Looking for the lightest load for my 1895GS using RL7 and 420gr cast. Have used 2400 in 300gr light loads, but point of impact was way different than my full power loads w/ RL7, and looking for a "tweener" load that will shoot to a similar POI as my hunting loads. If I could find a safe load, without fooling with fillers (barrel obstructions are a scary thought), that would be a bridge between my light plinkers (10gr unique) and hunting loads (42gr RL7), pushing 1100-1300fps, it will be a good "warm-up" load for preseason practice, and may even find its way into the woods for brush hunting whitetails.

Any thoughts or experiences? All are appreciated. Little data available, but I think 34gr or so may fit the bill safely. Obviously accuracy is a big issue, too.

Thanks in advance, Ryan

What you are asking is not all that clear to me. If I understand it, your full power hunting load with the 420 grain cast bullet is with Reloder 7 (42 gr) which gives you 1300 fps.
If you want a lighter load with this bullet, why don't you use 2400? You should be able to get 1100 fps easily with 2400, and point of impact shouldn't be too far off. I suspect the reason you had a big point of impact change had nothing to do with 2400, rather the lighter bullet and a lighter charge of 2400.
I have used 2400 quite successfully in my .45-70 with 405 grain cast bullet.

Sorry, I'm looking for a load to push that velocity. My 42gr load pushes about 1625fps. Also, I was comparing the 2400 load w/300gr bullets to a full hunting load with 300 grain bullets. I can see with the way that was written how I could have confused. Just looking for a real light, trap door level or lighter, load w/RL7 and 420gr cast.

Thanks, Ryan

Surely someone has some suggestions on a light load with this combo? It's not that uncommon, is it? I have a Lyman manual that shows light loads using fillers, but I don't want to use fillers. It also shows this bullet weight handling 48.5gr of RL7 for a max, which surpasses all other manual's max loads by a good bit, and it seems a little off to me.

Thanks, and God Bless, Ryan

Ryan I know no one else has posted a reply to your exact needs therefore I offer this as consideration only.

Using a 300 grain cast lead bullet Accurate Arms shows a start load of 27.9 grains of 5744 powder that delivers a velocity of 1400 fps.
They list a 405 gain cast lead (about what yours is at 420 grain) using 24.7 grains of 5744 powder that will deliver 1200 fps velocity. Both of these load formulas are specificlaly for 45-70.

One of the big attributes of 5744 powder is that it was designed around big cases and no fillers. I know you said you wanted RL7 powder but this info is the best I can come up with that approximates your bullet weight and gives careful consideration to your desire for no fillers and your others listed objectives for a tweener load (less recoil, less velocity, good for white tail etc)

5744 has a great reputation for being lighter on the recoil and very forgiving with regard to air space in the brass. Also, even if you are not exactly accuarte with yoru weighst the powders seems to be quite forginving there too. I am playing with 5744 for my 50-90 as my "tweener load" and I started with RL15 as the hunting, smackdown powder. I like RL15 alot yet for $18.00 I felt it was worth trying a different powder because I couldn't acieve all the objectives that I wanted with varying RL15 combinations.

5744 seems like a good powder to have around for 45-70 and 50-90 shooters.

What do you think?

Marshall from BTB recommended 24g of 2400 for around 1300 with a 425g pile driver
others have recommended the same load with 405 cast for around 1300

28g of h4198 yeilds about the same and is what I am experimenting with 405g cast performance gc hardcasts
do plan to order some pile drivers as well

You no doubt can hit your target velocity, 1200fps if I understand correctly, with a reduced load of RL-7 but it really is not the best powder for such loads. Smokeless powders require a certain minimum pressure to burn properly. The load you're looking for would be very near the minimum threshold for RL-7 and you'd likely have a lot of shot to shot variation with RL-7 in that application. Lyman #47 lists 33 grains RL-7, with a filler, as pushing a 420 grain cast bullet at 1198fps with only 7,800 CUP. That is not much pressure, not enough to assure proper burning IMO. A better choice would be 21 grains of #2400 which gives 1242fps at 17,700 CUP, or even 13.5 grains of Unique for 1163fps and 27,200 CUP.
My own 45/70 plinking load is a 300 grain Laser Cast with 13 grains of Unique and a tuft of cotton filler, goes about 1300fps from my 28" barrel.
Don't be afraid of fillers, they are your friend, just avoid plastic material which can melt onto the bore and build up to an obstruction. A tuft of cotton fiber can do no harm.

I guess that I made too much of the velocity, as it doesn't matter to me that much. Just looking for a lighter load that would have a similar poi. I will experiment with the 2400 and higher charges of Unique, though, and see where it leaves me. I want to practice shooting with enough recoil to adjust to it and practice getting back on target, but not enough to develop a flinch. I have a 5lb canister of RL7, so a plinker load for it will not diminish my inventory quickly, but I also don't want an inefficient or dirty burner. I want to be able to see all of the potential in my rifle, from hot loads to plinkers, as well as the everyday "tweener" loads (factory duplicates or trapdoor loads), all with good accuracy. That is what I am wanting feedback on, I guess.

Thanks again, Ryan