real world experience.....45-70 and wind drift?

[fullup3]

I am new to this forum.  I have a handi in 45-70 that I have deer hunted with for the last few years.  Never have taken anything other than a doe, and always inside 100yds or so.  I recently got some handloads from a friend, and have been shooting at the range out to 200yds and farther.   I am using a barnes 250grain bullet loaded at about 2500fps.  The results accuracy wise are astonishing to me....I am getting sub 1" groups at 200yds with this load.... With the gun and bullet shooting well,   I pulled up a chart for wind drift just to play around with it, and saw on there that at 200yds  (the fartherst I would shoot with this gun) and with a 25mph crosswind, that this bullet could drift up to 29"  .   I wanted to see if you guys had any real world numbers that you could give, and is this even possible for a 250grain bullet to move that much at 200yds? I thought there must be some mistake....I can see a 17grain hmr moving that much, but not this cannon arm.      Many thanks!

[knight0334]

I use my 45-70 and 45-120 for varmint.  And I can tell you that the 300gr JHP's that I "hog out" to 250-260grs will drift like crazy.  Especially at lower velocities towards the end of it's travel.   I've never measured it, but I believe it could be about 2ft at 200yards with a good breeze.   I know some of my 500yd shot were what appeared to be 20ft away with heavy wind.

[gcrank1]

Its not just the bullet weight, it is how it 'slips' through the air. The bullet is measured in sectional density and ballistic coefficient. That big, heavy 45-70 bullet is blunt and short for its diameter. Those charts are pretty well developed with lots of time and experience,, believe them.

[Shu]

Welcome Full up

Short and stubby = wind drift.  Long heavy bullets are less affected but there is no wind resistant bullet.

Gcrank1 said it, and the reloading companies spend lots of money on real tests and calculations.

[Escalante]

Welcome Fullup3.
Believe the charts. 
I shoot blackpowder loads from a BC at about 1300 FPS.
They drift quite a bit with a 500 grain bullet.
Rich.

[fullup3]

thanks you guys.   After most of my deer hunting experience coming from a .270 where you just put it on his shoulder and shoot, this is something new to me.   

[dangerranger]

Im new to the 45 70, and am shooting a 405gr lead bullit at 1350fps. I was amaised at how much it drops at 200yds. almost 22"! first time I tried to shoot it at that distance I ran out of elevation. and I had to shim the mount . all of my experiance with shooting at distance has been with a 30 06, 7mm, and 220 swift. so I was really suprised at the drop. Ill find out how much drift  soon . my next match is in Jan. the range I shoot at is in an orange grove and there is a good posibility that the wind machines that they use to blow off the frost will be running. should be intresting. DR

[petemi]

It ALWAYS blows here....right now from the North at about 25-30 mph...and shooting 405s west at about 1950 fps and 300 yards I'd be holding about 36 inches right.  That won't put them in the 10 ring, but they'll dump a buck.  On a "nice" day I can cut the wind hold over down to about a foot.  I shoot mostly pistol caliber Handis, so the big, fat, slows blow around a bit.

Pete

[briannmilewis]

I wish the 357 Mag and 44 Mag came in the style of the 45LC...

[petemi]

I wish the 357 Mag and 44 Mag came in the style of the 45LC...

Brian, all ya gotta do is change stock sets.  My shortie .357 Maxi and .38-55 both reside on BC Carbine stocks, as of course my standard .45LC does.  The red dot in the pic is off, replaced with glass.

Pete

[briannmilewis]

Pete, sorry, I did not elaborate. I want the factory open sights on the 357 and 44 barrels! Whaaa...I want, I want , I want!!!

[gcrank1]

Simple drill & tap gets them on......well, simple if you have the skills and tools, otherwise it can easily be done with money.

[briannmilewis]

Simple drill & tap gets them on......well, simple if you have the skills and tools, otherwise it can easily be done with money.

In a perfect world, every Handi that uses a rifled barrel should come with open sights. At least I now know it is a DIY if you have the equipment and a modicum of mechanical ability. Thx.