Accurate load?

[biofish]

I am shooting a M1886 .45-70 Springfield trapdoor, mostly with BP. However i ran a few rounds through it with Reloader 10x (35gn) and a lead cast bullet (405gn), No crimp, lubed. I want to keep using smokeless.. BP is just getting to be a hassle.

Now, all the manuals tell me everything should be fine. The cartridge, and primer looked ok after shooting. There was some of burned powder residue on the outside of the cartridge after firing. (more than usual on a fired cartridge) I believe that mean it may be under pressured.? not sure.

My concern is, how the hell am I to know if i am putting too much PSI on this gun? I love to shoot it, but i don't want to do so while slowly degrading the gun over time.

Anyone else use Reloader 10x in the trapdoors?. I just want to keep the pressure under 19000.

[JLA]

if the trapdoor rifle is an original id say BP only. if its a replica then you should be ok with smokeless loads in the level 1 range of your reloading manual. I have used RX10X in the .45-70 for level 2 loads in a 1895 Guide gun. Its a good powder and will do you well with the .45-70... As for sealing the case with low pressure, you will have to anneal the case mouth every cycle to allow the brass to be soft enough to seal at low pressure. I shoot cast WW 500 gr bullets in my H&R my load is starting level 1 with RX7 listed in the Lyman 49th. good for about 1250 fps from the 32" bbl and darn accurate.

[biofish]

Thanks for the info!.
I have read in many reloading data manuals that the original trapdoors can be used with smokeless.. (including the R10x) I just have yet to run across anyone who has used it in one. While BP is preferred, the pressure can be kept low with smokeless to BP standards i believe. I hate the cleanup with BP, and it is causing me to not want to shoot the gun for the sole reason of cleaning it!!
Thanks for the info on annealing. I will give it a try.

[JLA]

you might give hodgdon 777 a try. i also use it with my 500 grainers when i feel like smokin up the range. it cleans really easy. my rifle is seasoned with bore butter so clean up is as easy as pushing 3 or 4 bore buttered patches through the bore while its still warm from shooting. they too are very accurate and less recoil than even starting smokeless loads. my 777 load is 60 gr. by volume 777, 1 grease wad and a 500 gr cast bullet. i use magnum primers in my .45-70 loads. cci 250 to be exact.

[biofish]

Thanks!.

[oldreliable45120]

Give trailboss a try you will like it. It was designed for the large cases using cast bullets in cowboy action shooting. Its my perfered powder for reduced loads in all my vintage rifles and pistols.

[biofish]

Thanks!.. I will give it a try. I have heard allot about it.