45-70 Hunting load

[Andy Mayer]

Howdy All,

I'm hunting this year with my Pedersoli Rolling block. I've been loading a 405gr RNFP and a 500gr saeco 1881 bullet each with 25 gr of 5744. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on a good hunting load for deer and elk?

Thanks,
Andy

[9.3X62AL]

Either of the loads you list herein could easily knock over deer or elk quite capably. The only suggestion I would make would be to cast some of these boolits as soft-points, load them up, and go hunting. 7/8 oz. to 1-1/8 oz. of heavy metal will do major damage, even at sub-sonic blackpowder velocities in the 1100 FPS area code.

See "BruceB Softpoint Casting Method" for detailed instriuctions on procedures. FWIW, I'm doing load tests of this same nature currently for the same purpose, the 9.3 x 62 being the subject rifle.

[bigted]

Andy...welcome to the forum and you will get many loads with this question...here is mine... with your 405 gr boolit...34 gr rl-7...fill the case up to the bottom of the boolit with cornmeal. spark it with a regular large rifle primer...[ i use cci 200's ] all in a Remington case and crimped over the last drive band.

my 500 gr boolits are either rcbs or the lyman gubberment boolit...[rcbs # 45-500 and lyman # 457125 ]. the rcbs i load weigh in at 535 gr and i load em with 32 gr rl-7 or a hotter load is 40gr imr 4198...same primer and case....the lyman i load with the same 34 gr rl-7 and everything else the same.

i have notice that the rl-7 powder does very much better with the fill in...its not required but ive shot enough experiments to convince myself that it needs the fill for the best accuracy i can get.

these loads should dispatch a deer or elk in dandy style...i have friends and relatives that i load these for that kill moose and occasionally bear with here in alaska .

these loads do good out to 150 yds easy and further if you learn the arc of these boolits...never past 200 yds tho as up here anyway its easy to lose an animal in rivers or swamps...or the ever present puck brush that regularly grows over my head and im 6 foot 5 inch tall.

[btroj]

I will say that I have used much heavier loads for deer and bear in the past. This year I plan on going with a load my Marlin likes really well- a 420 gr plain base over 24 gr of 2400. At around 1350 it is plenty fast for my needs and should penetrate into next week if needed.

[Andy Mayer]

Thanks for comments. I chrono'd the two loads today and the 405gr is around 1270 and the 500gr is at 1195. What kind of tissue damage will I do with these on deer on elk? I know their not the super hot modern expanding rounds and I'm thinking they will basically punch a hole.

Thanks again,
Andy

[MtGun44]

I'm partial to 57 gr of Win 748 under a 405. Low pressures, suitable for the Trapdoors and
it chronos 1750 fps and is very accurate. Slow powder produces good velocities with
low pressures.

Bill

[WARD O]

Shooting a 480 gr cast of 30/1 over 65 gr of Swiss 2f, I have gotten complete pass thru just behind the shoulder of an adult bison broadside. When shot at an angle into another adult bison, the recovered boolit mushroomed out to about .700 diameter. Neither bison went more than a few steps before falling. I never did chrono mine but would guess it was running close to 1,200. You do not need to cast that government 45 slug very hard. I would expect your Saeco boolit, if cast soft, would perform similar to mine.

A soft alloy at the velocity mentioned will still expand and boolits in the weight area we are discussing will do a very good job on penetration. This type of slug will simply punch a nice big hole clear thru most deer and elk.

Ward

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Andy,

I am a long time boolit caster with only one year of rifle cast boolit testing and one season hunting with a cast boolit rifle.

As stated, the boolits you have will probably do the job.

However, you will read many many times of the positive effects of a wide meplat on a cast boolit.

As stated, I have only one year of rifle cast boolit hunting under my belt, but I will say this, the wound channel left last Fall by a 355gr LBT/WFN boolit was totally awsome!

There was not a lot of blood shot meat and damage typical of a high velocity "J" boolit, but there was simply a sizable amount of tissue and bone gone from one side of the critter to the other.

The shot was taken at about 100yds, and the boolit started from the 22" barrel of the RUGER #1s - 45/70 at 2290fps. Critter DRT!

I have changed boolit molds, to a 465gr boolit from a mold made by Bruce, found here on this forum.

I was not getting the groups I desired form the LBT boolit - push'in it too fast or ??? - but earlier this week fired a 5 shot group with the new boolit ahead of 39gr. of RL 7 that went 1 1/2" with four into a ragged hole about an inch long.

The velocity was 1603 fps.

Another load, same boolit ahead of 42gr. RL 7 went 1 11/16" at 1726fps.

H322 is showing possibilities and a bit higher velocity.

With the Starline brass I am using, IMR3031 is not working in the velocity range I desire as there is a case capicity issue which does not allow the boolits to seat properly.

Would highly recommend Bruce and his products if you need a good mold.

He is also a great source of information as to what is likely to work in a given situation.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[btroj]

The will punch a hole. Thru everything that needs a hole thru it. A big flat nose on a 45-70 bullet at 1300 will create a plenty big wound channel.
Cast your bullets on the soft side so they can upset a bit and all is good. You will have a load that will punch thru any part of any elk you come across. That is the magic of a big, heavy bullet.

[acsteve]

lots of buffs where killed with a load at that level. I plan to use a light load of 3031 with a 430g WFN at about 1350ft/s. It is a fun level of recoil and should work well

[Topper]

However, you will read many many times of the positive effects of a wide meplat on a cast boolit.

Sound advice.
Also agree with using a softer alloy for hunting.
I use air cooled for hogs and the exit wound is not much bigger than a nickel.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Yes, from my very limited experience, the exit wound is not very large, but the tissue damage between entrence and exit is what counts! AWESOME!

That slow of a boolit, just shouldn't.

I am seeing an entrance wound larger then "J" bullet days because of the meplat size/already expanded size, but the exit is not a lot larger because, I suspect, of the difference between body tissue and deer/elk hide.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[brad925]

This is the first year i will be using a CB for hunting. I havnt done alot of load testing but what i have done is promising. I'm shooting a H&R BC using a Lee 405 HB boolit that i modified into a flat base with 35grs of IMR 3031 behind it. Changing it to a flat base made it go from grouping like a shotgun to getting them all 5 shots inside a 2" square at 100yds. I have five more loads to test before i can say anything definate.

[white eagle]

your boolit is starting out at almost a 1/2"
how much expansion do you need ?
a 1/2"hole in a animal will surely kill it in short order
provided you shutes em rite

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Plus a bunch to White Eagle's comments!

Since my first reply to this thread, I have taken a very large cow elk with a quartering shot.

The 465gr boolit starting at 1600 - 1700fps.

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Personaly, and at this point in my cast boolit hunting experience, I would tend to buy into the comments about the positive effects of the LARGE/WIDE MEPLAT!

Don't worry about expansion. Like White Eagle says, your starting out at almost 1/2" of boolit dia. and providing your boolit will hold up to the stresses - does not fragment etc. - that big meplat is all the expansion you are likely to need.

Don't spend a lot of time worring about expansion, just use the right boolit design.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot