[Treeman53]

I have been using 45-70 "Cowboy" rounds in my Trapdoor. They have a muzzle velocity of 1183, vs 1330 for Remington Express rounds. Am I wasting time (internet ordering) and money? Are the Remingtons just as safe? Doesn't seem to be that much difference in velocity, so I assume not much pressure difference either. By the way, I know some will say "BP only", but I do want to stay with smokeless.

 

[45Auto]

The steel in old trapdoor barrels is not as long lasting as new barrels. For this reason, you should use lead instead of jacketed bullets. Otherwise, the bore will not last long.

 

[Guest]

NEVER EVER USE ammo loaded for modern arms in the trapdoor.

It is a weak action and you need to use ammo loaded to specific pressures and velocities for that gun. The remington express rounds might or might not blow it up in your face.

In reloading manuals they have 3 sections on the 45-70.

1. Trapdoor loads
2. Lever actions
3. single shots like Ruger #1 and modern firearms.