CAN CURRENT RIFLES IN 45-60 TAKE JACKETED BULLETS

Welcome to the Leverguns.Com Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here ... politely.

Moderators: AmBraCol, Hobie

Forum rules
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.

Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
Post Reply
BornNWrngCent1
Levergunner
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2010 10:18 pm
Contact:

CAN CURRENT RIFLES IN 45-60 TAKE JACKETED BULLETS

Post by BornNWrngCent1 »

Can 45-60 cartridge use smokeless and modern jacketed bullets, is it possible?.........Dont shoot the messenger.....I have a Replica 1876 Lever rifle in 45-60...Want to know if any experimentation has been done on using these rifles with semi jacketed bullets at reasonable pressures, not wanting a mag. load but something more substantial than lead bullets to fire down range.........
firefuzz
Senior Levergunner
Posts: 1351
Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2009 7:17 am
Location: Central Oklahoma

Re: CAN CURRENT RILES IN 45-60 - TAKE SEMI-JAC BULLETS

Post by firefuzz »

From what little established loading data I can find for the .45-60 a good hard-cast lead bullet will stand all the heat the .45-60 can be safely loaded to just fine. You could load with a comparable weight jacketed bullet but you'd need to reduce the load due to the copper jacket not being as "slick" as lead and raising pressures. I'll stick to lead in mine.

Rob
Proud to be Christian American and not ashamed of being white.

May your rifle always shoot straight, your mag never run dry, you always have one more round than you have adversaries, and your good mate always be there to watch your back.

Because I can!

Never grow a wishbone where a backbone ought to be.
User avatar
Hobie
Moderator
Posts: 13902
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2007 1:54 pm
Location: Staunton, VA, USA
Contact:

Re: CAN CURRENT RILES IN 45-60 - TAKE SEMI-JAC BULLETS

Post by Hobie »

Cast bullets are as "substantial" as jacketed bullets.
Sincerely,

Hobie

"We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best that we find in our travels is an honest friend." Robert Louis Stevenson
User avatar
Ysabel Kid
Moderator
Posts: 28614
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:10 pm
Location: South Carolina, USA
Contact:

Re: CAN CURRENT RILES IN 45-60 - TAKE SEMI-JAC BULLETS

Post by Ysabel Kid »

Welcome aboard! I'd stick with lead and fight a bullet design you like. OAL in the .45-60 is pretty critical. You are not really going to be able to safely load the round with heavier bullets. Loaded correctly, the .45-60 WCF should be fine for almost any game on the continent.
Image
User avatar
J Miller
Member Emeritus
Posts: 14906
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2007 7:46 pm
Location: Not in IL no more ... :)

Re: CAN CURRENT RILES IN 45-60 - TAKE SEMI-JAC BULLETS

Post by J Miller »

BornNWrngCent1,

Welcome to the forum.

I don't know anything about loading the the old 1876 cartridges, so I won't comment on that.

Joe
***Be sneaky, get closer, bust the cap on him when you can put the ball where it counts ;) .***
User avatar
Mike D.
***Rock Star***
Posts: 4234
Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 4:56 pm
Location: Northern CA

Re: CAN CURRENT RIFLES IN 45-60 TAKE JACKETED BULLETS

Post by Mike D. »

Back when I had my old(1885) '76 I only shot jacketed through it. Most folks would condemn my 36 grain IMR 4198 and 300 Barnes Original loads but they sure as the devil worked fine for me. I sold the gun a few years ago and as far as I know it's still shootin'.
"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale, and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled or hanged"....President Abraham Lincoln
Post Reply