Best all around 45-70 reload load

[tsleeth]

My brother in law is going to load some 45-70 brass for my handi. I want to maintain the knock down but would like to increase the yardage on Wv deer and black bear. What would be the best load to work up bullet and powder combination? Yardages run between 50 yards in the woods to maybe 300 on the power line right of ways. Thanks

[keith44]

I really do not recommend shooting passed the 150 yard mark at game with the 45-70.  Any 45-70 bullet will have enough knock down (penetration) for deer.  Bears can be considerably tougher.  I would want a 350 to 405 grain bullet, pushed by about 48 to maybe 50 grains of 3031.  I do not have my load data with me right now, so do not try this until you look up a load in this range.  I'll post my loads later.

[srussell]

there is nothing that the 405 boolet wont take. as far as 300yards that's not to far for the 45-70 at that range i don't think a white tail deer will stop it. you would have to know your range and boolet drop real close. out to 150/200 yards is not to bad after that lots of drop. 300 yards it a long way to shoot any rifle and hit

[twoshooter]

If you are looking at deer, the 300 gr HP or SP is plenty, I (and several others here) find that 47 gr +- 1 of RL7 and a 300 gr is very accurate for us. That is about equal to a factory duplication load, at about 1800 fps. That would give you a drop of 6" at 150 and 13.5" at 200, 28" at 250, when sighted in at 100yds. That makes out to 200 pretty easy, any farther takes some practice.

[BBF]

I don't have my Sierra software handy just to see how long it takes for a 405 gr bullet launched at close to factory specs to get out to 300 yards. Hopefullt the deer won't move for a while after you pull the trigger and you have no cross wind.
 
Lastly, those 300 gr cup and core HP's at 1800+ ft/sec MV sure tear up some meat.

[keith44]

Ok, sorry for the delay.  I had to dig to find this load, yes I tried it, and yes it gets painful, and IMO it is too much for deer.  Hornady 350gr RN over 55.8 grains of 3031 gives 1,900 fps from a 22" barrel.  This load zeroed at 100 yards drops 49.7 inches at 300 yards.  Zero at 200 yards and you will be 6 inches high at 100, and about 27 inches low at 300.  As for black bears, this loads generates 2,803 ft-lb energy at the muzzle, and when it reaches the 300 yard mark the bullet is still moving at aprox 1,000 fps and carrying 924 ft-lb energy. 


A cast 405 gr bullet pushed by 51 gr of 3031 makes almost 1,800 fps and generates 2,900 ft-lb at the muzzle, has slowed to aprox 1,050 pfs at 300 yards, and generates 1,005 ft-lb energy.  Zeroed at 100 yards it will drop 52 inches at 300 yards.  Zeroed at 200 yards it will be 7 inches high at 100, and 30.5 inches at 300 yards.


The 45-70 is capable of hitting targets at 1,000 yards and beyond, but shooting game I strongly recommend shots be limited to 150 yards or less.

[gcrank1]

For some reason a full grown Wisconsin Whitetail at 200yds looks smaller than my big Grey Squirrels at the feeder........I know the kill zone is way bigger on the deer, but in spite of the 45-70's capability to punch through one at that distance, this mans got to know his limitations.........
That said, I think if I wanted to go for 200yd. Id sight in about 125-150 for a -0-.

[Squib]

using max loads of varget and imr-3031 for 300 and 350gr bullets you get a bit more velocity from imr-3031 but the pressure and recoil are lesser for varget (pressure is WAY lower, recoil is slightly less but noticeably smoother).  varget doesn't burn as clean, though I've never noticed any accuracy issues due to the barrel being dirty.

you cannot download varget much, though for imr-3031 you can go way down to a weak trapdoor load with no fillers, wads, etcetera and still get good results.  I've not actually done it, but the load data goes from 38.4grs (1600fps/1705ft-lbs) to 60grs (2050fps/2800ft-lbs) for the sierra #8900 bullet

those max loads tear stuff up bad, but you should get a cheekpad on that stock!

[Dinny]

I got some 45-70 reloads once from Mac, 2400fps with a 405gr cast bullet. Never in a million years will I ever shoot anyone else's reloads. I couldn't believe someone got that much 4895 in a case. BB remember them?

Thanks, Dinny

[Squib]

dinny, did that make you dizzy?  it sounds bad!

[quickdtoo]

I got some 45-70 reloads once from Mac, 2400fps with a 405gr cast bullet. Never in a million years will I ever shoot anyone else's reloads. I couldn't believe someone got that much 4895 in a case. BB remember them?

Thanks, Dinny

I remember em, I declined to try em, stuck with the 300gr NPs @ 2450fps! 

Tim

Mac,

I am very jealous since I can only visit Grafs on line.  Sounds like a great day at the candy store.

What is a "bruiser" reload?  Did Dinny shoot them or give up and return them?

BB

Thanks..

Dinny gave most them back to me ...he did keep 3 of them just to try... along with some of my 2450fps 300 grain Nosler Partition loads..; Him and skiforce tried them today out of Dinny's BC..I don't think they will be shooting for a while.. They are the 405 gr. Cast Performance WLNGC and they clocked right at 2200-2250 fps out of my CVA Optima Elite..so they probably were screaming out of the BC barrel around 2400-2500 fps..

They are my T-Rex loads..and they will blow thru most anything..You can ask him or skiforce how they shot after they get some feeling back in their shoulders

Mac

[Dinny]

dinny, did that make you dizzy?  it sounds bad!

I can't remember, TBIs cause those kinda symptoms.

Thanks, Dinny

[vk4ale]

Hi tsleeth,    Maybe try using a Mil-dot scope I some time youse a 10x40 bushnell 3200 Elite Mil-Dot on my 458mag for shooting deer out over Oat crops, and in the past on a H-R Buffalo classic.Allan

[quickdtoo]

Hi tsleeth,    Maybe try using a Mil-dot scope I some time youse a 10x40 bushnell 3200 Elite Mil-Dot on my 458mag for shooting deer out over Oat crops, and in the past on a H-R Buffalo classic.Allan

There ya go, a bean field 45-70, that's the exact scope I have on my scoped BC, it can be found on closeout for less than $150, I have a couple of em, last one was $100 at Optics Planet. 

Tim

[tsleeth]

Thanks for all the replies. This is the buck I shot thanksgiving morning. Not bad for a WV deer. Quartering shot from 75 yards. 300 grain factory loads. Took out right shoulder, both lungs, stomach and exited through bottom of left testicle. Pretty much dropped where he stood.

[Squib]

the testicle damage did that 

[tobster]

I've had a couple of bad experiences with the Remington 300 jhp at speeds of around  1800 fps on deer. I think they are too soft so I quit using them. I would go into detail but I don't think people would  believe my story. Shoot, I was there and I'm kinda skeptical!
 
 

[BBF]

Tobster
 
         DO TELL  !!

[Squib]

things happen... pass on the info so it doesn't happen to us!

[nanuk-O-dah-Nort]

betcha a dollar of someone shot YOUR testicle off, You'd drop on the spot too!


Just sayin'

[gcrank1]

Well, ain't that just a kick in the ****.........
Glad you got your deer; how do you feel about the 45-70 for your future?

[tsleeth]

Oh I love the gun I've had it for several years. I've always used factory loads, Reminton and Winchester. I'm going to get the loads made up just not sure what I want to do with them yet. Has any one on here ever loaded them with smaller grain bullets? Say 200 grain sabots? Or something like that?

[evan1395]

My brother in law is going to load some 45-70 brass for my handi. I want to maintain the knock down but would like to increase the yardage on Wv deer and black bear. What would be the best load to work up bullet and powder combination? Yardages run between 50 yards in the woods to maybe 300 on the power line right of ways. Thanks

Hey man, I was shooting Federal Power Shock 300gr jacketed exposed soft point loads. Don't kknow the FPS. Anyway, out of all the factory load combintation I have shot with my .45-70 so far. These were by far the most accurate. More so than the Hornady 325 FTX Loads. There is something to be said for these lighter 300gr bullets accuracy wise. Here they are performing at 300 yards. These shot consistent alll day long.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0jbSH4AfGs
 

[geezer56]

I shoot the trapdoor level loads in the 45-70.  I don't see the need for all that pain, plus where I hunt, you can't normally see more than 100 yds.  I have an old Shikari with the silver soldered lug, don't want to turn it into a pile of parts by grabbing the wrong ammo box.  I shoot cast 405's and 340's, mostly.  When I was using 300 gr jacketed, I once shot a small buck quartering away.  Hit just on the last rib on the left side, angling toward the right.  The bullet was found when I cut off his head.  It was just under the butt of his ear on the right side.  It was a 300 gr Hornady HP, mushroomed to about 3/4 in diameter, and weighed 257 grains.  Normally they leak out both sides when you use the 45-70, but with about 2 and a half feet of penetration, I let that one slide without complaint.  This was with the Shikari.

[Mr.Crowley]

Im shooting a 300 grain hornady interlock over Hodgdons tier 2 starting charge of H335 recoil is pretty stout but not intolerable. I use a bushnell DOA 250 muzzle loader scope on it my groups at 200 yard were minute of pig. I would not hesitate to take a 250 yard shot 

[tsleeth]

Thanks for all the replays guys. That'll give us some ideas.