45-75 loads

[buckskin billy]

howdy yall,
i just put a chapperal model 1876 45-75 on lay a way. it will be in my gun cabinet by the end of the month
any hows this is a new caliber for me and i was wondering about some loads for it. my gun has a 28 inch barrel. i will be shooting only black powder and lead bullets. i cast my own bullets so i was curious on what moulds are recommended, as well as bullet weight and size. i plan as of now to get some jamison brass. i would like to stay as true to the original loads as possible.
just another thought was any of the original model 1876 loaded with paper patch bullets?

any help and advise will be appreciated.

thanks

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Check out Hobie's blog'

http://shootingwithhobie.blogspot.com/2007/04/winchester-1876-src-nwmp-reproduction.html

Almost any mould, as long as it has a substantial flat point, at about .458+ a thou' or so weighing about 350 grains will do for starters.  The one I use is a recent special order Lyman 457192 at about 350 gr.  I have also had excellent results from the Gould hollow-point Lyman 457122. (This one is a currently manufactured item.) I have used about 67 gr of GOEX FFFg but now use the same volume of "cartridge", because I have more of it.  Usually I use converted .348 WCF cases, but now have some properly marked factory cases.

I have LEE dies, and they work despite the sizing die being too tight in the neck.

This load is what I use in my Chappie NWMP carbine.  When you get set up, work up your own load by the generally accepted practise of drop-tubing enough powder into the case to alllow a bit of compression.  Use of a card wad is optional, but I do it.

P.S;  I think paper patching is a waste of time, for repeaters at least.
Over-all length is important.  Factory ammo is , I believe, 2.25 inches, but 2.30" works in my Chappie.

[larryo_1]

I agree with Sir Charles except I went and had a custom Hoch mold made.  It casts a bullet at 350 grains.  I use my own alloy of 16:1 as did the original loadings.  Got that alloy off one of an original ammo box.. have also had good results with 20:1 but my rifle--being fussy--likes the 16:1 alloy better.  As far as BP is concerned I use both a 72 grain and a 76 grain loading with Swiss 1½ which I really like.  My rifle is one of the early ones and has the "Uberti" chamber which is larger than the original chambering that you will no doubt have in your rifle.  I use both Jamison and fire-formed 348 brass.  Never had any problems with either cases but the Jamison is "Sexier" in that it has the proper head stamp.  I use a 0.040" card in both loadings.  The 76 grain load has a bit of a stiffer recoil than the 72 grain load.  In my rifle, accuracy is about the same but velocities are different however both are in the 1400fps range.  I found that 76 grain load by accident in reading one of the old writeups on this site.  This fellow had pulled a bullet on some original ammo and weighed the charges and found that they were not 75 grains but 76 grains so I gave it try.  Fun.. So--enjoy your rifle.

[Tombstone Wyatt]

Get yourself a copy of Mike Venturino's "Shooting Lever Guns of the Old West" and refer to the section on the 1876 in 45-75.
Wyatt

[buckskin billy]

thanks for the helps yall.

does jamison have 45-75  brass readily avilable now?

[john boy]

just another thought was any of the original model 1876 loaded with paper patch bullets?

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,18952.0.html
http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,18175.msg230390.html#msg230390

[shrapnel]

just another thought was any of the original model 1876 loaded with paper patch bullets?
any help and advise will be appreciated.

thanks

There is an inherent problem with paper patch bullets and magazine rifles. First, the 45-75 was not originally loaded for an 1876 with paper patch bullets, due to the need to crimp seated bullets to maintain the correct OAL of the cartridge. If the bullet gets pushed into the casing due to the spring pressure in the magazine, the round will not function in an 1876 action. If the bullet comes out of the casing to any degree, the same problem arises with the inability of the 1876 action to cycle a loaded round that isn't the precise OAL.

If you wanted to single load the rifle, you could do that, but why. One thing to be aware of with the 45-75 is that any brass is just that, any brass. If the neck thickness is to large, the cartridge won't close in the action with the correct bullet to the bore diameter. Inside neck reaming is a chore, but can be done. I worked with Mike Venturino and Kirk Bryan from Shiloh rifles to get my brass built to where I could load the ammunition reliably in the magazine, have it cycle and then chamber without excess pressure with the lever.

The OAL is best accomplished with a grease groove bullet that matches the factory load for these rifles and that bullet and mould will be found in Mike Venturino's "Shooting Lever Guns of the Old West". If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me, as all the chores involved to make this work can become tiring...

Good Luck, Shrapnel

[Buck Stinson]

This is correct.  However, the first bullet mold offered by Winchester in .45-75 WCF caliber, cast a smooth bullet that had no grease grooves.  It could be patched with paper or left naked.

[Grizzly Adams]

I would suggest 24 grains of 5744 under a 350 grain bullet.  Works for me.

For more loading date on the 45-75, use the search function at the top of the page - type in" 45-75" loads and you will find several threads on the subject.

[john boy]

However, the first bullet mold offered by Winchester in .45-75 WCF caliber, cast a smooth bullet that had no grease grooves.  It could be patched with paper or left naked.

Buck, back in the beginning of the forum, you posted a picture of that mold with no GG's.  I tried to search the picture - no luck.  Would you mind posting it again?

[Buck Stinson]

I think I still have the photo.  Don't know if I can remember how to put it up though.  Wish I could just go from my photo albums on the lap top, instead of photo bucket.  Will see what I can do.

[wildman1]

Buck its pretty easy ta post pics from your LT. I don't even use PB. WM

[Jbar4Ranch]

Three and a half years ago I bought a Chaparral .45-75 and have never found anything that shoots exceptionally well in it. I've tried probably 20 smokeless powders, plus 1f, 1 1/2f, 2f, Ctg, and 3f granulations of Goex, KIK, Swiss, Triple 7, Pyrodex, APP and undoubtedly a few I'm forgetting. I've used cast bullets from a .457" round ball to 405 grainers with poor to mediocre results. The past couple days, I've been experimenting with a 500 grain RNGC design over a case full of black with better results than anything I've tried to date. Instead of 12"/100 yard groups, I'm getting ~5" groups. Still nothing to write home about for sure, but much, much better than anything I've tried in the past 3 1/2 years.

[larryo_1]

Ranch:
Just for kicks and giggles, try 76 grains of Swiss 1½ under a 350 grain bullet that is made of 16:1 alloy.  It may not do what you want bu tit is a barrel of fun to try.  My '76 likes it.  My rifle has the larger chamber by the way..