Got to try some of my reloads at the range today. This was only the second time at the range with my new 1895GS. " I like it." I put some 405 cast from my LEE mold together with 30grs of H4198 and Winchester primers. It loved them, put 10 rounds in 3" at 50 yards with an ampoint on the rifle. There seem to be very little leading but a little unburnt powder. I still have not slugged the gun yet but will get to that, but so far so good.

I just picked up my "slightly used" 1895GS yesterday, but the shop only had Federal Classic 300 gr Speer Hot Cor ammo in stock (so that is what I bought). I was only able to shoot it at 25 yards, but I was pleasantly surprised by the accuracy and the lack of recoil (mine is a ported model). I am not an avid reloader, but I am going to try to load for the 45-70. Keep us posted on how yours is going. Thanks!

I have a set of William's sights on order from Brownells. Just waiting for them before I get to serious. The aimpoint works well but the 5 moa dot hard to get use too. Tried some 300gr Remington jacks with a 55gr charge of H4198 good thump off of them but still nothing close to shooting my 458 Winchester.

sirwilliam,

y'all got any trees over there?

Rich
DRSS

sirwilliam,
congratulation to your .45-70 rifle! Have much fun with it.
I have three rifles in .45-70, a High Wall, a 1886 and a Sharps. It´s my favourite round ever.

Martin

Idaho Sharpshooter there's a couple left. Most is regrowth now after heavy logging. The province carries some big bucks that live in the the Black Spruce Swamps yet.

Try 52gr IMR-3031,CCI-200,W-W,REM 405 bullet.Very accurate load.

I've been using 45grs of 3031 with a 405 cast bullet...makes a great all day shooting load!

Ammohouse is that a plain base 405 or are you using a gass checked bullet? Are you getting much leading?

My favorite powder for cast 45-70 bullets is SR4759. I use enough in my GG to push a 405gr Laser-Cast bullet ~1500 fps with minimal leading and good accuracy. Very clean burn too.

50 yard target picture at: http://www.grovestreet.com/jsp/onepic.jsp?id=1206746

If I back off to around 1350 fps I get zero leading with that bullet.

What alloy are you using with the Lee mold?

53 grains Varget pushing a 405 hard cast bullet

quote:

Originally posted by sirwilliam:
Got to try some of my reloads at the range today. This was only the second time at the range with my new 1895GS. " I like it." I put some 405 cast from my LEE mold together with 30grs of H4198 and Winchester primers. It loved them, put 10 rounds in 3" at 50 yards with an ampoint on the rifle. There seem to be very little leading but a little unburnt powder. I still have not slugged the gun yet but will get to that, but so far so good.

Congrates! You will have years of fun with it. You might try accurate arms 2495 with cast bullets. I use that with upper power level cast, and 5744 for black powder velocities with great accuracy. Of course IMR3031 does well as does 4198, H322, Re7, as a matter of fact, theres lot's of good powders to pick from in this caliber. Be carefull though, with heavy, large meplate bullets you'll find it kills better then the balistics indicate, and the big bore guys that think you need 3,000 FPS with the heavies to kill anything will get all bent outa shape. But, we'll know. . . . . Good shootin'

My brothers Guide Gun shoots 350 Hornadays over 53 grains of IMR 3031 extremely well.

He has a scout scope set up, and at 100 yards his rifle shoots groups under 1.5 inches on a regular basis.

Sir William,

I have one of the earlier 1895g's with the ported barrell. I tried numerous bullets, powders and densities. I have settled on 400 grain speers over 53 gr of IMR-3031,and fed. 210m primers. An older friend of mine who is a lever gun fanatic told me that he had hunted with Elmer Keith, and that distinguished gentleman had said that was his load for the 45-70. That may be bullshit, but the load isn't.

I decided in mid december that I was going to draw some blood with my guide gun before the season was over. I'm pretty rough on my equipment and since I hadn't shot it since last season, I loaded up 20 rounds and took it to the range. The picture that follows is typical of the kind of groups this rifle will shoot. Amazing that a lever gun with a heavy trigger, shooting flat point bullets will do this and better consistantly, if I do my part.

The first two shots at the upper left were to see where I was at. The final shot near the bull is after adjusting for windage and elevation. As I do not shoot game at over 150 yds with this rifle that was good enough for me.
GWB
ps. I'm not the best artist, but when I draw, I draw blood, and the nice thing about big heavy slow bullets is that you can eat right up to the bullet hole.

I picked up a Saeco 350gr GC mold after my first post. I cast them with Lyman #2 mix ad chase them with 48grs of RL7. That gives me a five string average of 1950fps. I used them to take a nice Black Bear last fall. The shot was not a great test for the bullet, the bear was only 12 feet under my tree stand when I shot it in the back of the next. I added a link for a picture hope it works. http://s231.photobucket.com/albums/ee193/hunterns/?acti...current=DSC03434.jpg

Ruger No. 1 is "lever action" -- right?

I have a stainless, "Tropical," laminated stock, Leupold 1.5 - 6x 33mm VXIII.

Shoots all kinds of ammo, but mostly we're running Speer 350 gr. SP over some Hodgdon 4895 -- right in the middle of what the Data Manual says for min/max loads.

I confess it's the one gun that I find myself pulling away from when shooting off a bench rest. But we're getting over that.