loading 405 grn hollow base bullets for trapdoor 45-70

[Tater Pickens]

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I have been loading for years in my 1884 trapdoor a 500 grn bullet. A friend of mine has just acquired a 45-70 that is pre 500 grn bullet days and needs the 405 grn bullet. he has asked me to load up some rounds for him but I have never loaded any 405 grn hollow base bullets before. On my 500 grn bullet I precompress the powder charge and seat the bullet with a small fiber washer between the bullet base and powder. I have heard that on the 405 grn hollow base that I should load the bullet without the fiber wad so as to allow the force of the explosion of the bp powder charge to expand the base of the bullet to grip the rifling.

Have any of you got any info or suggestions on the proper way to load the 405 versus the 500 grn bullets.

Thanks,

Tater Pickens

[Drydock]

http://4570products.info/Loading-Cartridges-for-Original-45-70-Springfield-1.htm

[Back Roads]

The way you describe loading the 405 is the way I have been doing it ever since I received my 405 HB mold. I only have a 100 yd. range and the accuracy is good out of my original TD. The rifle is probably more accurate than my eyes!