reloading for the trapdoor

[smoakingun]

i need some help from the bpcr guys. I've been reloading for years but this black powder stuff is new to me. I have a drop tube and have figured out the right mechanics for reloading, I have a performance question.
I recently aquired a sportered trapdoor with a barrel cut to about 20in the question is, with a short barrel would get better/more consistent performance with a smokeless powder?

 

[kraigwy]

The Trapdoor needs low pressure loads. Most reloading manuals have a seperate 45-70 section for trapdoor springfields. Some like Lyman give loading for smokless powder for the trap door.

I dont have a Trapdoor but I use their loading for my Browning 1895 45-70. My ideal is to load the 405 grn cast bullet to the same specs and the old trapdoor military loading, running about 1200 FPS. I have found 29 Grns of 4198 equal that load in my rifle. It [retty accurate too. Low pressure and mild shooting. Also you dont have the cleaning hassles you have using Black Powder.

The 4198 powder worked so well that I tried it in my Remington Rolling block in 44-90 Sharps Bottle Neck. Same thing, I found a load the duplicates the original BP load. Accurate, low pressure and mild to shoot, AND no cleaning hassles.

Also the light loads of 4198 are cheaper to shoot.