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Author Topic: Good old 45/70  (Read 1011 times)

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Offline Ranger J

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Good old 45/70
« on: March 04, 2011, 05:17:12 AM »
A while back I bought a box of OT 405 GR cast bullets at Cabelas.  I had used their 300 gr. bullets for years and even bought down a deer or two with them.  I used Rem 405 gr SPs this year for my deer load and managed to kill a nice hickory sprout with one of them. ;)  I usually loaded the 300 GR down with a load of Trail Boss but  used 2400 for the heaver loads.  Story is that almost anything I run through the guns will group acceptably.  I thought I would stick with these two powders for the 405 gr as if it ain't broke don't try to fix it.  I loaded up five rounds with each powder and took them to the range yesterday.  It was warm but had a bit of cross wind blowing.  Shooting off the bench with gunny sacks filled with sawdust at fifty yards both loads  made about 1 1/2 inch groups.  The 2400 load group was a mite tighter except for one flier that probably resulted from me jerking a bit.  Can't choose between them yet although as you might expect the TB load is a lot easier on the shoulder.  Now to load up about twenty of each and ring them out to one hundred yards.  Great barrel, I think I could load a creek gravel round in it and still shoot a decent group. ::)

RJ
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Offline XD40SC

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Re: Good old 45/70
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2011, 06:50:38 AM »
It's my favorite caliber. Along with some game, I have also killed several saplings. The 405 gr is like the energizer bunny. It keeps going and going. The 45/70 is all my friend and I hunt with. He hasn't maned up to the 405 gr yet. lol
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Offline parkergunshop

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Re: Good old 45/70
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2011, 09:56:46 AM »
My 45/70 is a Ruger No 1, with a 22" barrel.

It is a fine deer rifle for the NC and VA mountains where most hunting is at short range in timber, mountain laurel and Rhododerdron.

I use the 300gr Winchester jacketed bullet, with xx grains of Norma 133 Powder for a velocity of 2300 feet per sec.  This is what Ken Waters' calls a Super Group 3 load for the 45/70 to only be used in Siamese Mausers and Ruger No 1's.   It groups 3 shots in .604 inch with this load.

Elmer Keith's comment about heavy bullets really holds true in heavy timber.
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Offline guzzijohn

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Re: Good old 45/70
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2011, 10:10:46 AM »
Quote
The 405 gr is like the energizer bunny. It keeps going and going.

Yep.
Back in my high school days I would play around with my father's 45-70 trapdoor when I could afford a box of cartridges (which was rare). Using the 405 grain Remington softpoints I tried a penetration test. Using materials at hand I started with a 2x4 followed by 12 inch pine boards, followed by a gallon tin can filled with a combination of burlap and sand packed down as tight as I could, followed by another 2x4 and then a 4x4 wood block. Dug the slug out of the 4x4 with about 2" of penetration after going through all the other stuff I listed. That impressed the hell out of me concerning the 45-70s penetration!
GuzziJohn
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Offline XD40SC

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Re: Good old 45/70
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2011, 10:41:09 AM »
My friend and I started mounting the saplings we shot through. It makes for an interesting conversation starter.
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: Good old 45/70
« Reply #5 on: March 04, 2011, 11:37:09 AM »
Quote from: parkergunshop on March 04, 2011, 09:56:46 AM
I use the 300gr Winchester jacketed bullet, with 64 grains of Norma 133 Powder for a velocity of 2300 feet per sec.  This is what Ken Waters' calls a Super Group 3 load for the 45/70 to only be used in Siamese Mausers and Ruger No 1's.   

That would be an 1895 levergun or level two load by Hodgdon and Hornady standards, 300gr at ~2400fps is easily done in an H&R at  40kcup, Hodgdon and Hornady both list modern rifle(Ruger) load limits to 50kcup.   ;)

Tim

http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp
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Offline Ranger J

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Re: Good old 45/70
« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2011, 12:32:43 PM »
Yep I cut the splintered section out of that sapling and mounted it on a discarded toilet seat and have it hanging in my workshop.

RJ
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Offline XD40SC

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Re: Good old 45/70
« Reply #7 on: March 04, 2011, 10:27:08 PM »
Quote from: Ranger J on March 04, 2011, 12:32:43 PM
Yep I cut the splintered section out of that sapling and mounted it on a discarded toilet seat and have it hanging in my workshop.

RJ

Great idea for a frame- thanks
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Offline gendoc

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Re: Good old 45/70
« Reply #8 on: March 05, 2011, 12:15:33 AM »
ranger, don't stop til ya loose that 1" off tha group size.
done easy wif tha rem 300sjhp & 405jsp  ;)
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Offline BBF

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Re: Good old 45/70
« Reply #9 on: March 05, 2011, 07:10:45 AM »
How much 2400 do you pour in for the 405's?  I use 27or28 gr and it is a pleasant load to shoot. Granted a bit more oomph then TB.
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Offline gcrank1

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Re: Good old 45/70
« Reply #10 on: March 05, 2011, 11:10:34 AM »
More than the TB at 70% of full?
If so, that is just a starting load, you can load it right up to the bullet base with no worries.
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      ><   ->
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45-70  SS Ultra Hunter with UV cin.lam. wood
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Offline Ranger J

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Re: Good old 45/70
« Reply #11 on: March 05, 2011, 04:06:52 PM »
At present I am just loading 21 gr 2400 and 13 gr TB.  I run 25 gr 2400 for 300 gr cast.  I know I can load heavier loads but enjoy shooting the lite trapdoor loads.  The Marlin loads have a tendency to move the bill of my cap back a mite. ::)

RJ
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Offline gcrank1

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Re: Good old 45/70
« Reply #12 on: March 06, 2011, 04:11:30 AM »
As I recall, the full case of TB (to bullet base, uncompressed, 19.0 gr.) had less felt recoil than the BP loads I tried as a base-line. At the time I considered that for me, maybe an 80-85% load of TB might be a fine low level, but even the full charge was a 'trapdoor' load too.
Regardless, the 45-70 is hard to find a bad load for, and can be tuned to whatever you or your kids and/or g-kids are comfortable with.
Dont get much better than that!
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"Halt while I adjust my accoutrements!"
      ><   ->
We are only temporary caretakers of the past heading toward an uncertain future
22Mag UV / 22LR  Sportster
357Mag Schuetzen Special
45-70  SS Ultra Hunter with UV cin.lam. wood
12ga. 'Ol' Ugly OverKill', Buck barrel c/w  SpeedStock  and swap 28" x Full bird barrel, 1974
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