Revisitting the .40-70

[Kurt]

My .40-70 hasn't been shot much 2005 since my Daughter shot at the Q that year and since I had the .45-70 build for her.
The last few weeks when the temperature got up in the twenties I dug out the leftover rounds from 05 and wiped off the gray oxidation and they were loaded with 70.3 grains of the old Goes 2f exp so off I went to the range. The rifle still had the 200yd setting since I last shot it and the rifle still hit center just like it would if I had just adjusted the sights.
I have really forgot what a pleasant caliber the little .40-70 is.
I had to dig out the Brooks snover mould and cast a bunch and loaded 21 ladder rounds with the old eynsford 2f and shot them on my 135yd range, it didn't take many shots to find a good load to expand to a longer range.
I really don't know why this rifle spends so much time in the safe????

Kurt

[Don McDowell]

Keep us updated on this rifle.

[J.B.]

My boy and I shared use of his 40/70 Creedmoor at the 2013 Q and I'm a big fan of the cartridge. We both could have shot better..but that was no fault of the cartridge. I personally havent found it a temperamental round to load at all but judging from some forums, a lot have. ..In the absence of a 44 option...I was considering a 40 cal for a 77 if I pursue that avenue. If the winds arent too savage they'll place at 1100 yds.. or at least my son can. Have a new Accurate Molds bullet to try but have yet to get the range time. Maybe next month.. ?

[Kurt]

JB

The .40-70 will reach the buffalo sitting on the hill at 1100+ yards on the Shiloh range with out any problem. I have put many lead splatters on that iron using the .40-70. It also ran the 1000 yard iron at Alliance and many consecutive hits on that target during the practice before the match.
But I gave it up in favor of the .50-2.5 for it's wind holding capabilities over the .40 and .45-90 and the .50 did well for me at the Q and other gong matches I shot it in, but don't cut the .40-2.5 short. Its a fine shooter.

Kurt

[bobw]

I have no doubt that you guys are right on the 40-2.5". I also have no doubt what holds people up on getting one is the lack of a std rim dia. and thickness in a quality case with the proper headstamp. Use 30-40 Krag stretched, use Bertram,use 405 Hornady modify this, size that and those need the neck turned etc.etc.that crap gets old. The difference in the originals and what is available today is non stop problem that should be resolved once and standardized it would be to the benfit of the potential buyers as well as Shiloh and C Sharps both. my 2 cts worth .... bobw

[rdnck]

Bob is right about the circus with rim thickness/diameter and neck thickness issues with the 40-70 being a pain in the rear and holding up wider spread acceptance of the cartridge. Add to this the fact that my 40-70 still requires trimming cases from time to time and you have a cartridge I don't shoot very much.

My 40-70 SS is a Shiloh Roughrider, and to my eyes is the prettiest rifle I own. It was also a real bitch to make shoot. When I finally tried KIK 2f powder in it, the rifle took notice and started to shoot. It does shoot very well now, but it was a rough road to get there. If someone wants to shoot a 40, my recommendation is to get a 40-65, as I have never seen a 40-65 that was a problem child, and the 40-65 is good to 1000 yards with the right load and bullet. It also is a good hunting round with a Lyman 403169 or a Lyman 410655.

[Kurt]

Bob,

Yes the brass is a problem for the .40-2.5 ss. I used the .30-40,Hornady.405,and the Bertram.
The.405 brass is ideal for the pp bullet but again for my rifle the .405 brass I needed to trim the head stamp down and make a base swage die to fit my chamber. Since I got my rifle I think Kirk must have opened the base a little because now the Hornady brass will slide in without having to swage the base down after full length sizing on a newer rifle than mine is.
I'm still using my .30-40 brass I got in 1999 lost a few from loading errors and a couple pulled the necks off from annealing them to soft.
When I first got the rifle I thought it was a little finicky, but after I got away from the using just one bullet or powder type that shoots in one rifle should shoot in this sort of thinking we came to an understanding and we got along very well since that point.

[J.B.]

No argument from me with regard the business of getting cartridges set up to ones rifle being more of a challenge than it should be. I certainly spent many hours spinning rims with a drill against wet and dry to ensure they would chamber without undue effort. It's a day out of my life I wont get back.. but there are plenty of them already. With about 350 Baco, Krag cases set up and fire formed I have GG loads covered. I have some Bertram that have worked fine but settled on the Hornady for my paper patch loads. This area is still relative virgin territory for me with the 40/70 though. The Lyman Snover has been a good performer but I feel..the lube grooves ( yes I said it..gg bullet ) ..are a little on the light side and I'm getting some leading. I'm hoping the Accurate Mold design may stop this and early tests are suggesting it is. I was too nostalgic and impractical to opt for the 40/65 but it certainly would appear the stress free option if one wants a 40 cal. My son loves his 40 x 2 1/2 st but yes, unless custom chambered, it does come with some 'issues'.

[Kurt]

JB.

I shoot both the GG and PP, makes no difference to me. I dont get locked into one way of loading or doing something to make these rifles shoot the best they will.
I have two moulds for the snover GG bullet. One is a Brooks 4 groove that casts a 408" at 405 gr and a NIE that Walt made that is a 4 cavity that has two different .458 bullets and 2 of the snover design that has a 5 groove and it casts .410" diameter at 410 gr. Both shoot very well in my Shiloh .40-2.5 and the BPCR .40-65. Both rifles shoot the .410" the best. The .40-2.5 out shoots the .40-65 hands down and both rifles have the same 4 degree into a 1.5 degree compound leads.
The brass will last a long time if you take care of it and the caliber is worth the little time it takes to fit the cases. We wast more time on this one eyed monster during the week than working cases over

Kurt

[J.B.]

Amen to that Kurt ! No regrets here with our choosing the round and it's proving a great performer now. I'm running the standard Shiloh lead in our rifle and been running 20/1 or 18/1 with the Lyman Snover. Always getting a few larger bits of lead out usually in the last portion of the barrel. May well be a fouling control issue but it's so far disappeared with the Accurate bullet I had a go at designing. It's bore riding with the first driving band engaging the lands and has deeper lube grooves than the Lyman mold. Its also allowing me to load 72-74 grns of Swiss 2fg and 66 was about the limit using the Lyman bullet. Was compressing the Swiss but in that narrow case it seemed to be turning into a solid block. Goex/Olde Eynsforde and KIK are non existent down here. It's Wano or Swiss when we can get it. .