45-70 whitetail load

T

Tex S

New member
I have an HR Buffalo Classic rifle and I want to develop a whitetail load for it.

There are so many options for bullets. 300-500gr, jacketed, cast, etc.

Where is a good starting place?
 
More info please

What range will you be shooting,cast or jacketed,recoil sensitive or not,and barrel length.I reload for a Marlin cowboy 26 in ranges are mostly less than 100 yards.
 
Look in your manual under Trap Door loads. Hodgdon's site has 'em too. Any .45-70 load will kill those wee things ya'll call deer in Texas. snicker.
Bambi won't care how heavy the bullet is that kills him. And a cast bullet will do.
Barnes makes a 250 grain TSX flat nose that'd probably be pleasant enough to shoot out of an 8 pound rifle. Only lever action data on their site, but Hodgdon has data. Hodgdon has cast 300 grain data too.
 
Longest shots will be no more than 200yds.

The BCR has a 32" bbl

Recoil doesn't bother me too much.

Thanks!!!
 
I own, shoot, and hunt with several 45-70 rifles. I've killed a decent number of white tails with them. Any load will easily kill a deer. I have yet to recover even one bullet out of a deer I've shot, and that's at any angle or distance. I shoot 400+ grain bullets traveling at very modest velocities.....1350-1500fps. They are very easy on me and very hard on the deer. All loads out of this caliber will have some drop at 200yds. If you know the distance correctly,it's very easy to adjust to hit the animal. I've always found my best accuracy with my guns to be with bullets in the heavier weights. After keeping meticulous records on all my loads and the results, I suggest starting with a 400g bullet and which ever powder you have that is in a loading manual. Interesting enough, this is the least fussy caliber I've ever loaded for. It seems to like a lot of powders and shoots well with them. My personal favorite is Rel7 and 4198.
 
I have but one 45-70, a Marlin 1895 GS and as previously noted just about any loading will easily take deer. My go to loading is 50 gr. IMR 3031 under a 300 grain jacketed soft or flat point usually Hornady but any brand will work just as well. I have gone up to 460 gr. lead flat points in the 1600 fps range but it is just too stout for me in that light of a gun (and no I am not especially recoil shy as I routinely shoot 338 LM and 300 WM without a problem, but in heavier guns).

Anyway, my answer is 300 gr at about 1600 fps and forget about it and put some venison in the freezer.

Gary
 
I also like to push a 300 grain bullet at around 1600 fps. I use 30 gr. of 2400 so I get a few more loads per pound of powder.:) I started using this load for my recoil sensitive brother's Marlin way back before the turn of the century and it has always worked very well. It is deadly, accurate and doesn't punish the shooter.
 
I use a RCBS 300gr fpgc with 45gr Rl-7 under it at a chrono speed 0f 1650fps.
Very accurate from my Henry Steel. I can guarantee you that it will kill deer.:cool:
 
Whisper 300 said:
I have but one 45-70, a Marlin 1895 GS and as previously noted just about any loading will easily take deer. My go to loading is 50 gr. IMR 3031 under a 300 grain jacketed soft or flat point usually Hornady but any brand will work just as well. I have gone up to 460 gr. lead flat points in the 1600 fps range but it is just too stout for me in that light of a gun (and no I am not especially recoil shy as I routinely shoot 338 LM and 300 WM without a problem, but in heavier guns).

Anyway, my answer is 300 gr at about 1600 fps and forget about it and put some venison in the freezer.

Gary
Click to expand...
That's funny, I'm at 50 gr IMR 3031 for my 1895 GBL also, but I'm pushing a 405gr.

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