Friday, February 23, 2024

About that post on a .45-70 not stabilizing a 500-grain projectile, Updated

I did finally remember to measure the diameter on the 500, it's .458", so I don't think it's that.

Maybe experiment with a different 500 and see if the same happens with it.

Update:  I measured the 405-grain bullets that shoot well, and they're .461.  Which means the bore just might be a bit oversize(an oversize bore in a 150-year-old rifle?  Horrors!)  So I probably need to slug the bore of said rifle if I can and find out just what it is.

2 comments:

Country Boy said...

I shot Cowboy Action for many years and I found that the lube rings on 45-70. One bullet had 3 lube rings and shot a nice tight group. Another with 2 lube rings had a far wider group. Both were 458 grain and the same diameter. Molybdenum disulfide coated bullets with no other lube also shot a nice group. All were loaded with 36.5 grains of 3031 into fire formed brass.

Anonymous said...

A friend had a Trapdoor Springfield with a beautiful bright bore. Shot roughly 25ft groups at 100 yds. judging from dirt kicking up waaay either side of the target. IIRC, the bore slugged out about .468
So, yes, slug the bore.