Newbie to casting - mystery alloy!

[tacfoley]

Thanks Tac.
I've already done a bit for the kentucky and got on OK, though it didn't like the Lee REALs I tried - but I suspect that was a twist rate issue as opposed to the bullets.

I was actually after a .45-70 but the 120 came up - not done a deal yet but it too is an 1885 high wall - much more elegant than the Sharps methinks!

Depending on the maker, your 'Kentucky'-style rifle will have a twist rate between 1/48 and 1/72 - the latter is 'okay' for a REAL, just, the other is useless. Good luck loading the .45-120 - at least you can be sure of getting the full 70gr of BP in it.

Shooting the 500gr bullet with the full load - most cases, including Bertram, will hold around 105gr of 3Fg, will be, uh, interesting, to say the least. Using a drop tube, magnum primers, and a thin card wad, you just might get that 120gr of 3Fg under a 350gr bullet.

Having read somewhere about recoil factors, seems that the .45-120 load with a 500gr bullet develops around 68 ft lbs energy - backwards - compared with the .30-06 standard load of between 18 and 22 ft lbs. Be sure to let us know how you get on when they take the plaster off, eh?

Whinemeal - THIS is from pal Fred over in Oregoon -

I've got a High Wall in 45-120 Sharps. It's really a Browning B-78 that was rebarrelled, but it shoots great. It's not for the weak of heart, either.

I cast my own bullets, using an RCBS 405 grain gas check mold, which throws a bullet weighing 420 grains. It's a really nice flatpoint design and I'm pushing it pretty hard with 65 grains of IMR 4895 and 10 grains of Winchester Super Grex for a filler. I also use Winchester Magnum large rifle primers, due to the length of the case and the amount of powder I'm setting off.

I used to load the Hornady 300 grain jacketed hollowpoint over 80 grains of IMR 4895 and 12 grains of Super Grex. This load was a screamer, but I decided to just settle for one load for this gun and the cast bullet was what I chose.

There are loads for the 45-120 listed on the Hodgdon website under Cowboy Loads and Accurate Arms has loads for it with their powders.

If you're just wanting to shoot heavy bullets relatively fast with smokeless powders, then the 45-90 is a lot better for that purpose. The 3 1/4" long case of the 45-120 doesn't lend itself well to smokeless powders, since there is so much case volume.

This round gets a lot of attention when you set it off, but the brass is expensive at about $4.75 each. If you do decide to get the 45-120, try to stay away from the Bertram brass, made in Australia. His quality control isn't the greatest and the brass doesn't last as long as it should.

Hope this helps.

Fred

As you can see, loading is complex and painful to exploit - it is after all, a black powder load designed to drop a one-ton beast right there.

tac