45-70 and 3fg OE

[Eric Johanen]

Great conditions on the range today. Using my Shiloh 74 Roughrider 30" standard octagon barrel. Testing some loads with 3fg OE. Posted the SR-42 (300 yard reduced), centered over the standard 200 yard target and commenced. Load #1: Winchester brass neck sized and expanded. case length @ 2.950. Federal 150 pistol primer with a .005 note card primer wad. 65.0 grs of OE 3fg weighed charge. .060 BACO Poly King wad. Sagebrush PJ Money bullet seated to expose the first two bands, (Slight thumb pressure to chamber). 3 sighters and used the blow tube. Centered up in the 9 ring and 7 shots went in a group 2 3/4" wide by 2 5/8" high. 4/9's and 3/8's. Not too bad! Fouling was slight and soft. Load #2: Same except I upped to 67.0 grs. Added a tweek of elevation and wiped between shots. Chambered with no resistance. Results: 2" wide by 2 1/4" high. 1/X 3/10"s and 1/9 @6. Can't wait to test again. I'll go again with 65.0,67.0 and 68.0 grs. Also ran some paper patched loads on the target with very good results. Will post under paper patched area. A good day on the range really does beat a day at work!

[Don McDowell]

Thanks for posting those results Eric.
Keep them coming

[Eric Johanen]

Out today with the 45-70 Shiloh Rough Rider. Put the globe and tang sights back on and shot up some old loads I put up with the Sagebrush PJ 535 grain Money Bullet. 70 grains of OE 3 fg with a .030 vegi wad. Fired neck sized Winchester brass and a CCI bench rest primer. 10's and X's on the SR target at 200 yards benched. Groups were a bit larger that the 67 grain load used previously with the .060 BACO poly king wad. I'll try the 67 grain loading again. For my last shot I used a round from the Merrill gong match last weekend. BACO .458/500 grain RN with 70 grains of KIK 2 fg. Impact was 12 inches higher that the MB load. Vertical line drawn down would have put it in the middle of the 10 ring at 9 O'clock. That MB sure does not spend much time in the barrel! Very flat shooting load and I can see why when using that bullet and 1.5 OE it was shooting so much higher with the 500 yard setting on the ladder of the semi buckhorn barrel sight at 500 yards on the gong targets. (Remember I was at a whisker over the 450 yard mark for those close misses) I'm going to test the MB with 70 grains of OE 1.5 using the target sights and see how they group next time out.

[Lumpy Grits]

Any updates?
Gary

[Eric Johanen]

Naw Gary, I been too busy with the .50's lately! Do want to test the OE 3 fg loads again as they really showed promise. Cleaning 50 70 brass today and casting .50 cal. bullets for Lucrezia! Have the Accurate Molds 51-550S to play with.

[Lumpy Grits]

NP-Just start'n to experiment with "E" in my .45-90.
Gary

[Eric Johanen]

Some initial loading I did with my Shiloh 45 90 and OE 3 fg showed promise at 200. I loaded Starline brass, Federal large pistol primer with a note card primer wad. .060 poly wad, 78.0 grains powder and the BACO 535 grain Money Bullet seated with half the first band exposed. Have to test them again now that I have a good supply of that powder.

[Lumpy Grits]

Got some "E" 2F and 1 1/2 to start with.
Have the details in the 'pinned', 'Old E' thread.
Will test next week-
Gary

[Eric Johanen]

LG, I am using 84-85 grains of OE 1.5 with the BACO MB. Does not seem to mind some compression and shoots pretty clean when jumped on a bit. I like this powder as it has very good velocity and the fouling is light and soft in my barrels. The Sagebrush PJ Money Bullet shoots nicely and I use them for practice loads and steel matches. I shoot my cast BACO's for Creedmoor matches.

[Lumpy Grits]

Good to know Eric, THX
Test'n will be done early a.m. on Tues.
Gary