.45-70 Q's

[richardsoll]

I am somewhat new to reloading.The reason that i am got into it is for my 45-70 marlin. I dont want to spend the 70$ for twenty rounds for the good stuff (buffalo bore, garrett, grizzly cartridge).

But in the manuals, I cant seem to mach the bullet weight or speeds that they are getting out of the high dollar stuff. my hornady manual says any over 405 wont feed, but i can buy them from bb, garrett or grizzly from 460 gr to 520 (and its meant for the marlin 1895). not to mention, even there 350 gr stuff is running about 200 fps faster.

I dont know. any one reloading hot and heavy stuff for there marlin? I tried searching and didnt come up with much.

 

[Gewehr98]

They're using special bullets

The Garrett Hammerheads have a very wide meplat, and damned near zero ogive, to maintain the high weight and still be short enough to cycle in a Marlin levergun.

They're also probably loading at the very top end of the Level II .45-70 charts, if not actually crossing over into the Level III territory, normally reserved for Ruger #1/Siamese Mauser actions. Proprietary loading techniques aren't unheard of, either.

For my Marlin 1895G, I run 405s, in particular Beartooth hard-cast gas-checked 405s. They're quite a thumper in that gun, even at Level II loadings.

You may be able to find heavier flat-nosed bullets for the Marlin, but you'll still have to abide by OAL restrictions to enable them to feed correctly. Seating the heavier bullets deeper also intrudes on case capacity, so you'll have to balance the pros/cons.

 

[Beagle-zebub]

How many jackhammer .45-70 rounds are you used to firing in a given session?

 

[Asherdan]

For the type of use you're looking for the Beartooth bullets mentioned above and Jae-Bok Young's Crater line fit the bill. Both of them will include and/or discuss load data for their bullets.

As an example and to give you some reading, here is the Beartooth Piledriver review page from Marshall Stanton's site.

NOTE: don't load from that page, use the current data after talking with them!

Good Luck

ALSO: doesn't everyone need to get hammered by their new 45/70 while working up some big toothy critter loads at first? When you get tired of that then the discussions about 350 - 405 grain cast bullets launched at 1300 - 1400 fps can start.

 

[Ranger J]

Just out of curiosity what are you planing to shoot with your 45/70? The laws of physics say that the harder you push a bullet and the heavier that bullet is the harder the gun pushes back...at your shoulder. Unless you plan on taking this gun shooting something big and potentually nasty you will have a lot more enjoyment shooting it at trapdoor level. Shooting deer with ma Marlin at the Varget trapdoor level with a 300 Rem. HP does massive damage to all the deer I have hit so far. If being into pain such as black eyes and busted noses (personal experiences) load it in one of the upper levels. While some shoot the marlin at level 3 the manifacturer only guarantees it for level 2.

RJ

 

[Hoxviii]

This load is only for the modern 1895 and stronger, and won't work in a microgroove barrel. They'll shoot, but they lead the microgrooves horribly and have terrible accuracy. They get better if slowed down in microgroove barrels.

The load I run is from the Barnes #2 manual. It's a 405gn LFP- I use Suters Hardcast- over 53gn of H4895 (max load). It's published at 1950 out of a 20" barrel.

It cycles just fine in my 1895 and hits to the same POA as Winchester 350grain JSP factory rounds, so that's handy that I can use a light load to practice for the full loads.

 

[Gewehr98]

Asherdan is correct.

I've done the same thing. I knew my Ruger #1S in .45-70 could handle ohmygawd loads that would pulverize my Sharps, Rolling Block, and Marlin.

So what did I do? I loaded those Beartooth 405gr gas-checked beauties to a chronographed 2150fps as measured 10 feet from the muzzle of that Ruger #1.

I'm glad I don't have any fillings in my teeth, because they'd surely have been knocked loose after just the first round.

I can swing 10 of those loads off-hand in the course of one shooting session. Then I'm done, and go home to show my wife the broken capillaries as they emerge from the shoulder area.

I recently loaded a batch of 500gr Hornady FMJ roundnose bullets on top of a stout charge of IMR3031, again, for that same Ruger #1. I've got pictures of those loads uploaded elsewhere on THR.

I don't know what I'll ever hunt with them, but the fact I could load them and safely shoot them was intriguing as hell to me.

For my Marlin 1895G, I run 405 grain cast bullets, at considerably more sedate velocities. I also run 485gr Whitworth-style cast bullets on top of a comfortable load of Alliant 2400. Either load will put the hurt on any critter in North America, whether they're higher or lower on the food chain than the shooter.

Then you'll discover black powder, 535gr Postells, and Sharps Model 1874 rifles. Launching those big slugs at a whopping 1200fps using charcoal will make you fall in love with the .45-70 all over again!

 

[kragluver]

I'll triple what Asherdan and Gew say. Loading a .45-70 anywhere near max load only adds recoil. You'll never make a flat shooter out of it so why try? I load mine with the 340 gr Lee at about 1300 fps with SR-4759 and it is a joy to shoot. It will also kill anything I'll ever hunt.

BTW - my experience has been that the book velocities are very different in the .45-70 than what I get in my rifle. It could be that they are using a test receiver and barrel - I don't know. My experience with other calibers is that velocities match the book pretty closely. Not so with the .45-70.

 

[FredT]

Don't ya just love that 340 Lee!

 

[moooose102]

is roughly 1900 fps fast enough for you with a 400g bullet? if so, pm me, i will give you the load. but you are responsible for working it up. it kicks like a mule, and i see no reason to go any harder that this.

 

[armexman]

Yes I do!

Loaded my HR Handi with Lee 340 and 19.5 of SR4759 and boy was I ready to tackle Cape Buffalo and on down! at the risk of being called a liar 2" groups at 100 yards. I polished this mold and they come out nice and perfect at .460. I am a convert to mule snot and I use this to lube (kind of heavy on the lube). Come on down to eastern Boulder County and witness yourself (GMSC)

 

[armexman]

Yes I do!

Loaded my HR Handi with Lee 340 and 19.5 of SR4759 and boy was I ready to tackle Cape Buffalo and on down! at the risk of being called a liar 2" groups at 100 yards. I polished this mold and they come out nice and perfect at .460. I am a convert to mule snot and I use this to lube (kind of heavy on the lube). Come on down to eastern Boulder County and witness yourself (GMSC)

 

[GooseGestapo]

I too have had my "flings" with up-loading the .45/70.

My current rifle is a Marlin 1895GG w/o ports.

I've chrono'd max loads of IMR3031 and Varget at over 1,900fps from the 18.5"bbl. and the Lee 405gr HBFPt. Recoil is ferocious, but accuracy wonderful till I start flinching......I use SPG for lube as my shooting buddy uses these bullets in his .45/90 Sharps repro......

I'm too enamored with the Lee 340gr FN and SR4759....... But I also use 20.5gr of BlueDot for similar velocities and accuracy....

Last deer I shot with this rifle was with the above load.... Couldn't tell the difference between it and the 1,900fps load, except there was less blood-shot meat on MY shoulder...........

 

[Jimfern]

45/70

"350 - 405 grain cast bullets launched at 1300 - 1400 fps can start"

Shot some of these at the range earlier this week and was very pleased with the results at 50 yards using XS Ghost Sights on my Marlin Guide Gun.

 

[NuJudge]

If you want that kind of velocity, why don't you drop bullet weight down to about 300 grains.

A 300 grain bullet at 2100fps should drill a deer, or even an elk, from the rear end of the alimenary canal to antlers.

 

[kragluver]

Going back through my notes, the best group with the 340 gr Lee I've shot (open sights) was 3" at 150 yards. I shoot a Marlin 1895 rifle with the 22" barrel and a Williams peep.

For fun, I like to plunk (plink just isn't the right descriptor for a .45-70) the steel 1/4-scale buffalo at 375 yards at the Otero Co range in NM. The fun part about that is, you can pull the trigger, remove your earphones, and look throught the spotting scope to watch the bullet strike. Some time later, you hear that satisfying "chunk" of 340 gr of lead hitting steel