Ivan the Butcher
Member
I currently own 4 rifles in 45-70. An early JM Guide Gun that is factory ported, an 1986 production Browning 1886, a Shiloe Sharpe's 1874 30" 1 1/8" octagonal barrel, and 1875 production 1873 Cav Carbine.
I have learned that a great load for one 45-70 is anywhere from good to brutal in another! I shot a "Speed Rifle" Match with 325 gr cast over a mild load of 29.2 grains of Accurate 5744 (1350+/- fps). Basically, Speed Rifle is: On an empty chamber, 10 rounds at the buzzer, shot standing. A miss of the target adds 5 seconds to your time. There are only standards for distance must be over 15 yards, for the size of the gong is unregulated. So, they vary from match to match. The one I'm thinking of was a 12" square gong at 105 yards. Aside from misses, accuracy is not an issue. I was using my 26" Octagonal 86 Browning. I had zeroed the rifle to 100 yards in that rifle the day before. I was the first shooter on a freshly white painted gong. (I was the only shooter with a clean gong!) The first shot was dead center, and the mark appeared to be a less than 2" smudge with smokey edges. The next nine shots hit on top of the first, and took a little more than two seconds. I won that day, and beat the national champion (shooting a 336 in 30-30). The felt recoil was only a little more than my light 45 Colt load in a model 92. (I consider it very wild!) The same load out of my sharps from a rest was like plinking with a 22 LR. The same load out of the Guide Gun surprised me with th amount of felt recoil!
My Guide Gun Plinking Load is a 300 grain RBFP over 8 grains of Trail Boss. The flyer says about 800 fps. Before my eyes deteriorated, I could continuously ring a 6" round gong at 100 yards offhand and rapid fire (5 shots about 1.25 seconds) Recoil is on par with light 45 Colt loads in a 92 carbine!
Ivan
I have learned that a great load for one 45-70 is anywhere from good to brutal in another! I shot a "Speed Rifle" Match with 325 gr cast over a mild load of 29.2 grains of Accurate 5744 (1350+/- fps). Basically, Speed Rifle is: On an empty chamber, 10 rounds at the buzzer, shot standing. A miss of the target adds 5 seconds to your time. There are only standards for distance must be over 15 yards, for the size of the gong is unregulated. So, they vary from match to match. The one I'm thinking of was a 12" square gong at 105 yards. Aside from misses, accuracy is not an issue. I was using my 26" Octagonal 86 Browning. I had zeroed the rifle to 100 yards in that rifle the day before. I was the first shooter on a freshly white painted gong. (I was the only shooter with a clean gong!) The first shot was dead center, and the mark appeared to be a less than 2" smudge with smokey edges. The next nine shots hit on top of the first, and took a little more than two seconds. I won that day, and beat the national champion (shooting a 336 in 30-30). The felt recoil was only a little more than my light 45 Colt load in a model 92. (I consider it very wild!) The same load out of my sharps from a rest was like plinking with a 22 LR. The same load out of the Guide Gun surprised me with th amount of felt recoil!
My Guide Gun Plinking Load is a 300 grain RBFP over 8 grains of Trail Boss. The flyer says about 800 fps. Before my eyes deteriorated, I could continuously ring a 6" round gong at 100 yards offhand and rapid fire (5 shots about 1.25 seconds) Recoil is on par with light 45 Colt loads in a 92 carbine!
Ivan
