The 45-70 is a hoot to shoot

[Manitobahunter]

  I picked up a 45-70 barrel from here a little while back.  I thought shooting the 204 was fun but it has nothing on this.  I've been reloading for it and what I like is it goes from mild to getting your attention real quick.  I've never been recoil why but this can let you know you've dropped the hammer.  I've loaded 405gr cast bullets with trailboss and 350gr Hornady RN with a full charge of IMR4198.  Like I said what a hoot.  One thing I can't figure out is how the cast bullets and trailboss can shoot higher @ 100yrds than the 350gr do.  It is about a foot difference.  I thought the cast would shoot lower being heavier and about 1/2 the speed.
  The 350gr RN are going to be my moose round with a health charge of 4198, was shooting about an inch on Sat. morning.  The cast shot at about 1550fps will be my deer tipping load.  Shot 50 rnds in the morning, should have started with the heavy loads first.

  Cliff

[kevinsmith5]

Now get some collarbuttons and have some real fun with the wabbits after you drop the big boys.

[quickdtoo]

The slower loads are in the barrel longer as the muzzle rises, that's why they hit higher than the faster loads, they don't actually have a flatter trajectory.

Tim

[woodchukhntr]

The heavier bullets take longer to exit the barrel than the lighter ones do.  The muzzle therefore has more time to climb.  For the heavier bullets to shoot lower than the lighter ones, both would have to be shot at the same velocity.  A full charge of 4198 would probably be pushing the 350 grain bullet at over 2000 fps.  Your trailboss load is probably pushing the 405 at 1100 to 1300 fps.  Try shooting a 405 grain bullet at the same speed as the 350 (ouch!) and see where it hits relative to the 350.

[Swampman]

To me the 405 hurts less no matter how fast you push it.  I don't shoot the ligher bullets.

[uncledub]

Hey Cliff-
Thanks for letting us know about the barrel.  Good to hear you like it.  45-70 is fun.
William

[petemi]

Last Sunday, a guy about a quarter of a mile away was bingety bang pop bang pop bingety bingety bang with a semi auto rifle or pistol in a small caliber.  I listened a while, went inside, got the Handi .45-70, stepped out on the back porch.  KAWHAMABOOM!!!!!!!!..............(a pause)........ KLLAAANNGGG!!!!!!!  300 yd. gong.  The poppety pop stopped. 

A buddy of mine bow hunting on his 40 north of me said he almost fell out of his tree stand laughing.  I thought it was kinda humorous myself.

Pete

[uncledub]

Pete- You are bad and I am jealous.  Maybe the neighbor will get a serious rifle now.

[quickdtoo]

Here's a tale of a 350gr Hornady round, a tree and a moose in a thread about 45-70 penetration that I just read on another forum. 

Tim

Speaking of shooting thru trees with a 45/70 (which is the start of this thread) I shot a moose thru a tree once with a 1885 single shot in 45/70 once! Yep, shot right thru a 3" diameter alder tree, didn't even realize it at the moment. My eyes were a little better than now (maybe not) and I was using irons, at 40 yds I lined up on the moose shoulder and let loose! My guide and friend Gary Gray told me I had hit a tree, so I knew immediately I had not hit the moose and took off running, loading as I ran the moose stopped and I hit him in the shoulders and down he goes. I was using a 350 Hornady at 2100 fps at the time. So we did the photo thing and proceeded to get the moose sorted out. Skinning the off shoulder I found a perfectly mushroomed Hornady, jacket and core intact, perfect performance! I was rather pleased with it. Then I skinned on up another 2 inches and there was another bullet? This one had no jacket, just a nice shiny lead core? This one was from the first bullet, that went thru the tree!! I went back to the area where the first shot was taken, and there pretty as could be was a 3" alder, bullet hole dead center of the tree, exit the far side! I suppose that going thru it must have shed the jacket somewhere and the core hit the moose. I cut that section of alder out and brought it home with me! This is ONE time that a bullet truly bucked the brush and kept on going to do a proper or close to proper job! But that is not something to be counted on, just pure luck I think! Several other times, once deliberate, others not, shooting thru even lighter brush that have been very ugly failures! I never even saw the 3" alder at all, so maybe my eyesight was not as good as I thought?

[Manitobahunter]

  I had loaded up some of the 405gr cast bullets to about 1800fps or so.  I can't believe how hard these thing hit.  After emptying my shell box, I went to pick up my targets.  The berm I was using for a backstop looked like a backhoe had been in there.  The best is still to come when my buddy finally gets to shoot it.  Think I'll load some lighter ones and throw a few hot ones just for kicks.  The heaviest he has shot is a 30-06 with 180's.  Can't wait to see the look on his face when he finds one.

[TomRob]

Good morning to all. I'm new to Graybeard and love it. Couple of years back I bought a Handi 44 mag. for deer hunting in Indiana. Then I saw the 45-70 goverment and had to have it. I sent the action in and a few weeks later had my 45-70. It was a while be for I could shoot it had to get sights for it. Your right it is a hoot to shoot and kicks like a mule.

I have just started to reload and look forward to reload 45-70 both standard and black powder. All be safe.

[fish280]

go get 'em, tomrob ...