Light Loads for a Lady.

[desert deuce]

Ruminating over the lighter bullet question for the 45-70 with black powder I drug out the Saeco #645 and attached a set of handles.
Warmed up some 16-1 to about 780 F and began spilling melt into the sprue hole. Average of 5 bullets 484 grains.
Sized to .4575 lubed with SPG Tropical and set up some ladder loads 58.0 to 64.0 grains 1.5 Swiss, RP 2 1/2 Primer in Winchester Brass.
Shooting through an 18 twist 32 inch Badger the 58 grain sighter load clover leafed at 200 yards and cut holes in the paper like a wadcutter.
A sweet spot seemed to emerge about 62.00 grains and next will be silhouette steel out to 500 M.

The 58 grain load was quite pleasant to shoot and the 62 grain not much difference.

[bpcr shooter]

So, I just got back from the Q, and used a 38-55 with PP bullets. It made the 805yd trip just fine! I was really close in windage as the 45's. Elevation, I was at 80min, in fact I shot 7 for 8 with the 8th just missing right. With that being said, my wife used that rifle to shoot mid-range last year and said it was very easy shooting it. The rifle is a new Winchester Highwall, so not the heaviest barreled rifle out there by any means. I have used the Lyman 378674 bullet with BP if you want to use a GG bullet and it shot very well for her as well, it did take a bit longer for the bullet to get to 600yrds with only 40gr of powder but, recoil was very light. If in the future she gets used to the recoil, you can have the rifle rechambered into 38-50 rem hepburn and long range should not be an issue at the point with the added powder room.


matt