Just another mould..or two.

[Distant Thunder]

Kurt,

That is my 040313 lot, (2013) that works so well in my .45-70 and .40-65. Back in August I tried to transition to that lot from a 2016 lot in my .44-77 and I could not get it to shoot worth a hoot with 86 grains. I was trying to work up a load for the Lodi Fall Classic and it would not shoot for me.

The only other powder I had in good quantity was Goex 2F and I went with that but the fouling killed me during the match.

Then in December I started play with hunting loads, something that would allow follow up shots without wiping. Somewhere in the playing around with that idea I started seating my 431ADJ BACO mold .300 deep and it was shooting pretty well. Then this new mold showed up, 431520. Well heck I might at well see how that shoots seated deep. It shot pretty well too, so I worked to the load in the picture with 80 grains and seated .330" deep. For some reason that is a happy combination. I've never seated my PP bullets that deep before except when they were groove diameter.

I don't understand why it's working, but so far it is. I did have to turn the necks on my BACO brass and they are now a very close fit on a .447" bullet. A .448" bullet would not fit the cases and if seated the cartridge would not chamber. It's tight.

My 431520 is a straight bore diameter bullet but I size the necks to a slip fit on a .4375" diameter patched bullet for about 1/8". Next I will test this same load with my 2-Diameter 441505EPP bullet. If that work I think I'm on to something! Then I'll start tweaking the primer and wad to see if I can reduce that groups to something closer to 2". There are a couple other little tweaks I can do but once you get down to the 2 1/2" 10-shot group area the improvements get so small it takes time and matches to see what really makes a difference. That's is a good place to be.

I like my .45-70, load, shoot, win, repeat. No need to play with the load or the rifle. If something goes bad, it's the shooter! And he is old and cranky and doesn't listen very well!