40-70 SS loads

[J.B.]

One of the guys I shot with at my first silhouette match the other day was using a 40/70 SS with good success. His load was down in the 58-60 grn range of Swiss ( 2f I believe) and a 400 grn bullet. The rams went down without hesitation. While I normally steer away from dual loads, I think the 40's are real candidates for them. Have a mid range load and also one with a heavier bullet and more horsepower when you have to reach out beyond 800 yds. Getting hits with these things beyond 800 yds has been hampered more by not seeing bullet placement/ fall of shot rather than any lack of ability on behalf of the cartridge. Very difficult to 'walk onto a target' when you dont know where your previous shots went. Keep us posted as I for one will take some notes. Good shootin

[bruce moulds]

jb,
shooting on a fullbore range is very handy when seeing shot placement.
the targets are marked with a spotting disc easily visible through a spotting scope.
ideally you need to work your way out 100 metres at a time getting sight settings as you go.
the scope also shows mirage, which is a handy wind deflection tool in itself.
sight settings can change quite a bit with different atmospheric conditions.
keep safe,
bruce.

[J.B.]

True enough Bruce but I'm not getting to the range as often as I'd like and often we are shooting at steel, not paper. It's a problem in that some ranges dont show fall of shot well... if at all. This is amplified when the 40 or smaller calibres are involved. Certainly...when shooting on paper, with marked targets and a decent spotter, the guess work is negated . I'm reluctant to call shots that are off the paper when I'm in the butts unless I'm 110% positive. Short and high are easy enough usually but left or right can be a problem unless they are extreme windage errors. Still a novice at all this but slowly.. ever so slowly ..attempting to learn as I go along.

[Kurt]

All this talk with the .40-70 makes me wanting to pull mine out. I haven't shot mine for several years now. It gets pulled out once a month to get wiped down and bore reoiled. I like the .40-70, it is a very good shooter and pleasant to shoot as well but for some reason I just don't use it much anymore.
It will put gray spots on the 1K irons as tight as any thing I shoot, but it just don't get used for some reason.

Kurt

[Mike]

I'm hoping to shoot mine tomorrow with the run of 3-shot groups. 15 cases were prepare and then 3 were loaded with 57 grains, another 3 with 60 grains, 3 more with 62 grains, followed by 3 more with 65 grains and finally the last three with 67 grains, all using Olde Eynsford 2F under the 385 grain pointed bullet. The primers are color coded and my notebook is ready.

Kurt, thanks for the good words about the .40/70 SS. Actually, I've never heard any bad words about it. And that makes me wonder why more shooters don't use it.

It also makes me more eager for Jamison to bring out some brass for the .40/70 SS. They say it's on the way...

[Kurt]

Mike I requested .40-70 brass form them. If they ever do make it I will replace every case I now use with it.
Maybe if they get enough requests they will get tooled up for it.
The cost for tooling up for drawing the brass is high so I can understand why they hesitate tooling up for it.

[Mike]

Kurt, On top of that, Jamison is pretty busy. But at one time they did list the .40/70 SS and then pulled the listing because they weren't as ready as they thought they were. But making .40/70 SS shouldn't be too tough for them because they just need to shorten their .405 W.C.F. case by 1/8" and give it a ".40/70 SS" headstamp. The rim thichness, I hope, will remain the same.

[Kurt]

Mike.

The problem with making brass for the .40-70 is that there are so many variances in the rim thicknesses and even the diameters. The diameter differences are not as critical as the thickness is.
There are differences between the Shiloh and C-Sharps enough that it creates a head space problem shortening case life. Then the difference between the originals like the Hepburn, Maynard, Ballards and others. The .40-70 was a popular chambering but there where no standards back then between manufactures and it still has not changed today by the differences in the rim recess.
I can understand why they hesitate making brass for the .40-70. Bertram does make .40-70 cases with the correct headstamp and it fits my Shiloh but case life is very short. Or was when I first got my rifle.

[Mike]

Kurt, My Highwall from C. Sharps Arms was chambered to use the Hornady .405 cases with the .070" thick rims. That's why I hope the Jamison brass will have a similar rim thickness. I know there are several originals that wouldn't accept that thick of a rim and maybe some of the new guns too. But if Jamison brought out brass that became the standard, new guns could be cut to accept it.

[Kurt]

That is why I took an average of 10 cases of the Starline .45-2.6 case rim thickness and had CPA cut the rim recess for this brass so I have a close headspace. I sent them a case that was the average thickness and they set the headspace to that case.