Finally getting somewhere!

[Hanz]

I'm finally getting somewhere with loading for my 45-70. Shot a few personal best 200 yard BPCR groups today. Rifle shot well with 68g of 2F Swiss or Goex. Favoring the Swiss but I'm so pleased I haven't bothered to measure a group.

The new Distant Thunder front sight and Hoke rear work very well together. I'm so pleased it's coming together.

[Eric Johanen]

Nice shooting Hanz! Very nice rifle. Is that a Postell or Creedmoor? Last few years I've been petty much a Sharps shooter and the modern guns are all in the back of the vault. Just something about single shot rifles and black powder!

[Hanz]

Thanks! I'm very pleased.

I bought those bullets at Buffalo Arms. They are cast in the Saeco 61745 mould.

Once those are shot up I have some bought bullets out of a Lyman Postell 457132 mould. Then I'll shoot the ones I have cast myself

I shoot modern stuff 6Xs a year to 1050 yards. The last modern 'long range' rifle I bought hit at 1,000 with the 17th round out of the gun and six of those were used to zero @ 100 and chronograph. I wanted more of a challenge and found it.

This rifle will be coming with me next time I go to the 1,000 yard range.

[rdnck]

Hanz--That 745 Saeco has a very good reputation for an off he shelf mold in the 45-70. I also shot it quite a lot in my 45-90 a number of years ago. Having said that, the Lyman 457132 Postell is the bullet I settled on as the all around bullet for silhouette and long range. I shot the Postell at the Quigley match for four or five years. It shoots lights out in a 45-70 Pedersoli with 70 grains of 2f.

My Shilohs prefer the Postell as a greaser, but as I shoot paper patch pretty much exclusively now, the Postell doesn't get as much use. Shoot straight, rdnck.

[Hanz]

I'll give 70 grains of FFg a whirl behind the Postell

I loaded up a bunch more of the 745s last night this time I added a coffee filter disc over the flash hole. I measured my two smallest groups from Friday and both were .5 MOA. If I can keep doing that I'll be sitting pretty.

Thanks for the good information. I couldn't have gotten this far without the good advice and knowledge pulled off of this forum.

[Don McDowell]

It's fun when those tiny little groups show up. Good shooting.

[desert deuce]

I'll give 70 grains of FFg a whirl behind the Postell

I loaded up a bunch more of the 745s last night this time I added a coffee filter disc over the flash hole. I measured my two smallest groups from Friday and both were .5 MOA. If I can keep doing that I'll be sitting pretty.

Thanks for the good information. I couldn't have gotten this far without the good advice and knowledge pulled off of this forum.

I generally don't tell people how small the groups have been with the SAECO #745, you have to see them in person actually shot to believe them. It is the bullet Ron Calderone used for his iron sight Grand Slam in silhouette and his National Championship Win in Creedmoor in a stock 45-70 no less. It is also one of the easiest moulds to cast good bullets with.

[Hanz]

The 745 also had enough lube to run well in the 34" barrel in my rifle. I was wiping between shots with a single damp patch of ballistol mixed with water. It was only about 73*F IIRC, and I had zero leading with the 20:1 bullets.



I hope I can replicate these results.

[Gunlaker]

The Saeco bullets can work very well. One of these days I am going to get a custom mold made to duplicate the Saeco bullets, just to see how well they shoot when they are held to tighter dimensional tolerances.

Chris.

[Hanz]

Here's what I look like shooting the rifle: