45-70 handload/pressure question

Their are 3 classic pressure levels for 45-70. Trapdoor Springfield, 1895 Marlin, and Ruger #1. Trapdoor Springfield and 1895 Marlin are safe in Contender. Ruger #1 is safe in Encore. I am doing 2050 FPS with 350 Woodley and re-7 in my 16" Encore.

frames. With that ribbon on the side they are much stronger than the old Contenders. I had a 14" Contender in 45-70 back in the late 70s and thru the early to mid 80s that I shot some hot loads in, like 50 grains of powder and a 500 grain bullet. Two of my favorite critters to hunt were wild hogs and bison and those loads worked charms on them. My 357 Herrett did also if I could keep a scope on it. I was young and dumb then and even after hundreds of those hot loads I saw no stretching of the frame.

We have done some very special testing of the G-2 with calibers that I won't duplicate for the public in that frame but have had no problems. Back a hundred years ago talking to Lee Jurras about the hot loads, he said if the load is too hot for the gun, the first sign will be the gun opening up on you. Later on chambering some hot stuff like the 9.3 X 74 and some others I finally did have one frame to open up on me, but it was the max rifle load that did it. Again I was young and dumb then with dreams of hunting in Africa.

In my encore I used last year in Africa I was running a Hornady DGX 500 grain bullet at 2000 fps. That was all I could handle but it was accurate and showed no pressure signs. I think people read too much in pressure listings in the reloading manuals. Your gun may not show those signs or it may show them with a lighter load. Many of the pressure testing in the loading manuals are done in a universal receiver, not even in a gun. Every gun is different. Start your loads a few grains under the normal starting load and work up until you see some "pressure" signs like the case sticking in the chamber or extremely flat or cratered primers. Then when you see these signs, ease off a grain or two. Most of the people I know that constantly quote pressure figures just manage to scare others off by their ominous warnings. Keep the fun in loading and just use some common sense and stay away from max loads shown in the loading manuals. Just my humble opinion.

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besides being particularly abusive in recoil. A 5 lb. 45-70 is gonna kick! The 300 gr. loads at speeds between .45 Colt hot loads and .454 speeds are easy enough to manage. As mentioned they come at lower pressures.

The real issue in the Contender/G2 is "bolt thrust". The psi delivered to the receiver face by the forces of the cartridge case head. It's a psi number and a .45-70 case has a lot of "i" to it. That's why a 50k psi .223 is OK but a .243 is not. It's the greater area collectively transmitting a lot more force.

A guilty admission is the 500 gr. bullets are no fun anyway. When I was younger I could keep my knuckle and forehead out of the way. I can't now and I'd crack something for sure. It's just too much bullet. The 405's are all I'd want and are useful. It was fun for the experience.