New guy looking for 45-70 loads

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  • Last Post 19 December 2010
toad posted this 02 February 2010

I am looking for deer hunting loads for my H&R 45-70. I will be using 405gr and 500gr cast bullets. What powder and loads do ya's like

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runnin lead posted this 02 February 2010

Accurate Arms 5744, Lyman list 26-29 gr for 405 cast.with 27 gr from a rest I could hit 200 M chickens allday ,offhand not so good. the larger bullets I have only loaded with blackpowder not smokeless but AA 5744 should work great in those also

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toad posted this 03 February 2010

Thanks for the info, I will give these a try.

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Daryl S posted this 07 July 2010

I've found Hodgdon's Benchmark to be exceptionally accurate in my .45 cal rifle that uses lighter .45/70 data. 400gr. with 45.0 to 50.0gr. Pressures are suposd to be below 25,000PSI for very good velocities in the 1,600fps to 1,900fps range (long barrel).

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grouch posted this 08 July 2010

I use 25gr 2400 and get very good accuracy. Grouch

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giorgio de galleani posted this 08 July 2010

In your H&R light rifle,for the joy of surviving the shooting of a deer,I'd shoot a moderate 1300-1400 feet per second   300 grains load.

I fear that 400 or 500 grains loads might have some unpleasant recoil.

400 grains at 1400 fps is my top load in a Marlin 95,that is heavier than your gun. 

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Ed Harris posted this 08 July 2010

I agree with Giorgio. Using a 300-grain lead flatnosed, gaschecked bullet with large meplat, such as one of Veral Smith's WFN designs, 40-grs. of RL-7 gives 1700 f.p.s., is safe in an original Trapdoor Springfield and is a very fine deer doad. In the Marlin rifle you can safely go up to 48 grains for 2000 f.p.s. which is absolutely deadly!

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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tturner53 posted this 08 July 2010

I'd like to try that. I saw somewhere a commercial caster was selling LBT bullets ready to load. My mold budget is shot. I have tried the Lee 405 gr. in my H&R. That bullet is too heavy for bench work and undersized/inaccurate in my gun. I recently got a factory fitted .444 barrel which has kept me busy and away from my old 45-70 but would like to try a 300 gr. 45-70 load.

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CB posted this 23 July 2010

I use several different weights for my 45-70 in my Marlin lever gun. THe 300 to 405 grain bullets work the best for me. Some I use 2400 and ither, such as my Ranch Dog bullets, I use a charge comparable to a factory jacketed bullet.

Jerry

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josber posted this 27 October 2010

I have been shootimg the RCBS 458405 bullet with 40.5gr of IMR4198 and this hase been working really well in my marlin 1895GG.<45-70>

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Lefty posted this 27 October 2010

40.5 grains of 4198 is a max load (400 gr bullet) in a Marlin 1895. It might be a little stout for an H&R. Personally I think I would stick with trapdoor loads in this rifle.

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rmrix posted this 27 October 2010

Running lead,

Does your smokeless chicken load use the same sight setting as the black powder chicken load at 200m?

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runnin lead posted this 28 October 2010

Mike My BP chicken load is the same as my P,T & R a 550 gr Hoke 62gr 1 1/2 F swiss & .30 Walters Wad I wanted to fire form brass & played around with some smokeless while doing so. Lighter, faster bullet, different sight setting Same load 45 -90 used for fire foarming. Also found pushing light 405 gr & 1-18 twist with 30 + gr 5744 could not keep bullet on 4' X 4' plywood

Blade FS & barrel ladder sight ,sight folded down & FS filed down to hit 50 M chicken ,with sight up at lowest setting hit 200m chicken.

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rmrix posted this 28 October 2010

HEY Jim,

I assumed you where using that 400+gr bullet for chickens.  Okay, I get it now-Different bullet weight = different 200 meter sight setting. I think it would be great to have a smokeless practice load adn was thinking that is what you are doing when you responded with this load for TOAD.

Toad, For what it is worth, I use the 500+ gr bullets all the time for long range target matches BUT for hunting, even hunting / shooting very large game like moose and elk like we have here, a 400gr. something flat-nose bullet will shoot through most anything. I have never recovered one. I am sure that if you Ask 10 people,  you will get 10 different answers BUT for my part, I have found that a 400 gr FP in the 1300 - 1500 FPS range is all you can ask for. And then if it is only lightly built deer as the target, even a 300gr bullet will do it all for you.

Good luck hunting! 

Michael Rix  PS yesterday I went out elk hunting here above the house and returned with a groose. The 35 Whelen and birds....  hummm. good thing I hit him in the neck!

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pghchico posted this 19 December 2010

Has anyone used IMR 4064 with the 45-70 under any bullets in the marlin lever gun. I will be getting an 8# of this poweder for a good price. I'll use it for some other reloads, but was wondering if i could also use it with some cast bullets in the 45-70. Thank you.

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RicinYakima posted this 19 December 2010

While I have never used it (costs too much per round!), Hodgdon's reloading data site has quite a few loads listed, plus more for TD's. HTH, Ric

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