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Post by BOBinIN on Feb 4, 2010 8:21:25 GMT -5
I have an original 50-70 Springfield from the Civil War in excellent mechanical condition that I have owned since 1971. Years ago I found some solid lead 440 Gr. bullets and 20 new brass cartridges and did a bit of shooting with the old gun using 37 Gr. of IMR-3031 and Mag primers. It appears that the old gun might be approved to be used for deer hunting this fall and I'd like to be ready with a more potent load than I currently have. Anyone out there have a load to recommend using smokeless powder? For safety sake I'd like to limit the MV to 1400 FPS. Thanks for any replies. BOBinIN
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Post by omegahunter on Feb 4, 2010 14:20:08 GMT -5
That proposal seems to have been killed.
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Post by drs on Feb 4, 2010 15:14:59 GMT -5
When shooting these 'pre smokeless powder rifles; I STRONGLY advise to use FG Black Powder or one of the subsitutes designed for loading these old calibers.
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Post by Decatur on Feb 4, 2010 15:49:04 GMT -5
That proposal seems to have been killed. Details? |
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Post by tenring on Feb 4, 2010 16:04:17 GMT -5
Never made it out of committee.
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Post by cedarthicket on Feb 5, 2010 9:02:19 GMT -5
Bob, I assume you got your load from some recognized source, such as a reloading manual or a load given in Cartridges of the World. I just looked at my copy of Cartridges of the World and it appears that your load is probably at, or very close to, the recommended maximum for relatively "weak" actions, such as trapdoor Springfields. An example of a somewhat stronger action would be the Remington rolling block. You may want to check web sites of Accurate, Hodgdon, Alliant, and other powder makers for some loading data. Some new printed loading manuals may also have some data, but I do not keep up with them. Also, the Cast Bullet Association and American Single Shot Rifle Association have web sites with forums you may search and/or post for more information. Google searches should get you the web site addresses.
The load you have now is certainly potent enough for deer (better than the .44 Magnum and .454 Casull from handguns). The muzzle velocity in the roughly 1300 to 1400 feet per second range will generally limit your shots to about 100 yards as a practical matter, because large bullet drop and range estimation errors beyond that will often result in wounded game or complete misses. But, on a positive note, I believe that well over 90 percent of deer killed in Indiana are taken at much less than 100 yards.
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Post by BOBinIN on Feb 6, 2010 8:58:43 GMT -5
Cedarthicket,
Your reply...That sir, is exactly the kind of information I was hoping to get when I made this post. The load that I quoted was suggested to me almost 40 years ago by an experienced reloader. With the possibility of using the old gun for actual hunting I was curious how "out of date" that load was and if there was something better. I will follow up on "Cartridges Of The World". Thank you again for taking the time to assist me. This is a perfect example of why I joined this forum. BOBinIN
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Post by drs on Feb 6, 2010 9:10:25 GMT -5
Bob,
If your old Springfield .50-70 is strong to take modern light loads of smokeless powder you might also try light loads of SR-4759 with cast lead bullets.
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