45-70 405 grain Remington Core-Lokt for Bear Defense

[WIN1886]

To my way of thinking,"premium" means overpriced and unnecessary.

My 405 hardcast w gascheck FP bullets cost me less to purchase from a local source than the Remington 405 grain bullets I've used for reloading and they hold together and penetrate waaaaay better than the Remington soft point ! I know from experience that the Remington 405 grain SP works fine on most medium game but I have serious doubts on using it on larger animals...especially those with sharp teeth and claws !

 

[Barnacle Brad]

IMSAHO

There are numerous caveats, 'what if's and 'if only's to any shooting/hunting experience.

Personally, I would not go afield in Griz country without a cadre of Ninjas to scout, harass, draw attention to (bait), and/or surgically remove the heart of said beast with a razor sharp blade of the finest steel made in some far off exotic land, with one fell stroke.

If one of my Ninjas were armed with a 45/70 with 405gr Core-Lokt, my gut tells me he would have a better chance of surviving an attack than the blade wielding one, pajamas notwithstanding...

 

[SansSouci]

.45/70 velocity doesn't cause concern. With the right bullet, a .45/70 Gov't will kill everything that walks.

Get the right 400 grain .45/70 Gov't bullet at an arbitrarily determined and nominal 1600 FPS, and there is nothing in North America that it won't kill.

One caveat: I have a an original Marlin Guide Gun in .45/70. It doable with factory loads. When handloads start getting warm, recoil becomes a very real problem. Load that sucker with a maximum charge of R-7 or IMR 3031, and it is downright mean and unpleasant to shoot.

Were I to use my Guide Gun in areas where big bears are a concern, I'd go with a stout 400 grain bullet at about 1500 FPS, maybe 1400. When recoil starts to loosen teeth, it's time to reduce velocity. And no girz will know the difference.

 

[6.5swedeforelk]

I wouldn't think about shooting a big northern bear using anything less than 400 grains, moving between 13-1600 fps preferably in a copper jacketed solid...

You may want to check the legality of this before striking out.

 

[Guv]

If you have a Marlin why on earth would you use such a weak 45-70 load when much better ones are available? Is your life really worth proving this point? A hand loaded 350gr Hornady at much higher safe velocity would give you alot more insurance against such a dangerous animal. natman is also correct in stating the 405 Remington is not a Corelokt bullet but just a standard SP. Pull one from a cartridge and section it, I bet you will be suprised how thin the jacket really is. Price of ammo should be your last concern.