45-70

T

tdoyka

New member
what bullet should i use for a marlin 1895 45-70? i handload, so thats not a problem. this is for my younger brother, wants at least a 400gr bullet, hunts deer in west virginia, and i can do cast bullets( gas checked or no gas checked)(well, whoever makes them!) or jacketed bullets.

thanks!!!
 
a roundball would be suitable for any deer in north america. 400 grains is serious overkill but whatever. for jacketed a XTP would work but I highly doubt they make one that's 400grs.
 
Holy cow! now that is some tuff deer in West Virginia, 400 grain......:p My little ole 30-30 would just bounce off of them...
 
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It's a real joy to shoot Remington 405 grain factory loads or handloads using the same bullet that approach the same muzzle velocity....very mild recoil and quite accurate in my 86 Winchester ! I use a cast 400 grain bullet w gascheck , as well...which my Marlin 1895 CB really liked ! My power load is a Hornady 350 grain FP at near 2000 fps out of my Ruger # 1 ! All the deer I've taken have been with mild handloads using the 405 grain Remington SP or a factory 300 grain HP load ( Remington or Fusion ) ! 100% success rate with both loads ! :D
 
I answered this same post on another forum but I'll give you the brief version here. Try the Rem 405g JSP and load it to around 1200-1350fps and it will probably shoot great out of that gun. It will also shoot completely through any deer in North America at any distance you can hit it. At that velocity it won't kill you at the same time. I never load up for velocity because the terrible ballistics of the 45-70 never get appreciably better at any velocity and it's never going to be flat shooting. In the woods it doesn't matter anyhow. The bullet won't expand but since it's starting out at 45 caliber and ending up at 45 caliber it's making a very large entrance and exit wound. The Rem 300g JHP shoot well also and if loaded down to 1400-1600fps will also do the same job and not kill the shooter in the process. I've just never got them to shoot quite as small a group but still pretty good.
 
The 300 factories are too fragile for me at under 100 yds. I went to the 300 Barnes . You can find 300 Barnes loaded by Corbon and perhaps others. There's a nice 350 out there too. The 300s are loaded to 1850-1900 fps. They are accurate and lower recoil. Try them. :)
 
I hate to say this but the 47/70 would not be my first choice for deer hunting unless ranges were limited to 75 yards or so. The trajectory on a 400 grain 45/70 is a rainbow and it's just not the best caliber available. Certainly it will kill deer, but as the distance increases hitting one become more difficult than it would be with a flatter shooting cartridge.

I know... I know... Now a bunch of guys will start regaling us with stories of how perfect the 45/70 works and how many deer they have killed with it blah blah blah. Still not the best choice.
 
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The trajectory on a 400 grain 45-70 is a rainbow...
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Bingo , exactly why I love the 45-70....it is not for the hunter that shoots a couple rounds for sight-in right before hunting season and chances a shot at any distance ! I shoot out to 400 meters with mine and feel very confident out to at least 200 yards in the field even if most my shots on game have been within 100 yards ! Challenge is the point much like handgun or bow hunting if you practice enough !
 
I know... I know... Now a bunch of guys will start regaling us with stories of how perfect the 45/70 works and how many deer they have killed with it blah blah blah. Still not the best choice.
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I would never dream of it....

... now Elk I have some interesting stories and you don't want to get me started on 100 yard tweety birds and squirrel shots!;) I won't deny that the 45/70 is not gun you want along if you think that you'll have to make 300 yard shots but 200 yards is still well within the realm of the 45/70s capability.
 
It just cracks me up how some of the guys on here wouldn't think twice about shooting deer sized animals with a 125 gr. 357, but scoff at a 45/70 as overkill. Some suggest the .223 as well but will laugh at a cartridge that will give complete penetration and do the job proficiently.
I would have no problem shooting any of my 45/70's at deer within a reasonable distance with 300 or 405 grain bullets. There is just no absolute best cartridge for everything, but the old 45/70 has proven it's worth for many years.
 
there is a huge difference between 300 and 400 hundred grains laddy.
penetration is not the problem, large loss of meat is the problem.
 
Certainly it will kill deer, but as the distance increases hitting one become more difficult than it would be with a flatter shooting cartridge.
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Which just means you have to be a better shot to be able to do it. Quite true that once you start getting out there .45-70 drop is measured in FEET, not inches, but all that really means is that you, the shooter have to be better at it in order to get the same results as someone shooting a flatter trajectory round. Not that it can't be done.

The reason a .45-70 isn't a good choice for most people is that most won't ever develop the skill needed to shoot it well at longer ranges.

1000 yard target matches used to be shot with .45-70s, and winning groups were surprisingly small, even by today's standards.

400gr isn't a heavy bullet in .45-70. Its the medium one. And its quite effective, without high speed and without expansion.
 
To shoot a 45-70 you gotta be tough

A Marlin 1895 at 7.5 pounds shooting a 400 gr round at 1800 fps will produce 40 ft. lb of recoil. I would rather go through a root canal than endure that kind of butt whupping. :D
 
I'm well aware of the difference between 300 and 400 gr. bullets.....laddie.
Expansion with the 45/70 using cast bullets is about nil...and even with jacketed bullets is minimal in all but the larger sized animals. A good hole straight through the rib cage is not wasting meat.
 
I had a Marlin 1895, fitted it with an old Weaver K2.5x Post. Great combination for me, anyway.

400gr cast at "traditional" .45-70 speed (1300sfps) were fun, and not that bad. Did load up some 385gr RN copper plated that I found, to about 1800fps.

Very effective, but the fun part went away fast. One friend of mine proved to be a stock crawler, and just as I was about to say something, fired, winning himself a "Weatherby Eyebrow". :D

If you want a real education in .45-70 recoil, push the Hornady 350gr RN up to 2200fps from an under 6lb Ruger No.3! :eek:

If you are going to shoot deer, and you are going to push a 400gr bullet fast (1800fps), I do not recommend the Speer 405gr. A hard cast slug will actually be better. The Speer 405 is made to expand (some anyway) at standard blackpowder speeds, and driving it up to 1800 make it come apart too easily to be good. Speer agrees with this, and will tell you, if you ask.

Drive that same bullet to 2100fps in a .458 and it acts like a .22 varmint bullet. Just much, much bigger.:D Kicks a mite, too...
 
Back in the early 70's when Marlin reintroduced the 45/70 I ran out and bought one. I bought 405 grain Winchester factory ammo. You bet it made you black and blue with 5-6 rounds in a T-shirt, but drop like a stone at 100 yards? Not so you would notice.
 
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