45-70 bullets for elk

[wild_musk]

I want to take my 45-70 1886 elk hunting next year and trying to find a good bullet to reload. I have shot pigs and whitetails with it with several bullets, and I'm not very happy with any of them so far. I tried 2 different 405g cast lead at reduced velocity. These punch half inch holes straight through with min to no blood trail. Other folks really like cast, maybe they'd expand more on an elk?? This year I switched to 300g Hornady hollow point at full power, which is much flatter shooting. I have seen very few deer act like they'd been electrocuted and expire so dramatically/quickly from a gunshot, but on cleaning, there was no exit wound. Entry was on center broadside at the back edge of the shoulder. I recovered fragments as far as the middle neck area. Can anyone recommend a bullet that acts like the Barnes ttsx in my 338? I want good penetration but also some expansion and a bloodtrail. I just bought 3 boxes of Barnes 300g TSX FB, which have a hollow point big enough to park my truck in. I'm not sure these will hold together or are even intended for heavy game.

Also, on searching this topic, I did find a couple similar threads from years back, mostly recommending the two kinds of bullets I've already tried. Several recommend Speer, but I haven't seen any in stock since I got the gun.

 

[3chester]

Nosler 300gr Ballistic Silvertip with RL-7, Marlin 1895 will cloverleaf em @ 100yds. Those should work in an 1886 Browning as well. At over 2,000 fps will stop an Elk. Good Luck.

 

[purpledragon]

The 250gr Hammer will git r done for ya. Can't give ya my load, as it's for the Buffalo Classic and I get 2800 and a tad,
unbelievable velocity for the old cartridge, with Nickel plated brass.....

 

[purpledragon]

Punched the wrong key......27 and a tad....sorry

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I want to take my 45-70 1886 elk hunting next year and trying to find a good bullet to reload. I have shot pigs and whitetails with it with several bullets, and I'm not very happy with any of them so far. I tried 2 different 405g cast lead at reduced velocity. These punch half inch holes straight through with min to no blood trail. Other folks really like cast, maybe they'd expand more on an elk?? This year I switched to 300g Hornady hollow point at full power, which is much flatter shooting. I have seen very few deer act like they'd been electrocuted and expire so dramatically/quickly from a gunshot, but on cleaning, there was no exit wound. Entry was on center broadside at the back edge of the shoulder. I recovered fragments as far as the middle neck area. Can anyone recommend a bullet that acts like the Barnes ttsx in my 338? I want good penetration but also some expansion and a bloodtrail. I just bought 3 boxes of Barnes 300g TSX FB, which have a hollow point big enough to park my truck in. I'm not sure these will hold together or are even intended for heavy game.

Also, on searching this topic, I did find a couple similar threads from years back, mostly recommending the two kinds of bullets I've already tried. Several recommend Speer, but I haven't seen any in stock since I got the gun.

I've shot an awful lot of different bullets through my 45-70 Marlin. The Barnes 300 TSX-FN that you're considering is an excellent bullet that shoots under 1" (100yds) from my Marlin. It is a tough bullet and will work fine for elk. I shot a 300+lb bear through the shoulder with one and it lodged in its neck. It literally flipped the bear over on its back. One petal sheared off but the bullet was fully intact. I never recovered one from a whitetail.

Another great bullet would be the Swift A-Frame 350gr. They are also a tough, accurate bullet. Very moderate expansion at 45-70 velocities and guaranteed to penetrate IMO.

Any of the Hammer 45-70 bullets would work but my experience is limited to their 402gr which was the only one available when I started using them. I shot a bull moose that weighed 1,050 lbs with the 402gr bullet and they exited on a broadside shot. All the petals made independent holes in the lungs as they radiated out from the bullet base.

I prefer the Speer 400 JSP for black bears, but they are very soft. They easily expand at 45-70 velocities, and I had one expand to 90 cal on a large GA hog. However, the bullet remained fully intact.

Good luck on your hunt.

 

[G19Jeeper]

I'd go with Speer's 350 gr SPRN or the 400 gr Equivalent.

 

[wild_musk]

Thanks everyone...good to hear about the Barnes. I will look again, but haven't seen Speer or Swift in stock since buying the rifle 2 years ago. Luckily I bought brass on a whim over 10 years ago, well before I got the rifle. I'll keep looking, maybe try the hammer bullets as well. Happy new year to all of you!

 

[Ua26fitter]

The 250 Shock Hammer would definitely be worth a look.
I shoot it from my Marlin Cowboy at 2600 fps with AA1680.
Speed kills

Kris

 

[purpledragon]

The 250 Shock Hammer would definitely be worth a look.
I shoot it from my Marlin Cowboy at 2600 fps with AA1680.
Speed kills

Kris

ABSOLUTELY!!!!

 

[purpledragon]

If ya don't want to pay for the Hammer, DO NOT overlook the 250gr Barnes TSX-FN, not as good as the Hammer, but a good choice for the 45-70....Kinda hard to get um though...

 

[wild_musk]

The 250 Shock Hammer would definitely be worth a look.
I shoot it from my Marlin Cowboy at 2600 fps with AA1680.
Speed kills

Kris

I will see if I can get them. There was such a huge difference already in the animals I shot with the full power hornady 300g hp and the lead slugs at 13-1400fps. I'd like that performance, but with a bullet that holds up better and gives an exit/wound channel. I didn't realize 2600 was achievable with a lever, pretty awesome. Good to hear there are options...

 

[Tac-O]

What bullet and allow were you using in lead that was at 1300-1400 and not expanding?

 

[Tac-O]

Also, no one has mentioned 325gr Hornady flex tips. Are those no good?

 

[wild_musk]

What bullet and allow were you using in lead that was at 1300-1400 and not expanding?

first tried Missouri Bullet Co 405 RNFP #1 buffalo, brinell 18...so that's self explanatory I guess, optimized for buffalo, not so much for deer/hogs. Next was two from Montana Bullet Works, 405 FN LA and 405 FN PB. Their #2 alloy, BHN 15, still made a pencil hole through one deer, double lung, no blood trail. I didn't recover the hog, was just shooting it to remove him. He did leave an ok blood trail for 75 yards. I'm thinking these may both be fine, but I also made a new front sight for the rifle when I upped velocity in the lighter bullets. Also I realize 4 animals is not enough to determine much of anything...