primers for 45-70

[Wildcat Will]

I am sure this is been mentioned before but I honestly cannot remember. 

I have not loaded my 45-70 for BP in awhile and I do not remember if I need magnum or standard large rifle.  My plan is to load a 405 big lube boolet over 60-65 grains of FFg.  Which primer would ya'll recomend? 

Thanks for help in advance and I promise I will write it down this time.

[Adirondack Jack]

With REAL BP, whatever ya do, just be consistent.

In .50-70 I have used LR, LP, and LP magnums, and they all went bang just fine.  Your POI would likely change if ya switched in the middle of a shoot, so pick one and use it. 

[Wildcat Will]

Thanks AJ.  I always use Goex for all my loading both main match and side match.  I have three hundred LR and four hundred LR magnum primers.  Guess I will start with the LR and see how they do. 

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy Will,

I load that caliber and have found that loads and guns do have preferences.  The trick is to learn which one works best for you.

Lately, I've taken to loading my 45-70 brass with CCI-300s.  'Em are large pistol primers, but I'm getting very good consistency with 'em.  Also, when I'm shootn' the big 500 grain DD-45-70 spire point boolit, I need to put Five grains of SR4759 under the Holy Black in order to get enuf velocity that I don't run out of ladder at the 1000 yard mark.  I've got 'em runnin' 1360fps now and it looks like I may be able to get back to the 1200 yard mark.  That's a fur piece.

Like AJ says, find one that works and stick with it.  The less variables the better when smackin' distant varments.

DD-DLoS

[Silver Creek Slim]

I use what I have on hand, which is mostly LR primers. I don't know what brands I have off-hand.

Slim

[Wildcat Will]

Thanks for the info.  I am a bit surprised that the large pistol primers will set off that much BP in a consistant manner.  Hey if it works....

Thanks again.

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy Wildcat Will,

I shoot long range black powder cartridge rifle at Winnequah (Lodi, WI) Gun Club.  There are some very good shooters there.  In fact, it's about their ONLY shooting sport.  I make it a point to talk to them and they are happy to reveal their secrets.  It seems that one of the trends that is proving to work out is using large pistol primers in black powder cartridge rifles, especially the larger capacity ones.

Also, they are doing something I don't quite understand, but it seems to work.  They divide their total powder charge by Six and put in 1/6 FFFFg, 1/3 FFFg and 1/2 FFg.  They call it an all black powder duplex load.  The theory is that they get a longer, more even pressure behind the bullet.  That sounds like a LOT of work to me, but these shooters have the scores to back them up.

When you get to jawing with these long range guys, you will get LOTS of advice.  Much of it is worth what you paid for it. . .  Same goes for stuff you get on the wire.  You need to prove everything to your own satisfaction before accepting it.  Take lots of notes.  You will learn a lot faster if you write everything down.

DD-DLoS

[john boy]

Will, the 45-70 cartridge is categorized as Large Rifle primer, but Large Pistol and LR Magnums work too.  Any brand will work.  Federal 215's will be hard to seat in the primer hole.  I'm partial to CCI Br-2 primers. 

A cigarette paper or newspaper wad over the flash hole works for many BRCR shooters to help the ignition
Here is a list of vendor primers:
CCI

    * Small pistol = 500
    * Small pistol magnum = 550
    * Large pistol = 300
    * Large pistol magnum = 350
    * Small rifle = 400
    * Small rifle magnum = 450
    * Large rifle = 200
    * Large rifle magnum = 250

Federal

    * Small pistol = 100
    * Small pistol magnum = 200
    * Large pistol = 150
    * Large pistol magnum = 155
    * Small rifle = 205
    * Small rifle magnum = 250M
    * Large rifle = 210
    * Large rifle magnum = 215

Remington

    * Small pistol = 1 1/2
    * Small pistol magnum = 5 1/2
    * Large pistol = 2 1/2
    * Small rifle = 6 1/2
    * Small rifle magnum = 7 1/2
    * Large rifle = 9 1/2
    * Large rifle magnum = 9 1/2M

Winchester

    * Small pistol = WSP
    * Small pistol magnum = WSPM
    * Large pistol = WLP
    * Large pistol magnum = WLP
    * Small rifle = WSR
    * Large rifle = WLR
    * Large rifle magnum = WLRM

RWS

    * Small pistol = 4031
    * Small pistol magnum = 4047
    * Large pistol = 5337
    * Small rifle = 4033
    * Large rifle = 5341
    * Large rifle magnum = 5333