Favorite loads for your 86

[King Medallion]

How about sharing your favorite loads for your 1886?

[PJ Hardtack]

62 grs FFg/Lyman 457125 520 RN

36 grs Varget/Lyman 457193/420 gr RNFP

36 grs Varget/RCBS 350 gr RNFP

28 grs 5744 with either bullet.

[larryo1]

I started back in '68 with 58 grains of 3031 and  have never changed.  That is under a Hornady 300 grain flat nose hollow point. Flat does the job and has for all these years.  No need to change.

[wildman1]

52g of OE 1.5 o2f, BACO .379, 260g bullet cast with 20-1 lead tin alloy. Runs a little under 1500 fps. 2 1/4" groups at 200yds with a peep site shooting from a rest.
wM1
PS Original Winchester Sporting rifle.

[larryo1]

Forgot to mention that my '86 is an original rifle. As one gun nut said when he saw it said that it is a "Hunters" rifle.

[King Medallion]

It would be nice to see pic's of your rifles, Larryo1

[PJ Hardtack]

It depends on the application - hunting or steel. Lighter bullets under 400 grs tend to a lot less punishing to the shooter. These are the so called "Express" loads once available in 45-70 and 45-90.

I tried Paul Matthews loads in my first 45-70s and decided that I didn't enjoy getting the snot kicked out of me.

Moose are not that hard to kill as I found out with my 36 Varget/420 457193 load. Two shots, two dead moose. One literally dropping in it's tracks, t'other staggering fifty yards.

I use all the loads I mentioned above to hit steel out to 200m, and not from the bench; off hand and field positions. In the era, "hunting rifles" were generally not bench rested. That was the domain of the heavy "slug guns", generally muzzle loaders.

[Black River Smith]

I am interested in this posting also but it would be more useful if the reply would list the caliber that the load is being applied too.  Not all 1886's were 45/70's.

Original Winchester 1886 calibers were 33wcf; 38/56; 38/70; 40/65; 40/70; 40/82; 45/70; 45/90 & 50/110.

[PJ Hardtack]

True, an assumption on our part, although the bullet weights mentioned ought to have been a clue for you. Most 86's we see at CAS events are in 45-70, as are the Browing/Pedersoli/Chiappa  repros.

[Black River Smith]

PJ,

That is why I made the statement -- 'Not all 1886's were 45/70's'.  It appeared as if the postings were for 45/70 but if everyone left out the caliber they are posting about, think about the possibilities for 'issues'.

Thanks
BRS

editted:

PS:  My point is 45/70 was a 405 gr..  PJ lists a 520 and 350 is the 350 maybe a 40/70 330 gr original.  Larryo1 lists a 300 gr does that represent the 45/90 original 300 gr.  Wildman1 is the only one providing enough detail, by listing a 260 gr but he also added the diameter of 0.379 for a possible 38/56 or 38/70 near original 255 gr. but also lists 52 gr of powder used which would most likely be the 38/56 and states it is for an original.

Please just list the caliber.

[PJ Hardtack]

When you "assume", you make an ass out of "u" and an ass out of "me".

[Coal Creek Griff]

I have developed a couple of smokeless loads that I use in my Miroku 1886 (45-70).  Some of them were on the upper end of energy, most of which was transferred to my shoulder.  I since backed them off to approximate BP velocities.  Part of the reasoning is so that I can use them in either the '86 or my Pedersoli Sharps.  The velocity readings below were taken with the Sharps, which has a 32" barrel.  These should be well within pressure limits for a modern '86, but why should you trust me?  You don't even know who I am.  I may also be a bad typist and I might have typed loads that are downright dangerous.  For those reasons, PLEASE double-check everything here before you trust your rifle and your life to what I've written.

The loads below use a Lyman 457193 bullet (415 grains), Winchester brass and CCI 200 LRP.

35 grains Alliant Reloder 7.  1366 fps
35 grains IMR 4198.  1427 fps.

I have had decent accuracy with these loads, but my main target usually ends up being tin cans.  The 45-70 may be a bit of overkill, but it sure is fun!

CC Griff

[wildman1]

BRS you are correct it is a 38/56. The BACO mold is actually .380 but with the soft alloy casts at about.3795 and no I do not size them as the bore is a couple thou larger than that.  As far as shooting it from the bench when developing loads I was interested in how accurate the rifle was not in how steady or unsteady I could be shooting from field positions or standing upright.
wM1

[larryo1]

King:
I have never been able to  get PhotoShop for me worth a damn so slip me you e-address and I got a photo of all the  '86's I got.  My e-mail is revengngn6 @yahoo.com.  One of them is a late '86 TakeDown in .33

[PJ Hardtack]

That I why I said it depends upon the application. The OP did not specify what calibre '86 he wanted load recommendations for.
Most could tell from the bullet weights suggested that we were referring to 45-70.

[quote author=Black River Smith link=topic=59128.msg705440#msg705440 date=1492473195My point is 45/70 was a 405 gr..  PJ lists a 520 and 350 is the 350 maybe a 40/70 330 gr original.  Larryo1 lists a 300 gr does that represent the 45/90 original 300 gr.  Wildman1 is the only one providing enough detail, by listing a 260 gr but he also added the diameter of 0.379 for a possible 38/56 or 38/70 near original 255 gr. but also lists 52 gr of powder used which would most likely be the 38/56 and states it is for an original.
[/quote]

[King Medallion]

Mine is a Browning 1886 SRC, in 45-70. I didn't ask for loads specifically for myself, just for general use for all of us to share and use. 

[Coal Creek Griff]

My loads are very effective at killing tin cans.  I've had them jump high in the air, but I've never had them run more than a few yards after being shot.

CC Griff

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I have made cans run. With my STEN!

[PJ Hardtack]

What might be considered a good "general use" load in a rifle length 45-70 '86 might be a tad much in a 45-70 SRC.

After a BPCR practice, one of our mob produced his Browning '86 SRC and was handed some 520 gr silhouette loads. He gamely single loaded them, firing five in succession.
He then put his head down on the bench and was silent. Finally, he was asked - "Hey, buddy, you alright?" He replied - "Yes, I'm just trying really hard not to cry."

In conversation with another SRC owner, he told me that he shot an elk with it and it was a one shot kill at an alleged 185 yds. But - practicing with it before the hunt developed a flinch that affected his BPCR shooting.

Mine is a Browning 1886 SRC, in 45-70. I didn't ask for loads specifically for myself, just for general use for all of us to share and use.  

[King Medallion]

I had a load like that some years ago, I don't remember what it was, but within the 86 range, not Ruger only range. Anyway, I shot 3 of them and disassembled the rest. I like my rifle and shoulder too much for loads that knock me back that much. I shoot for fun, not pain.