45-70 Load Info

[Yule]

Just picked up a Browning Single Shot in 45-70. Looking to see what the effective range is for deer size game. Hoping to find someone who has experimented with several of the higher BC bullets.
Thanks

 

[Varmint Hunter]

You can easily kill deer at 200 yds with low BC bullets providing your rifle is accurate and you are familiar with the drop.

I used the 325 Hornady gummy tip bullets in my 18.5" Marlin and was able to topple 3 or 4 bowling pins with every 5 shots @ 300 yds.

 

[ATH]

I've shot the .325gr FTX bullet out to 500 yards with a muzzleloader. I would think a .45-70 can push them harder. Accuracy was great and they retain enough energy to cleanly take a deer. In fact it is one of my all time favorite bullets of any caliber. The only caveat is knowing your range and wind is very important.

 

[Yule]

Thanks for the tips.

Are you pushing that 325 in a SML ? Something like 70g of 4198?

 

[redbullitt]

I have taken a few deer with a marlin 1895.

Regular old 405 cast is probably my favorite since it is cheap to shoot and I shoot it enough to know where the bullet will go.

The 325 ftx is good too. You will have to shorten your brass a bit if you want to hit the crimp groove, but if you have a single shot it may not matter at all.

The nosler/combined technology 300g bullets can work fine as well! My rifle is probably the most accurate with these.

Preferred powder is h4198. I do not shoot anything crazy. I get the 405 going about 1500 FPS and the 325 about 1750fps. The 300 was about 1800 fps. 38g on the 405, 45 on the 325 and 48.5 on the 300. More than that and the rifle is kicking pretty good. No pressure issues in my lever gun, and room to go up, but I dont see a need. For me both bullets were plenty accurate and going fast enough to kill deer (or pretty much anything else) anywhere I would use that rifle.

 

[bpcrshooter]

first check your oal. my father had one and couldn't run anything longr than the 350 grain bullets, if you can the 350grain hp/solid nose from hornady will drop any deer you can find. I shoot a 45-100 and use a 545gr postell from brooks moulds and have taken elk moose deer,pig an they all drop within feet. dad is going buffalo hunting this fall (again) and will be using that bullet. I can get them out bout 1460fps and at 547yrds the mushroom to .998avg. course im using black powder, with smokless you shold be able to do much better if your shoulder can handle itgun)

not saying its correct but ive shot more than a couple boxes of 325 ftx bullets out of my bfr and didnt shorten the cases. All shot well I just cant get them moving fast enough to open in a pistol........


as for distance your bullet will tell you how far you can shoot. the 300gr bullets will start to lose stability round 250-300yds the heavier the bullet the farther you will be able to shoot. i can for the most part hold 3min at 500 meters with mine. good luck

 

[snookntarpon]

Hey Varmint Hunter,

don't want to hijack the post but curious if you are shooting the superformance loads with the FTX bullets? If so, what velocity are you getting?

thanks
SnT

 

[BallisticsGuy]

My pet load is a duplex load of 3 grains of bullseye under 50 grains of FFFg with a 500gn RN. Unconventional but cleanup is substantially easier than pure black powder. Knocks the hell out of things. I use it in metallic silhouette now and then. Knocks 80lbs steel ram silhouettes down with real authority at 500m. I'd imagine it'd knock a deer's wang into the weeds.

WARNING: THIS IS NOT A BOOK LOAD, IT'S NOT KNOWN TO BE SAFE IN ANY GUN BUT THE ONE I SHOOT IT IN. THIS IS INFORMATIONAL ONLY. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Hey Varmint Hunter,

don't want to hijack the post but curious if you are shooting the superformance loads with the FTX bullets? If so, what velocity are you getting?

thanks
SnT

Nope - handloads. H4895 for a velocity of 1,800 ft/sec out of my 18.5" bbl.

 

[TXAoudadKlr]

with a single shot I'd look at the 260gr Cutting Edge Maximum Fracture bullet. I had good success with accuracy and as of this weekend good terminal performance.you could probably load them up better than 2000fps.