A rec.guns reader wrote:
A while back, you made mention of some 45-70 "popper" loads that were very slow, quiet and good for varmints. I'd like to try these on some pesky Possums, but I lost your post in my maze of files and wonder if you could send me some general info on those loadsI have experimented with ultra-lite loads for more years than some of the people on this net have existed and have not ever found one that is dangerous. This assumes that one has the requisite knowledge required to do responsible handloading -- no light loads of the very slow powders, awareness that stuck bul- lets do occur, no jacketed bullets for ultra light loads, inher- ent dangers of fillers, etc.
I have some very successful 7mm Mauser, .30-30, .308 and .45-70 loads using 700X and bullseye that are quiet as a pellet gun yet will easily dispatch coyote size animals. The .45-70 cup point filled with silicon grease will kill and gut them in the same operation if a frontal shot is acquired.
Not that my experiments are new. Many articles about ultra-light loads have been published over the years. One complete section of the old NRA reloading book is devoted to the ultra-lites.
None of this is to say that the inexperienced handloader should attempt that of which he has no knowledge. It is my contention that one who gets into the loading business without first reading everything that he can get his hands on is irresponsible and dangerous to all around him. At the same time I have found great satisfaction in doing what few others have done -- safely and successfully.
Note that all of the below refers to the true ultra-lights, not to "mid range" loads that are far less critical but far more powerful and noisy than the ultra-lights or squib loads as some authors refer to them. I have played with the ultra-lite loads quite a bit over the years and have learned a few useful and a few hard lessons.
The first is that one DOES NOT use ANY jacketed bullet in the ultra-lights. Removing a jacketed bullet from a barrel is something that a sane man does not want to do!
During the development of the ultra-lights one will positively get bullets lodged in the barrel. If one is not prepared to live with this fact of life, do not read further. Lead bullets are not difficult to remove and pure lead types are very easy to push out. Failure to do so, however, will ruin you, your rifle or both. BE VIGILANT!
Developing an ultra-light for one's rifle and conditions takes a little time and effort. The reason for this is that the result is to provide the quietest, yet most dependable load that is possible. A change in any component or condition is likely to result in bullet lodged in the barrel. For instance, some loads that my notes say were dependable at the tested conditions either did not fire or caused bullets to lodge in the barrel at lower temperatures. Primer type changes also have had the same effects.
A good starting point for the .45-70 is 3.0 gr of Bullseye or 700X with about any oversize bullet (or round ball) that you have on hand. The bullet will be (preferably) pure lead and of flat point, wad cutter, or hollow point design. For really explosive results use a cup point filled with grease. I cannot begin to describe the damage that a .44 or .45 bullet of the latter de- scription will do, even at the very low velocities encountered with the ultra-lights. Work up or down by about .2 grain incre- ments, depending on desired results.
Paco Kelly claims to have put a 450 gr. pure lead bullet through the heart lung area of a coyote at 50 yards using 2 1/2 gr. of Bullseye in his .45-70. This, good reader, is .45 ACP ballistics without the noise.
It is important to use oversize bullets or round balls because the low pressures will not cause sufficient obturation and accuracy will not exist, let alone be good. Many shooters use .460 commercial round balls in the .45-70 with good results. They are a logical choice for those who are not set up to make their own bullets and work very well.
I use magnum primers on the theory that they will be more likely to ignite the small amounts of powder better. Use whatever works.
No matter what some of the articles say, I have not been able to get more than 25 yards accuracy with any of the TRUE ultra- lights. One can see the bullet fly downrange and it veers wildly after about that distance. The gyroscopic stability just is not there at those low velocities. For my neighborhood cat hunting purposes, this is more than adequate.
For a good ultra-lite .38 Special round, I use 0.9 - 1.0 gr. of 700X and a 148gr. HBWC seated flush with the case mouth. It is expedient, ONLY WHEN USING TRUE ULTRA-LITE CHARGES, to use a hard wax wad pushed firmly against the powder charge to enhance reli- able ignition. For this, I have long used CFVentures wax sheets. Use of these wads to retain the powder charge of other than the ultra-lites can lead to chamber ringing.
Below are some selected references from The Fouling Shot. There are many more in NRA loading manuals, etc. Note that some of these articles are about reduced loads in general and may not be devoted exclusively to the ultra-lights.
IS THE .35 THE CLASSIC CALIBER FOR CAST BULLET HUNTING? MARSHALL, JR., FRANK 26-05 60 PIX, SPEAKING FRANKLY COMMENTS ON SUB-SONIC LOADS BURMEISTER, ROBERT 27-09 30 PIX THE REMARKABLE ROUND BALL IS RIGHT FOR BREECHLOADING RIFLES MARSHALL, JR., FRANK 28-08 57 SPEAKING FRANKLY TOO ULTRA LIGHT LOADS FOR THE 6MM WILCOX, CHARLES 31-13 7 44 CALIBER LEAD LOADS MARSHALL, JR., FRANK 34-08 60 PIX, SPEAKING FRANKLY NEW DATA FOR .30 CAL. SQUIB LOADS HARRIS, C.E. 36-06 30 PIX, ALBERT'S 154 GR. THE BORN AGAIN ROUND BALL MARSHALL, JR., FRANK 44-05 40 PIX, SPEAKING FRANKLY MEMBERS HELP WITH .44 LOADS EDITOR 52-23 7 SILENT BUT DEADLY KELLY, PACO 53-06 39 PACO'S POINTERS WHISPER LOADS FOR THE RUGER .45/70 MATTHEWS, P.A. 55-29 20 ON SMALL GAME LOADS BARNISKIS, A.E. 58-07 35 ANDY'S ANGLE MORE ON "SILENT BUT DEADLY" LOADS HARRIS, C.E. 58-23 35 THE RUGER NO. 3 IN .30/40 KRAG BOWKER, R.N. 61-26 14 HANDGUN AND RIFLE VARIETY LOADS KELLY, PACO 63-06 36 PACO'S POINTERS PACO ANSWERS SOME QUESTIONS KELLY, PACO 64-05 8 PACO'S POINTERS HOLLOW POINTS SMITH, VERAL 67-18 105 PIX CB SQUIB LOADS IN THE .30-06 LEWIS, TED 85-13 16I remember the SILENT BUT DEADLY article by Paco Kelly being particularly appropriate for across the board info on quiet-but- good-killer ultra-lites.