Black Hills 45/70 Ammo

[Wheeler]

I would like to shoot my 45/70 and I don't know if the Black Hills ammo is suitable for my Trapdoor rifle.

Thanks for your help.

[psteinmayer]

I can't say about the Black Hills... But I think I remember being told that it's loaded to modern pressures and not suitable for Trapdoors. Anyone else know?

There is Remington with a 405 gr jacketed bullet and Winchester with a 300 gr jacketed bullet... both ok for a Trapdoor. Also, there is PMC ammo available which has a 405 gr lead bullet and loaded to original pressures and velocities (with smokeless). I have shot all of these in my trapdoor.

[older than dirt]

What psteimayer said is GTG.

[Lee T.]

The Black Hills is sold as a cowboy load, listed at about 1200 fps. I've shot it in all my TDs. It uses Starline brass and a 405 g LRNFP bullet. At $1.50 per shot I only go through a few at a time but it seems just fine to me.

[SgtSki]

For what its worth from the back of a box of BLACK HILLS CARTRIDGES. Quote; "This ammunition is for use only in modern fire arms that are designed and intended for firing with smokless powder ammunition." We read the box after we shot up two boxes in a model 1888 ramrod bayonet rifle!

[Wheeler]

I went back to the gun shop and picked up a box of Black Hills, I'll let you guys know how it works out.

Thanks for the help!

[Lee T.]

I pulled down a BH ctg out of curiosity a while back. What I found was 25 g of a short-stick extruded powder, which I think might be IMR 4198 or H4198.
because - -
If you look at the Hodgdon site loading data for .45-70 Government (Trapdoor) you'll see a variety of modern smokeless powder loadings for the 405 g LFP. The closest to what I found inside the BH ctg is the starting load of 27 g of H4198 @ 1251 fps and 14,2000 CUP -
THIS IS SECOND TO THE LOWEST VELOCITY AND THE LOWEST PRESSURE ON THE ENTIRE TABLE. (sorry for shouting, but it's an important point.)

Even though I don't know *for sure* what the actual BH powder is, the conclusion, to me, has to be that the Black Hills load, at their listed 1250 fps, is safe in a trapdoor. It appears to be nearly identical to the most conservative Trapdoor loading on the Hodgdon site.

[Wheeler]

Thank you Lee, good info. there.