please share your loads in 45-70 as i'm getting ready to start reloading for this fine old girl!

[midland man]

so guys time to start loading for 45-70 and i was hoping you guys would share your loads and what gun you are shooting these in? and any advise or info would be appreciated? i will be shooting these in a marlin 1895 with 22in barrel!

 

[troy fairweather]

Imr3031

 

[Charlie98]

You don't mention what bullet you are using, and what you might be using it for. There are two different schools of thought for the .45-70... low velocity cast bullet loads (what I shoot, BTW...) and 'lever-action' level loads with jacketed bullets for hunting.

IMR4198 for cast bullet loads, IMR3031 for jacketed bullets.

 

[mrawesome22-250]

My deer hunting load is a .459" 320gr hollow point cast gas checked bullet from gtbullets with 50.4gr Benchmark.

Banging steel plates load is a 405gr coated cast with 13gr Unique. A small child could shoot this load all day.

Marlin 1895 22"

 

[AJC1]

Target shooting trail boss unique 2400.
Hunting 4189 3031 even varget

 

[AJC1]

If you are buying cases I really like starline. If your buying ammunition to shoot and reload make sure you understand that some hornaday cases are short and shooting the ftx bullet requires shorter cases. I found the hornaday lever revolution loads quite brisk and not great fun for target shooting. Depending on what your trying to accomplish you can load from powder puff to downright brutal on both ends. It's a great cartridge and can do a lot.

 

[troy fairweather]

+1 on the starline brass it's good stuff, the older Remington brass was good to but I can't say for the newer brass.

 

[Axis II]

Imr4198 cci primer and 300gr hornady our of my 22” 1895. Beware messing with high Hodgdon data beats you like a read head step child.

 

[midland man]

well guys tonight i ordered a lee mold 90373 and it drops a 340gr bullet and reason was here in oklahoma our deer are not very big they average around 75-150lbs on the hoof before being dressed. so also i do have some 405gr bullets soon coming so i was gonna see how my rifle would like them. any thoughts?

 

[Charlie98]

IMR4198 for cast bullet loads, IMR3031 for jacketed bullets.

I'll quote meself....

IMR4198 will get those ~340's to hunting velocity, as it will for those 405's. If you like to punish yourself, push them with IMR3031, they will get there sooner, but have the same effect.

 

[Walkalong]

AA-5744, IMR-4198, IMR-3031

 

[AJC1]

45/70 is about the same as a shotgun slug. It's not a long distance cartridge or flat shooting even with the lighter bullets. The cartridge is very effective at close range and is able to take anything.

 

[SlowFuse]

I've used that particular Lee with right under 40 grains of H4895. Gets it going about 1500 fps, trap door level load. Kills paper just fine, im sure it would drop a deer as you've described just as well.

I like the 405's better. Used IMR4064 mostly with those. These are the only ones I've hunted with. Its overkill for deer around here even going slow. Have found good loads with other powders too like H322, H335, Varget and Benchmark. Could be the design but the 405's feel better and are generally more accurate for me, or easier to find an accurate load.

 

[cosh]

Using middle 300 weight bullets, testing 325 FTX. IMR3031 nad H4895 running them to around 1600-1700 fps in single shot H&R. Recoil is OK, much like a 20 gauge shotgun. Have loaded 405 grain not tested, more recoil - maybe in the 6# H&R - .

 

[Lennyjoe]

For Ohio deer I’m using RL7 and 350 grain Hornady interlock

For Elk and bear I’m using RL7 and Woodleigh 405 grain bonded bullets.

 

[AJC1]

If your over 1500 fps and have a longer length of pull a slip on deceleration pad is a good idea.

 

[horsemen61]

I want to read this thread at a later date

 

[midland man]

yep well guys i been testing loads in my marlin 1895 and i casted 325 cast bullets out of a lee mold at 340gr and so i also am lubing these with lee alox and so i put one coat on but after shooting these my barrel has some leading up in the barrel about 1/3 down from the muzzle out to the end going out so i just recoated these to two coats of lee alox!

 

[Dead Eye Duck]

Trail Boss is a very good powder to load for low recoil. A 405 grain bullet on top, it is nice to shoot all day.

 

[misser]

i use a black powder substitute ,blackhorn powder .pushing a 325gr hornaday . gun is a TC-E hand canon 15''. longest shot on a deer thus far is 130 yd. took a deer last year at about 40yd

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

Advice:

1. Buy manuals that have separate listings for different types of 45-70 platforms. Hornady and Lyman are two examples.
2. Cross-reference the bullet type and weight w/ IMR3031 and you will be good-to-go.

 

[midland man]

how much trailboss powder under a 340gr and a 405gr cast bullet do you guys use?

 

[troy fairweather]

how much trailboss powder under a 340gr and a 405gr cast bullet do you guys use?

Think it's was about 15grains. Just draw a line were the bullet is seated, that's your max load. For minimum load take 30% off the max load.

 

[straight-shooter]

Fired from a 22" Marlin 1895 using a 395 grain cast lead powder coated truncated bullet. Very accurate load. Look at the power factor, this thing would knock a house off the foundation!

 

[dh1633pm]

AA5744. Is there anything you can’t load with it?