets?
2. How much dacron (packing) do you use to hold the bullet in place?
3. Has anyone done this and can share thier data and experiences?
Thanks
Cam

I have loaded 45-70 squibs. They make for interesting gallery shooting and are accurate enough out to 10 yards.

I used very soft case heavy bullets and .454 round ball and Red dot. I started out with a load of 10grs? (sorry I will have to check my notes at home) and worked down until it was very quiet and then continued to work down until I got a bullet stuck in the barrel. With the soft lead I was able to get the bullet out of the barrel without damaging the rifle, but I was lucky.

I tried using a couple different packing materials and not using packing materials. I found packing peanuts/worms worked best for me as a packing material.

Moki, check

http://www.leverguns.com/Default.htm

[image]http://www.midwayusa.com/midwayusa/applications/mediasvr.dll/image?saleitemid=140700[/image]

http://www.midwayusa.com/rewriteaproduct/329043

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=000036080

No one makes .458" round balls and I had hoped you knew that. For a round ball to be reasonably accurate, I would think it should be slightly larger than bore size, not smaller. Even with obturation, I wouldn't expect the .457" to shoot well, especially in a shallow grooved barrel rifled for jacketed bullets.

In what do you want to make a 45 caliber hole, with pellet gun noise and pellet gun range?
Raccoon on the porch?

Just needs to be accurate....Paco Kelly, he's the one!!! Just found this with google... So where in the world does one get .460" round balls? Cherry out a .457" mould, maybe?

http://www.recguns.com/Sources/VIIE7.html

In my 22" barreled 45-70 T/C Contender carbine I have now started loading 450gr 4 lube groove Bullet Barn cast bullets with 8grs of Tite Group powder held in place with styrofoam. This load gave me 860fps average velocity but was fairly loud. I have now worked down to 3grs Tite Group with an average velocity of 403fps but is now sounding like a deeper sounding 22LR. I'll load lower until I get a bullet to stick in the barrel and then work back up a bit.
Thanks for the info so far,
Cam

ddunn,
If you use those same loads the don't make it down the barrel, but seat the bullet so deep in the case that the powder is compressed, you will get good penetration.

Cut tight fitting wads, and the penetration will double.

The noise is a function of powder weight and bore volume.
The increased pressure and velocity from seating deep have no effect on noise.