45/70 story

[Flintknapper]

The 405’s even below 1250 kill stuff dead, I bought a 458 socom just so I could push heavy bullets slowly and add a suppressor. A lot of hogs have died by the “watered down 45-70” but “SOCOM” has a better ring to it...

Yes, the 458 SOCOM is basically a ballistic twin for 45/70 'medium' tier rounds. It's important to remember there are different 'levels' of loads (available commercially) for the 45/70 though.

I have killed several hundred hogs with my SOCOM using a variety of bullets and honestly...if I had known years ago the effectiveness of big bore, heavy, medium velocity bullets, I would have employed them long before I did.

With any 'modern' rifle chambered for the 45/70 round...you have choices of ammunition (commercial) ranging from mild....to full house, bone crushing, shoot through and through fodder.

If you reload...then of course you can take full advantage of the venerable 45/70 cartridge. You can load very pleasant to shoot target ammo or go to the other extreme where you risk detaching your retina's with each shot. It's a versatile cartridge with respect to bullet weights and power levels. But remains (for practical purposes) a relatively short range round (best kept under 150 yds.)

 

[Peakbagger46]

So... what was the animal shot? Moose, caribou, elk, .... feral moo cow??

 

[MaxP]

So... what was the animal shot? Moose, caribou, elk, .... feral moo cow??

Huh?

 

[Peakbagger46]

OP is in Alaska and the story is about a bull. What type of bull is not specified.

 

[BigBore44]

OP is in Alaska and the story is about a bull. What type of bull is not specified.

A legitimate question. But being as it was a 45-70, it really wouldn’t make much difference. Especially if an appropriate, quality bullet was used.

 

[Peakbagger46]

A legitimate question. But being as it was a 45-70, it really wouldn’t make much difference. Especially if an appropriate, quality bullet was used.

No doubt. That round is a close range thumper.

 

[BigBore44]

No doubt. That round is a close range thumper.

I did a little redneck test once with some 405gr MBC hardcasts over IMR-3031 on a buddy’s land. At 50 yards it went through a 10” Hackberry, then a 7” oak about 8 feet behind it, then about half a dozen 3” saplings. That taught me all I needed to know about it’s capabilities. And no paper chart is going to change my mind. In North America, if you can’t kill it with a 45-70, you should have stayed home.

 

[Riomouse911]

My Guide Gun with 405 gr Remington JSP over a nice load of 3031 offers plenty of oomph for anything I'll ever run into...at both ends!