If I wanted to do such a thing, I might just go for the .45-120-3 1/4" Sharps. It'd be a simple matter to ream the .45-70 chamber longer. Brass is readily available in the U.S. and not too expensive. It's usually loaded with black powder, which you could certainly do, but with a little help from Quickload it wouldn't be too hard to come up with a safe smokeless load to equal the big Express cartridges.

Ricochet,

Thanks for the alternative. Any idea where I can find reloading and pressure info on the .45-120?

steve

Steve, you can load it to whatever maximum pressure you believe the gun's safe with. That'll take load development like I said, though. That Hodgdon load's likely at or under SAAMI .45-70 .45-70 pressure (28,000PSI), as it's not much faster than a .45-70 will do with a 400 grainer. I've shot lots of 'em out of a Marlin at 1800+. If this rifle's strong enough for the 40,000 PSI .45-70 loads commonly shot in Ruger #1s (and sometimes in Marlins), or the 50,000-60,000 PSI that a .458 Win Mag can be loaded to, it gets to be a whole different ball game. The brass shouldn't be a limiting factor. There are pictures posted elsewhere on this board of tests done with a NEF HandiRifle .45-70 overloaded up to 80,000 PSI or thereabouts, with pictures of the case heads. No visible pressure signs until past 70,000, just as is the case with "modern" magnums and such. We're not talking about the old balloon head stuff, which hasn't been made for many decades. The .45-120's similar enough to the .450 Express #2 that data may well be interchangeable. It'd be nice to see some measured case volumes.

Thanks! There's a lot more difference between them than I'd thought.

Richochet--The case capicity of 45-120 is about 114 gr
of water,the 450 NE 3.25 is about 137 gr of water, and the
450 NE #2 is about 160 gr of water. The 450 NE 3.25 is
a great all around old style cartridge, as you can get 458
Lott velocities with right powder(DB ball) and magnum primers, at moderate pressures. It is the brass I used to make my 458 long case wildcat..The data for 45-120 would
be real light for the 450 NE #2..Ed

PWN375,

Thanks. Did you have MacKool's do the work? Did you get the aperature sight and recoil pad put on?

Steve

If I'm not mistaken, the .45-120-3 1/4" chambering still gives the option of firing shorter .45-70 or .45-90 ammo in a pinch.

Steve,

A PH now ownes the rifle and uses it as a back up during buff and lion hunts. It is still going strong with only a few more thorn scratches. He loves it and has become very good with it in the past 2 years.

I used Safari Arms custom ammo loaded to the traditional specs using Woodleigh 480 grain soft and solid. The rifle shot pairs, soft and solid, from each barrel side by side out to 80 yards, which is the max distance I shot it. Ivan tells me it is "spot on" out to 100 meters. It showed no preference for L/R or R/L so I shot the back trigger first when both hammers were cocked to prevent doubling a second time. Once was ENOUGH with that beast.

I choose the 450 #2 because of the slightly reduced pressure and the thicker rim, but seriously doubt it is going to be an issue with that rifle. They are build like bank vaults. If I was to do it again I would use a 450 Nirto 3.25 and just purchase a good supply of the thick rim brass.

Perry

Your Kodiak will work very well with either and should regulate with only evelation adjustments with either cartridge. I have had one rechambered to 450 NE #2 and it worked perfectly in all respects but it was a brute to fire more than a few times in a row.

Perry

All that I've seen personally is in "Cartridges of the World," but I'll bet a little Googling will turn some up. (Mainly black powder.) Like I said, though, if you get Quickload or get someone who has it to work with you, it can quite closely estimate velocities and pressures given such parameters as the case volume, bullet diameter, type and weight, powder type, etc. so you can develop your own if needed. That works well for wildcats and obscure cartridges with little available data.

Ricochet,

Having the flexibility for factory light loads would be nice. I found some load data in the annual hodgdon manual, too. It was about 400grain at 1900fps, though, at max pressure. It looks like at the same pressure the 450NE #2 can spit 480gr at 2150fps.

I'll keep looking for loading data, though, but tell me if I'm off.

Thanks,

Steve

Perry,

Do you still have the gun? Or do you know how it's doing?

Why'd you choose the .450NE #2 over the .45-120 or the 450NE 3.25"?

Did you install a thicker pad on the Kodiak? Did you use polyester filler to use up airspace reloading, or did you use factory ammo? Either way, what kind of ammo/brass did you use and where'd you buy it?

Thanks,

Steve