Loading black powder .50-70 cartridges

[Niederlander]

Gentlemen,  Do any of you that load black powder for .45-70 or .50-70 rounds use a grease cookie or any sort of wad under the bullet? 

[Quick Fire]

Niederlander, I load 45-70 in my 74 Sharps with a 500 gr bullet and my trapdoor carbine with a 405 gr bullet and with Olde Eynesford 2 f have found no need for a grease cookie or wad. It's really a clean burning black powder. I have also started loading for a 63 sharps carbine in 50-70 but haven't run enough rounds through it yet to really be able to give you an honest answer but in my experience I really doubt that I'll have to use a grease cookie for this gun either.

Quick Fire

[ira scott]

Dale, I just went and disassembled one of my skirmish loads to reinforce my memory. I loaded 55 grains of Old Enysford FF with a .060" overpowder cardboard wad and a lubricated felt "wonderwad" over that. Loaded to COL of 2.55" with a 405 grain bullet gave some powder compression, and seemed to shoot really clean! I know Quickfire has been working on some .50-70 loads.

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[ira scott]

That's why they call him "Quickfire"!  He hit the post button before me!

[PJ Hardtack]

I've been loading 50-70 for my Shiloh carbine and Military Rifle for years using Mike Venturino's recipe.

Lyman 515141 (sized .510) over 65 grs of FFg. No wad. No compression other than from the bullet. Venturino said that when he first started loading 50-70, he had no .50 wads on hand, so he didn't use any. Results indicated they were unnecessary.

For a little less recoil I use the same powder charge with a 375 gr Rapine bullet.

With the Lyman bullet in the carbine, I hit 28 oz. tomato cans at 100m off hand. The same load in the MR has dropped two 400+ lb black bears and a 6 pt Mule Deer.

I suggest a read of Croft Barker's book on reloading the 50-70. He covers all the bases.

[pony express]

Wow, it's an amazing year-the Cubs win the world series, and now Neiderlander's gonna load black powder?

[Quick Fire]

Dale, I will say this. Let your guns determine if you need to use more lube. I've found over the years that some do and some don't, depending on bore condition, twist, etc...

Quick Fire

[Niederlander]

The bores on the two I'll be using are both pretty good, so I'll try without the wad first.  Should be interesting.  Do you guys use a drop tube for powder?

[Quick Fire]

I use a drop tube for anything that I load for precision or long range. Don't use it for any main match stuff.

Quick Fire

[PJ Hardtack]

Ditto ....

[MUD MARINE]

I use F-1/2 g in my .C, Sharps 50-140 with no grease cookie and 650 grain  bullet.It's very accurate. I don't win but am an octogenarian. Do well at the 300 but my eyesight sucks..

[PJ Hardtack]

You're a better man than I, Ghunga Dhin!