Post by Bullshop on Dec 30, 2023 16:47:40 GMT -7
Ever since Jr. took possession of Ol B00 I have been lacking in a 45-70 that can handle the full range of loads for the cartridge. I have a Trapdoor but it is limited to under 20,000 psi. In developing 45-70 loads to sell I need a platform that will at least handle up to Marlin only loads. Having a TC Encore frame about a year ago I bought a standard TC 45-70 barrel. Because of the light weight contour of that barrel and the light weight of my frame with synthetic stock that stock TC barrel was brutal to fire even with Trapdoor type loads so there was no way I could use it to develop group 2 (Marlin) or group 3 ( Riger #1) loads so I resold it quickly.
Still needing a test platform I watched the auctions for some time for a good deal on a Marlin but what I saw was the prices were climbing quickly after the covid shortages and with Ruger taking over Marlin. Finally I decided there was only one way and to quit procrastinating and make a move which I did. The move I made was to order a 24" length full bull contour barrel from SSK industries and to include their factory break. Well I got that barrel about a month ago but had not fired it until today.
The reason for not firing it was that my TC heavy contour fore end would not fit the full bull contour of my barrel so I have been hunting for a fore end that would fit. Sounds simple right ? NOT !!!
The closest this from TC is their 12 gauge fore end which measures .990" across the barrel channel. My barrel measures .997" diameter and with the flex type fore end that would be OK after all it only has to stretch .0035" on each side. OK so lets find a 12 gauge flex tech stock on ebay I says. WHAT !!! $275 for a fore end !!!! I think not.
OK then plan B. Tina found a close out sale at Midway for the Choat synthetic fore end for $25.00 but it was the standard barrel channel which is way too small. Having some experience in altering synthetic stocks to open the barrel channel to be larger I told her to get it and I would make it work.
Well that fore end showed up yesterday and I wasted no time in implementing my plan. My plan was to use a broken breaker bar saved for exactly this purpose. The knurled end of the tool is 1" diameter and the socket end about .75". The one inch end seemed about right for my purpose so the new synthetic fore end when into the shop vice and the 1" end of the breaker bar went into the wood stove. When it was cherry red I doubled up on welding gloves grabbed it and scooted to the shop. With the still glowing bar I lined it up with the barrel channel in the stock and gently dragged it down the channel about three times. Having done this before I knew the melted material would be displaced over the top outside of each side of the stock and it worked again as intended. After it cooled down the displaced material easily peels off to leave the barrel channel the width of the tool used in this case 1"
Well the process worked like a charm and was about as perfect a fit as you could ask for. Today was the first day of shooting and I am very pleased with the results of a first try. I wanted to try two types of loads today one very light subsonic and one very stout Ruger #1 type load. I found a stash of two different bullets that seemed about perfect for their individual task. One was a very hard 385 grain gas checked bullet from NEI and the other was a very soft alloy cast in an RCBS 500 grain spitzer mold.
Both bullets shot splendidly with their intended loads. The hot load with the 385 grain bullet exceeded last years Hodgdons annual manual max load by 8 grain of powder over their max listed load. Their max load only went to 27000 psi so I felt I had plenty of room for improvement. I worked it up from their max load of 42 grain of Accurate Powders # 2200 to 50 grains. No chrono today but I can see its not maxed out yet but shot so well I stopped right there.
On the light subsonic load I was on my own because I couldn't find any data that was reduced velocity from Trapdoor loads at about 1300 fps. Knowing from experience there are always three ways to do anything the wright way the wrong way and my way I decided to go with my way. My way was to take a WAG for powder type and volume that the three of us me myself and I decided to be 7 grain of Alliant American Select. Well those three guys made a pretty darn good guess because those big 500 grain spitzer bullets were all lobbing right into the 2" bull at 100 yards once I found the right scope setting for the lighter load. It turned out to be exactly three mills elevation in the mill dot scope I mounted for this session.
So it seems to finally be coming together with the new 45-70 test platform and if first tries are an indicator we got a good one. SSK only offers one twist rate in 458 caliber which is 1/14" and I was worried it might be a bit too torquey for soft bullets but todays testing gave me some relief from that worry. As for recoil this thing is a pussy cat but and this is a major but IT IS LOUD !!!, at least the hot load was. The light load to me sounded about like a 22 mag in a rifle, not bad at all and considering the accuracy and the fact that a can threaded on instead of a break would make it very interesting. The old (X) poacher in me says yeah I like it !
Still needing a test platform I watched the auctions for some time for a good deal on a Marlin but what I saw was the prices were climbing quickly after the covid shortages and with Ruger taking over Marlin. Finally I decided there was only one way and to quit procrastinating and make a move which I did. The move I made was to order a 24" length full bull contour barrel from SSK industries and to include their factory break. Well I got that barrel about a month ago but had not fired it until today.
The reason for not firing it was that my TC heavy contour fore end would not fit the full bull contour of my barrel so I have been hunting for a fore end that would fit. Sounds simple right ? NOT !!!
The closest this from TC is their 12 gauge fore end which measures .990" across the barrel channel. My barrel measures .997" diameter and with the flex type fore end that would be OK after all it only has to stretch .0035" on each side. OK so lets find a 12 gauge flex tech stock on ebay I says. WHAT !!! $275 for a fore end !!!! I think not.
OK then plan B. Tina found a close out sale at Midway for the Choat synthetic fore end for $25.00 but it was the standard barrel channel which is way too small. Having some experience in altering synthetic stocks to open the barrel channel to be larger I told her to get it and I would make it work.
Well that fore end showed up yesterday and I wasted no time in implementing my plan. My plan was to use a broken breaker bar saved for exactly this purpose. The knurled end of the tool is 1" diameter and the socket end about .75". The one inch end seemed about right for my purpose so the new synthetic fore end when into the shop vice and the 1" end of the breaker bar went into the wood stove. When it was cherry red I doubled up on welding gloves grabbed it and scooted to the shop. With the still glowing bar I lined it up with the barrel channel in the stock and gently dragged it down the channel about three times. Having done this before I knew the melted material would be displaced over the top outside of each side of the stock and it worked again as intended. After it cooled down the displaced material easily peels off to leave the barrel channel the width of the tool used in this case 1"
Well the process worked like a charm and was about as perfect a fit as you could ask for. Today was the first day of shooting and I am very pleased with the results of a first try. I wanted to try two types of loads today one very light subsonic and one very stout Ruger #1 type load. I found a stash of two different bullets that seemed about perfect for their individual task. One was a very hard 385 grain gas checked bullet from NEI and the other was a very soft alloy cast in an RCBS 500 grain spitzer mold.
Both bullets shot splendidly with their intended loads. The hot load with the 385 grain bullet exceeded last years Hodgdons annual manual max load by 8 grain of powder over their max listed load. Their max load only went to 27000 psi so I felt I had plenty of room for improvement. I worked it up from their max load of 42 grain of Accurate Powders # 2200 to 50 grains. No chrono today but I can see its not maxed out yet but shot so well I stopped right there.
On the light subsonic load I was on my own because I couldn't find any data that was reduced velocity from Trapdoor loads at about 1300 fps. Knowing from experience there are always three ways to do anything the wright way the wrong way and my way I decided to go with my way. My way was to take a WAG for powder type and volume that the three of us me myself and I decided to be 7 grain of Alliant American Select. Well those three guys made a pretty darn good guess because those big 500 grain spitzer bullets were all lobbing right into the 2" bull at 100 yards once I found the right scope setting for the lighter load. It turned out to be exactly three mills elevation in the mill dot scope I mounted for this session.
So it seems to finally be coming together with the new 45-70 test platform and if first tries are an indicator we got a good one. SSK only offers one twist rate in 458 caliber which is 1/14" and I was worried it might be a bit too torquey for soft bullets but todays testing gave me some relief from that worry. As for recoil this thing is a pussy cat but and this is a major but IT IS LOUD !!!, at least the hot load was. The light load to me sounded about like a 22 mag in a rifle, not bad at all and considering the accuracy and the fact that a can threaded on instead of a break would make it very interesting. The old (X) poacher in me says yeah I like it !
