Best 45-70 for smokeless conversion

[Rubberduck270]

It's a gamble on how tight your barrel will be with any of the conversions. Take a 200 gr SST in a Harvester light blue sabot and see how it fits the bore of your H&R. If its a tight fit, convert it. Each platform has their pros and cons. But a loose bore with any of them will force you to knurl.

 

[ratsnakeboogy]

RD is right, if you are doing a .45/70 conversion it's hit or miss. If you want to go the other route, put a PacNor on a 700ML and you should never need to knurl.

 

[fullstream]

I have done 3 so far, a cva stalker, an encore & a cva apex.
The apex has the best fit & requires no knurling. After shooting it twice it has been an excellent shooter. It is sub moa all day long if I do my part. Gonna try some 225FTX's sabotless that have been sized to my bore next time I shoot.

The stalker has a loose barrel & requires knurling. It shoots well when knurled & actually tried it sabotless today with 250 shockwaves & a wool wad did not have to size the bullet. It shot well. I'm gonna play with this some more as I believe this is a winner for this gun.

The blued encore has a tight barrel and shoot's very well also no knurling required. Sold this to 280longshoot & both times he's shot he's had some great groups.

I have a ss encore I have not sent off yet but based off Roost1 results with his ss it could have a loose barrel.

I can pm sluffot info if you'd like
Hope this helps
steve

 

[fullstream]

The tan mmp's are much thicker then the harvester. I tried them with 200sst in my stalker and wasn't able to get good groups.

For hunting ill be using the Barnes 195exp's. everything I've read has said they were the awesome rounds for deer. Rubber duck should have a ton if info on the h&r as he's had one for a while.

 

[Rubberduck270]

The tans are thicker but wont handle the pressures of smokeless. With those loading pressures either should be fine for a conversion. I just finished a blued H&R for a guy at work and his bore is a little tighter than my stainless and shoots GREAT. 5 shots under an inch at 100 yrds. No knurling on 200 gr SSTs and light blue Harvesters and 58 gr of H4198.

Downside of the blued gun is barrel length. He doesn't really pick up any speed above 58 gr of powder. Not enough barrel to burn it in. I shoot 62 gr of H4198 out of my stainless and the speed shows. Non-knurled SSTs in light blues do fine (3 shots in 3/4" at 100 yrds) but she simply wont shoot the 195 Barnes, knurled or not. Best I ever got them were like 1.5" at 100 yrds.

Unless you're shooting at a muley or a moose, the SSTs will be fine. I killed 2 with mine last year, both high shoulder shots (1 @ 135 yrds and the other @ 22 yrds) and both were complete pass throughs. BOTH shoulders. And thats at 2650+ fps.

 

[Tar12]

The thicker the sabot the less accuracy you will have.The reason being is the bullet will move or "yaw" inside the sabot upon firing.Contact Harvester and they will send you a sample pack to try out. Keep in mind that you that the closer you stay to bore dia. with bullet dia. the better your accuracy will be.

Fullstream if you can get the 195 BXs to shoot well for you they are deer killing machines! I do depredation work here in the summer and the one shot kills are well north of 70 out of my Sav./Pac .45. They flat kill at any angle! I have taken double shoulders shots on big deer up close and at distance and crushing bone and they can not soak up the heat!

 

[Tenn.Guy]

The Slufoot mod is complete. Tested loading pressure with 200 SST and light blue sabot. On a clean, non lubricated barrel, measured 35 lbs. A 200 SST knurled up .002, measured 40 lbs. I haven't shot it yet. I plan to have a range session Friday in the predicted cooler weather. I plan to knurl all my bullets for two reasons. 1) Increase loading pressure. 2) The light blue sabots are so hard and slippery that I think a knurled bullet will bite the sabot better and not slip due to the 45-70 faster twist rate.

Sharp gun! I havent seen a stainless 45-70 H&R that wasnt the ultra. Good luck shooting and please post results.

 

[Rubberduck270]

You'll like it. Hope to shoot both my H&R conversion and my Savage ML this weekend in the cooler temps.

 

[fullstream]

That is a very sharp lookin gun sir. Look forward to hear how she shoots.

 

[Roost 1]

Nice looking rifle... What kind of stock pack is that? And where you get it?

 

[Tenn.Guy]

Nice looking rifle... What kind of stock pack is that? And where you get it?

Not sure on his but I bought one at midway for my apex. I think its midways brand but black hawk has them as well.

 

[Tennessee Lead]

I have got to get one of those for my encore.