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Thread: What is your best choice for 45 70 hunting bullet?

  1. #21
    Boolit Master on Heaven’s Range
    WHITETAIL's Avatar
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    Right now I am doing tests on
    a few 45-70 boolits.
    So far the NOE 420 PB FN
    is winning. The boolit drops
    for me at 411 to 415gr. I just
    weigh them and keep them separate.
    I have some more shooting / testing
    to do.
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  2. #22
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    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
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    I cast a RCBS that I think is supposed to be 405, but my alloy comes out closer to 420, and it clocks at around 1500 in a Marlin CB.
    I like it, but the first time I fired it, I wasn't sure which end was more dangerous than the other.
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  3. #23
    Boolit Master dh2's Avatar
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    I am using an NOE .460-405 HP with very good luck with it , Yes it is heavy for the job but my rifle likes it.

  4. #24
    Boolit Buddy 45-70marlin's Avatar
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    Gould 330 gr. Or rcbs 300 gr. Gc. I use both with 2400, good bullets.
    Endeavor to persevere

  5. #25
    Boolit Grand Master
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    460-420. Super accurate out of my H&R. Feeds & works well from a Marlin lever gun. About 415 gr from my alloy. Proven killer. For the 15 or so deer & couple pigs I know dropped by this bullet, they were all one shot drop deals. Nice wide meplat - good lube grooves. Flies great.

  6. #26
    Boolit Master
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    I have to say,using my Ruger No3 45/70 I use Ranch dogs 350gr,it flattens everything I have shot and if I want bigger,I go for a 420.-500 gr cast.
    I think the 350 gr bullet is the all round one,for me anyway,I also use the old Gould mould and NOE copy of it also.

    If you look at my profile picture,it shows a CBE cast bullet of 430gr,it is a two part bullet one mould casts a harder bottom while the other casts the softnose and they are joined together,I have used them on a few very big pigs and they were flattened,the base is a 220gr and the soft nose is 210gr or 135gr
    Last edited by no34570; 12-27-2018 at 10:29 PM. Reason: Added a bit more info
    Cheers

    no34570

    "I'll tell you what rule we applied sir,We applied rule 3-0-3, We caught them and we shot them, under rule 3-0-3." :Lt Harry " Breaker" Morant at his court martial in January 1902.

  7. #27
    Boolit Master
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    350 Ranch Dog has been my most accurate boolit, and still has plenty of wallop while also having a flatter trajectory.
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  8. #28
    Boolit Master pls1911's Avatar
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    The RD 350 or the RCBS 300 are among the most versatile bullets for the 45/70.
    Both are exceedingly accurate and will perform well up to 1800 fps without much issue, and MUCH ;less recoil than 400+ grain slugs.
    They're not fussy about lead hardness either, anything from 12 to 20 BHN works fine if the bullet fits the bore well.
    AND of course the gas check give a little extra room for imperfections and always leaves a sparkling clean bore with about any lube.
    Even at 1500 fps either bullet will fully penetrate pig muscle and bone 30-36" at my hunting ranges. I've never been able to recover a bullet, and every pig shot was DRT.
    Salvaging old Marlins is not a pasttime...it's a passion

  9. #29
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    Thanks for the info guys!

  10. #30
    Boolit Master Randy C's Avatar
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    send me a pm I will send you some, what is your twist and barrel length, the moulds i use are not listed here but there readily available. when you are ready, I hope you find the perfect place the first time out,,,new rifle needs to be heavenly first time out.
    Last edited by Randy C; 01-11-2019 at 07:05 PM.

  11. #31
    Cast Hunter

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    In my Marlin Guide Gun the RCBS 45-300-FN has been the most accurate followed by the RCBS 45-405-FN. I've done some experimenting with the RCBS 45-500 and NOE 45-535. Not quite as accurate as the lighter versions, but adequate for my hunting applications.
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  12. #32
    Boolit Bub EVR's Avatar
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    Best .45-70 bullet I've found is the now-discontinued Lee 402 grain Hollow Point. Acts exactly like a Nosler Partition, with the front HP section blowing up and providing severe trauma with the remaining 300 grain cylinder penetrating very deeply.

    I've killed deer, bear and range cattle with it and it is impressive. I have tested it besides my .375 H&H Magnum in water jugs and boards and it will out penetrate most lead core SP .375's while evaporating the first couple jugs which is what I want in a game bullet. This is a really impressive bullet. Not sure why it was dumped by Lee but they ought to bring it back.

    One cow I shot was crazed by being struck by a car, went berserk and terrorized the neighborhood. I shot it between the eyes as it came for me, the bullet striking it at about 25 yards. I later dug the bullet out of its shoulder, the slug having penetrated the skull and then pulped the vertebrae down to the shoulder for 24 inches of penetration. Given what it encountered on its way, this is outstanding, really impressive performance. I've never collected one from a bear or deer.

    Here's one of the bear I killed with it many years ago from a first year Ballard-rifled Marlin 1895. My load used 3031 powder and a felt wad column for 1640 fps.

    Last edited by EVR; 03-14-2019 at 08:44 AM.

  13. #33
    Boolit Master
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    I like the Gould boolit. Casts 340 grains out of my mould. It's accurate and kills very well out of my Marlin CB and my muzzle loader.
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  14. #34
    Boolit Bub EVR's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by giz189 View Post
    I like the Gould boolit. Casts 340 grains out of my mould. It's accurate and kills very well out of my Marlin CB and my muzzle loader.
    I remember reading about that bullet which I think in an old version allowed a .22 blank to be inserted in the HP. Paul Matthews had high praise for it. It seems tho that it is a fast-opening bullet best used for lighter game?? The old Lee "402" HP really isn't what we would consider a typical HP, but rather more like the above-mentioned Nosler Partition.

    I think the Gould would be a good deer killer and might serve well for hounding bear. Fellows I hunt with use .444's and do not like deep penetrating bullets and have avoided the .45-70 for that reason as the slower moving and typically heavier .45's do tend to penetrate deeper, tho I would like to do a test of fast 240's in the .444 and the Remington factory 300 driven at 2100 fps to see a good comparison.

  15. #35
    Boolit Master
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    Consider your recoil tolerance. You will find your barrel prefers one bullet weight above all others. A prefit Pachmyar(sp?) Decelerator recoil pad will help with the recoil a lot, and they look nice. Any bullet weight from 300 to 40 grains will be effective. Avoid commercially cast bullets with a bevel base, they don't usually slug up correctly to seal the bore.
    I find the Lyman factory equivalent load of a 405 grain cast bullet and 38.5 grains of IMR 3031 powder to be comfortable.

  16. #36
    Boolit Grand Master


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    RCBS 405 gr.. It is extremely accurate and I have harvested a lot of hogs and goats with it...never needed a follow up either.
    Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway!

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  17. #37
    Boolit Buddy
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    + 1 on the 330 Gould. Acts like a nosler partition. Deep penetration on whitetails . Shot an 8 pt quartering in the point on the shoulder and found the rear half under in the skin in the offside ham. Never recovered one from several other deer shot with this bullet, just silver dollar exit wounds. 1200 to 1400 fs is plenty. Heavier bullets not needed for whitetails IMHO.

  18. #38
    Boolit Master Ozark mike's Avatar
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    Lee 458 500f will knock the snot out of anything from rabbit to grizz bear and bigger without tearing up precious meat at 1750 fps outta 1895gs and 1500fps with bfr 7.5 if you can handle recoil and not sprain a wrist

  19. #39
    Boolit Master
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    I've shot about a dozen elk and a few deer with the 300gr Barnes Original(soft lead, pure copper jacket) at 2200fps. In cast, the RCBS 300gr FN GC works well and is accurate. Heavier bullets just add recoil and eat up lead. The 300gr punches through the shoulders of bull elk and usually exits, liitle need for more.

  20. #40
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by EVR View Post
    Best .45-70 bullet I've found is the now-discontinued Lee 402 grain Hollow Point. Acts exactly like a Nosler Partition, with the front HP section blowing up and providing severe trauma with the remaining 300 grain cylinder penetrating very deeply.

    I've killed deer, bear and range cattle with it and it is impressive. I have tested it besides my .375 H&H Magnum in water jugs and boards and it will out penetrate most lead core SP .375's while evaporating the first couple jugs which is what I want in a game bullet. This is a really impressive bullet. Not sure why it was dumped by Lee but they ought to bring it back.

    One cow I shot was crazed by being struck by a car, went berserk and terrorized the neighborhood. I shot it between the eyes as it came for me, the bullet striking it at about 25 yards. I later dug the bullet out of its shoulder, the slug having penetrated the skull and then pulped the vertebrae down to the shoulder for 24 inches of penetration. Given what it encountered on its way, this is outstanding, really impressive performance. I've never collected one from a bear or deer.

    Here's one of the bear I killed with it many years ago from a first year Ballard-rifled Marlin 1895. My load used 3031 powder and a felt wad column for 1640 fps.

    Do you have a picture of that Lee?

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check