In Comments

Lots of great comments about the .45-70, and it's probably proper that I respond to some of them.

jpg said, in part:

Just remember - - the army issued the .45-70-500 load for the full infantry rifles, but found the horse soldiers did a lot better shooting the .45-55-405 load through their carbines,. Please - - Give us full details of shooting the 500 grainers in the Handy Rifle.

I'm using Hodgdon 777, a 3.4 cc dipper is enough that I have just a little compression (under 10%) when I seat the bullet. That load works fine in my Sharps. Of course, all rifles are individuals unto themselves, so we'll see. I see in my .45-70 drawer that I've got about fifty Lee 405 grain bullets that I cast about four years ago. I may have to give them a chance. They didn't shoot worth a damn in the Sharps, but this rifle may like them.

George asks:

Seriously, though, isn't there a difference in the quality of the recoil when loading with black powder? I've never loaded cartridges with it, but I hear that black powder gives more of a PUSH than an impact to the shoulder. Any truth to that?

That's been my experience too. My Renegade, which shoots 90 grains of black or Pyrodex with an (approx) 400 grain maxi-ball. The recoil is a shove. In my Sharps, with the above-mentioned load, the recoil is more of a push than a kick. As long as I can sit up straight at the bench and let my upper body rock with the recoil, I'm okay. Still, about 15 shots is all I'm good for with that rifle from a seated position.

But Junior (who knows whatof he speaks) tells us.

My 22" 45-70 Handi weighs 6 lbs 12.4 ozs w/o sling. The recoil is comparable to a 300 Weatherby. Of course, you can take off the butt plate and fill the cavity beneath it with about 2 lbs of lead shot and lessen the recoil. But shooting standing up the recoil is tolerable.

When I quoted the Handi at 7 lbs, I was using the printed data. If you tell me it's not quite that, I believe it. But, we're going to hunt that bottom this year, come hell or high water.