1876 Winchester Loads

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  • Last Post 04 February 2018
Bud Hyett posted this 10 August 2015

The new Lyman Handbook has an interesting article on the replica 1876 Winchester rifles with smokeless and substitute black powder loads for them. the data is the first reliable data for reloading that I have found. This adds to the allure of these rifles, since a good condition 1876 is priced as a collector and not a shooter. I've always wanted a .45-75 or .45-60 and especially wanted a .45-60 after seeing the movie “Tom Horn". I bought an Uberti .45-60 at Kesselring's five or six years ago and am just now getting to shoot it since I am retired. I am shooting the RCBS 45-300-FN cast of 25-1 Pb/Sn alloy to start.

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

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onondaga posted this 11 August 2015

http://castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=8093>BHyett

If you try replica powder, the first I would recommend is Alliant Black MZ. It is the cleanest and easiest to light of all replica powders and also has the lowest Chronograph ES of any replica or real BP. It is inexpensive and in stock at:

http://www.powdervalleyinc.com/index.html>http://www.powdervalleyinc.com/index.html click on POWDERS then click on ALLIANT $21.85/lb

General product info:  http://www.alliantpowder.com/products/powder/blackmz.aspx

Volume load this powder the same as you would 2F BP in your 45-60.

This replica powder is completely non corrosive, extremely low fowling and leaves a dry lubricant residue in your barrel that does not attract water and you can easily shoot 50 rounds with no cleaning needed. It contains no Sulfur and is a new citrus chemistry replica powder on the market only about 5 years. I will never use anything else.

Gary

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RicinYakima posted this 12 August 2015

Gary,

Do you or anyone have experience with this in flintlock pans? Ric

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Bud Hyett posted this 14 August 2015

I have Dean Krakl's book, The Saga of Tom Horn, which goes through the trial and the evidence supporting. The book is detailed in the trial and thorough in examination of the evidence, including the 1894 Winchester rifle in ,30 WCF.

In the book was a Denver newspaper clipping from the mid-fifties of an interview of the lead lawyer who defended Tom Horn. He was then a presiding Federal Appellate Court judge in Denver. He stated in this article the lawyers defending thought Horn was innocent of this crime, but guilty of many others so that justice was served in the final summary.

I wanted the 1876 before and the movie reemphasize the desire. The rifle is fun to shoot and developing a load will be a challenge. I'll stick to black and substitute black powder; the ballistics are non-existent beyond three hundred yards. Ron Hellman made an medium-range rear sight that goes to 300 yards and that helps. 

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

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Bud Hyett posted this 04 February 2018

Thanks to everyone for your input. Especially for the responses on substitute black powder. 

I have cast several hundred RCBS 45-325-FNU bullets out of 25:1 Pb/Sn alloy and well try this  bullet and alloy when the weather clears, These will be light loads for plinking as I am currently restricted for recoil 

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 11 August 2015

dang i wish you were closer to sw iowa ... i love those old pumpkin rollers where you can see the slug loop all the way to the pumpkin ...

my very first rifle was actually an imaginary .700 slug gun where i could watch for the second or two until it hit the bad guys with the black hats ... funny how that 7 year old shows up more as i get older ...

ken

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onondaga posted this 12 August 2015

http://castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=50>RicinYakima

I use BMZ in my flintlock for the main charge. My primer pan charge is .3 gr 4F genuine BP. My last 120 shots with the flintlock and BMZ primed with .3 gr BP had 4 fail to fire instances and each of those was due to the pan charge of 4F failing to light from my flint spark. A second closing the Frizzen, cocking and pulling the trigger always produced a bang.

I have NOT tried to put BMZ in the primer pan, but I am tempted to try. The main charge of BMZ lights great with the .3 gr 4F BP in the primer pan.

The BMZ granulation is only available in 2F, if I do decide to try it as a primer, I will grind it to 4F first with a mortar and pestle. Coarse powder in the pan has less surface for spark to hit and burns slower in the pan.

I have a supply of real 4F for pan priming and it works dependably great to light Alliant Black MZ in my Flintlock.

Gary

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RicinYakima posted this 12 August 2015

Thanks Gary.

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Duane Trusty posted this 12 August 2015

BHyett

Wish you the best of luck with your 76.

I live in the area of Wyoming that was Tom Horn's stomping grounds. Even met an old man who claimed Tom stayed at his folk's place the night before the Nickell's shooting. The gent was in his ninety's and this was about 1984 when we talked. He said it was not possible for Horn to have shot willie Nickell.

Also the movie is wrong as Tom Horn was using a Winchester 1894 in 30 WCF by the time of the Nickell's shooting. Horn may well have had a 1876 during an earlier time.

Duane

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