.45-70 SST Bullets?

[MSM]

  I was looking in the Midway catalog the other day and noticed that Hornady makes a .45 caliber SST bullet for sabots in muzzleloaders. They are available in 250 and 300 grain weights. Since the "gummy bullets" are not available to hand loaders in any caliber that I am aware of these look like a reasonable substitute for my NEF .45-70. Does any one have some of these laying around that could be measured with a mike? I'll buy some to find out if I have to.
  There are the Barns original spire point bullets made for single shot .45-70s, but the Hornady SST are about half the cost. I am looking for a 300 yard load. The recoil of Marlin .45-70 loads doesn't bother me, and I am not concerned with flatter shooting cartridges. I just like something different and fun.   

[Smokin Joe]

I tried them just for kicks, and they shoot pretty well. The 45-300 SST/ML mikes at .452, and I use a .45 colt sizer on the neck of the .45-70 to assure a tight fit. This might not be necessary depending on the brass mfg.

[MSM]

  Thanks for the information. Those might be interesting in a Contender .45 Colt. I was hoping for a .458 dia bullet though. Barns also makes a .45 muzzleloader sabot bullet. I know I was trying to keep cost down, but it is a spitzer boat tail bullet. How cool is that for a .45-70!

[Smokin Joe]

The Barnes mikes .451".......just for info.

[MSM]

  Good information. I'll keep using the Remington 300 JHP for my extended range experiments for now. Saved me more than $50.00.
      Thank you,
         Scott

[Smokin Joe]

Scott, check your PM

[tykempster]

I don't have experience with it, but you could always paper patch them.

[BBF]

If you are willing to try hard cast, there are several pointy heavy weights available.

[Tencubed]

I don't have experience with it, but you could always paper patch them.

Very true.  When I dove into the world of paper patched bullets many years ago I got a real education in how tough it can be to work up a load for a rifle.  Adds a number of variables to the mix.

Mike

[MSM]

  Mike, have you tried paper patches on jacketed bullets? Just curious. Might be the way to go. I am looking to push these bullets out at 2,400 fps. I wonder how that velocity will affect things. Lot of things to find out.

[quickdtoo]

I dropped a 250gr SST down the bores of all of my 45-70 H&Rs about a year ago when I was working with the SST in the 45 Colt, it dropped right thru two of them, the other two it took some effort to push it thru the bore, since it's a .452" bullet, it's to be expected tho, but PP may work, but I'd opt for a bullet made for the bore like the Barnes Original or the TSX-FB.

The 300gr TSX-FB shoots well @ 2320fps in my 24" SS 45-70 Ultra, using Barnes data a max load will push it well over 2450fps, but my best accuracy was at a little over 2300fps. They're expensive at about $1 each, but they are a premium bullet with premium performace.




FWIW, I've shot the 250gr SST in my 45Colt H&R and the 460S&W after I rechambered it, they run 1900fps in the Colt and 2600fps in the 460.

Tim

[MSM]

  Those 300 grain TSX-FB loads look pretty good. I found an old string from 2004 on page 428 entitled "Teflon Tape and the .45-70" or something like that. The string was about wrapping undersized bullets with teflon tape and even mentioned shrinking the tape down with a lit match. If that works with some of the hotter loads that may be the ticket. Love that, a low teck teflon coated bullet. I'll find out if it works. Plenty off ideas to have some fun with, and several different bullets to play with.   

[tykempster]

Wow 2600 fps, that's pretty flat shooting, no?

[Tencubed]

  Mike, have you tried paper patches on jacketed bullets? Just curious. Might be the way to go. I am looking to push these bullets out at 2,400 fps. I wonder how that velocity will affect things. Lot of things to find out.

I tried a lot of different kinds of paper on jacketed and cast bullets.  Even bought some pre-made patches that were "Guaranteed to shoot" which they did, just couldn't hit anything with them.  Well, not really true, they would run into something, just not what I was shooting at.

Best I ever did with the paper patch was in a Trapdoor shooting cast bullets of 380 grain pure lead.  Bond paper if I recall correctly.  Groups were nearly as good as a wheelweight bullet of around 400 grains.  Gave up on those years ago, just way too much trouble and I didn't seem to have the knack for it.

Interesting idea about the teflon tape, wonder how the yellow gas rated tape would do, it's supposed to be tougher and have more sealing ability.  Oh-oh, I feel another extended series of tests coming up. 

Mike

[tykempster]

If the tests work out well I could be shooting some light little Barnes bullets from my 45-120 at 3500 fps.  Mighty flat to 200 yards I'd guess...but so is everything else. 

Mighty destructive I bet!

[MSM]

  I think just about any bullet at 3,500 fps will shoot flat out to 300 yards or more! I hope this teflon patch works out.
  So Tencubed, how is it to climb behind a stoutly loaded .45-120 and squeeze off a few rounds?
  I was thinking a 250 grain SST bullet could reach 2,600 from a .45-70 pretty easily. I imagine someone who practiced could make a shot out to 300 yards or so on a deer if the load worked.
  Scott

[MSM]

  Whoops! Wrote the wrong name. I believe tykempster owns the .45-120.
  Anyway, I imagine shooting a full house load .45-120 is a bit like being in a train wreck! Must be a blast, at least once.
  I'll see if the tape works and post it. Thanks for the response. Kind of like being in an interactive gun magazine.
  Scott

[tykempster]

The bullets do not do well at all past 200.  When your BC starts with .1 things go downhill in a hurry.  But at 100 yards it's like holding a 30-06 to the deer's side and touching it off, only starting with a .45 hole.