Any 45-120 recipes?

[86er]

I have been told this case is too long for safe use with smokeless powder. I found the same statements on general internet searches. This seem odd to me since the 450NE is a 3 1/2" case with a .458 diameter bullet just like the 45-120 is. Clearly someone is loading 450NE with smokeless (Hornady's new offerring). What I would like to find are loads for 450 - 500 grain bullets at velocities around 2000 fps.

[Hobie]

I think the difference is in the platform. From what are you shooting the .45-210?

[Don McDowell]

120 recipes is simple 120 grs 1f bp, .06 fiber wad and seat the bullet to the driving band.
Afraid of bp then buy a lyman 48th handbook , they list 2 loads for smokeless there, after they get thru the stuff about big case not really good for smokeless etc.
Want 2000fps from a 458 calibered gun, check out the 458 win mag, or the 458 lott.

[crs]

86er;
Mike Venturino (and others) recommend Accurate 5744 for use in large cases that may have originally been blackpowder loads.
It has worked well for me in the .45-90.
There was a good article in the 2007 Gun Digest about a .Pedersoli 45-70 double bored out to 45 -120.If you want to read it, I will loan you my book.

PS We should talk off line, but you may not need the 120 length case to get 2000 fps from a 450 grain bullet .45 bullet.

[Leverluver]

Like Hobie said, if you have the proper platform, you can start at the low end for 450 Nitro 3 1/4. "Any Shot You Want" A Squares load book, has some loads. If you are doing this in a Sharps or Hi Wall, be prepared to be playing Chuch Yeager without a parachute. You're on your own.

5744 has no use in the case except for reduced velocities. For the velocities you want, you're looking at powders in the 4350 to 4831 class. You can use Re15 but it WILL require something (filler) to take up the extra space.

[crs]

Leverluver;
I did not mean to suggest the 5744 for high end loads, but as a black powder replacement for black powder velocities.
In fact, 5744 is the powder used by Harvey T. Pennington in his 450 31/4 inch black powder express created from the Kodiak .45-70. He converted this .45-70 double rifle to .45-120 to recreate obsolete british black powder express load, apparently as an interesting and nostalgic project.

86er
I did find some .45-120 Sharps loads in the 2006 Hogdon manual and they could be of interest and value for reference purposes, much as the A Squares manual Leverluver suggests.
Here they are, so I do not have to loan you this book too

[Ysabel Kid]

I purchased some rounds loaded with H4198 several years back for my Pedersoli Sharps 1874 in .45-120. They we very accurate, but I don't recall the exact loading. Also have heard people using AA5744, and thought they still listed some recipes on their website for this. As noted, this is really to duplicate the blackpowder loadings.

Someday... a buffalo is going down with my .45-120 Sharps... someday!

[awp101]

What I would like to find are loads for 450 - 500 grain bullets at velocities around 2000 fps.

Are you having a problem with rogue Sherman tanks again?

There was a good article in the 2007 Gun Digest about a .Pedersoli 45-70 double bored out to 45-120

A .45-120 double? Wow, don't let the fingers slip and hit the second trigger...

Pedersoli 34" .45-120...click-click-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!



And the .22LR conversion (aka Mini-Me ):

[Ysabel Kid]

And the .22LR conversion (aka Mini-Me ):

awp101 - I saw one of those conversions in the 2009 Shiloh Sharps catalog. Is that one of their's? How does it work in your Pedersoli?

(please say "good"; please say "good", please say "good"...)

[Don McDowell]

Ysabel the ones Shiloh are selling are the Crossno's and they work just fine.

[Kansas Ed]

The 46th Lyman Manual had loads listed for the 45-120 3 1/4 LYMAN cartridge. They indicate that the 45-120 Sharps was "practically identical". They show the base diameter at .5014" and the rim diameter as .5975" Judge this against the Sharps dimensions for your comparison. For the Lyman 45-120 they show 4 powders smokeless for a 300gr bullet...SR4759, IMR4198, IMR3031, and H4895. They push that baby to over 2700 fps. with pressures in the 35,000 CUP range. But that's the range the Ruger 45-70's loads are working at.

Ed

[Dave James]

Only load I use for hunting I got out of an old "Black Powder Hunting" mag, use it in a repo Sharps and a Highwall, mite not be good for other rfles though

113 grains FFG over powder wad and a 715grain flat based lead slug. Knocks the snot out of pigs

[crs]

Joe;
I ordered the A-Square handloading and rifle manual (referenced by Leverluver) and it arrived today.
Lo and behold, it contains many interesting big bore loads, including many turn of the century dangerous game loads such as the .450/.400 NE (3 "), the .450/.400 NE (3 1/4") , and the .450 #2 NE. Loads for Velocities from 2000 - 2200 fps are listed for 465 grain bullets for these cartridges, all at reasonable upper limits of pressure, so it would seem that your goal for the .45-120 in a a sound rifle should be attainable.
Sounds like a fun project.
Maybe you could talk Mr. Pennington out of his .45-120 Kodiak double rifle? Or do you plan to make a rifle yourself?