45/70 for Elk?

R

RickE

New member
Greetings, I have a model 70 in 300 win mag, and a older Marlin 336 (30/30). I hunt the rather thick Eastern Washington slopes of the Cascade mountains. I know my .300 is plenty, and my 30-30 is marginal, but who out there has used a 45-70 for Elk. I am aware of the distance limitations. Buffalo Bore has some potent (flat nosed) Ammo, and the Hornady Lever revolution may extend the usable range and still have the knockdown needed. Maybe you can tell I have my sights on a new rifle (Henry).
 
I know several men in Wyoming that use the 45-70.
It's quite effective. The old black powder load of a 500 grain bullet and 70 grains of powder killed LOTS of buffalo in the 1870s-1880s so don't be afraid to used one. I'd recommend against the 300 grain hollow points, but all the bullets I am aware of from 350 to 550 are just fine, and any velocity from 1150 to 1900 will work, but going as fast as you can is really unnecessary.

1200-1500 is going to kill anything you hit, as long as you hit in the right place.
 
The 45/70 is a well known whomper-stomper. It will kill anything on the continent quite effectively. Within it's fairly limited range.
 
As long as you take close range shots, the .45-70 is an outstanding cartridge for elk. However, that shouldn't be an issue if you're hunting the Cascades in Washington. Just make sure you use heavy, controlled expansion bullets for it. For instance, I know Swift makes a 400gr .458 caliber A-Frame, which would be absolutely deadly on elk at close range.

Good luck to you out there!
 
How could a properly placed 45/70 not do a proper job on an elk? Many buffalo fell to cast bullets out of them. Considering the weights of those bullets, they certainly should have no penetration problems.
 
If you have a range finder, know how your bullet drops at that range, and have a good adjustable scope, there isn't much of a range limitation for a .45-70.

I've seen tons of elk around Winthrop and Okanogan Co. over the years, good luck.
 
The 45-70 will put meat on the table!

Proper bullet selection and your .30-30 would be fine also! (within reasonable distances)
 
Learn your ballistics but a 45-70 would be an excellent elk gun. It can get tricky to shoot beyond 150 yards but those big heavy bullets will certainly put a thump on an elk.
 
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