tree stand hunting?

[cwlongshot]

Uh, a .45-70 doesn't have to be a fire breather and the guy even said he was loading it with Unique which pretty much maxes out at Trapdoor capabilities.

I shot a doe from a tree stand, maybe 40 yards, with a 330 grain cast bullet and 30 grains of 5744, wimpy even by Trapdoor standards. She took two steps and fell over, no real damaged meat at all. Never have understood why people felt the need to hot load it, the .45-70 is one of those combos that just plain works.

EXACTLY.

Dont get me wrong we all have our "favorite" but most times its simply NOT as universally "great" just what we have found to be best under most circumstances. When that changes WE NEED TO CHANGE to make things work again!!

Try a DIFFERENT POWDER!! I have had great luck with 5744. But many others can be more bulkie and net ya same ballistics and preformance. How fast is your load? Trail Boss ir Tin Star could be the answer if your not too speedy. 3031 works great for many generations as well. I also use alot of Unique but more in 38/55.

CW

[richhodg66]

My standard in the .45=70 is 12 grains of Unique or Herco, bullets weight about 380 grains. Under the conditions I normally hunt, I'd have no problem using that load on deer if the bullet had a good meplat.

I think he's fine, but I am interested in trying a systematic test to find out is shooting down with no fillers would affect things.

[All Kinds]

We hunt with what we have in some of our states that only allow straight walled cartridges to hunt deer with. Sure the 45-70 is a lot of power. So what ? At least this 74 year old child doesn't have to track them far and drag them. I used to hunt with a 12 ga. slug gun from a stand too, about the same difference and during muzzy season, same thing, big power and no dragging. I know, I know, dead id dead, it's just that I don't want my dead to get back up and run off. The 45-70 can be loaded up or down to make it tame or wild.

2nd this - there are a few other straight walls, but 45-70 is still the most common around here, if you go by the advertised specials at the LGSs.

[ChristopherO]

A fellow Buckeye with the 45/70 once they legalized straight walled cartridges for deer hunting. I use 12 grains of Unique under the Lee 405 grain cast and have many times shot at a sharp downward angle about 15' down from the bank overlooking the water way in my back yard. Never had one of those rounds hang fire nor fail to go off and hit the stones right where I am aiming. You should be just fine.
By the way, my hunting loads are Accurate 460C FNGC boolits pushed by 2400. My research leaned toward a light topping of Dacron filler, 1/2 a grain fluffed up, to keep the powder in position. It has been very accurate and deadly for our whitetails. 1,620 FPS is more than black powder velocities, but aren't barn burners, either. The drop is way less than the 12 gauge Lightfield slugs I formally used and the Marlin 1895 CB is much more enjoyable in my hands. As mentioned earlier, for those of us in the Slug Only states to now have the opportunity to finally use rifles, even if only straight walled rounds, we use what is available and catches our fancy. 4570's have become quite popular in these parts. Plus, I can cast, load and shoot to my heart's content. Couldn't afford to consider that with saboted 12 gage slugs.

[Brett Ross]

light load of 3031, with a tuft of Dacron for me (old Larry Gibson load). This has worked for 2 deer in 2 years, one bang flop and one 15 yard run, Accurate out to 200 yds (furthest I have tried it).