45-70 load for white tail?

[TCLouis]

Lee 440 and 10.5 grains of Unique gives me 1100 fps and very accurate at 50.

That works for some of my hunting spots and there is room to go up in powder wt. if you need it.

[Motor]

I just started casting the Lee 340gr. I wanted a lighter load to shoot for practice so I'm using the Trap Door start load in the Lyman cast loading book. I think this would make a very good whitetail thumper as well.

As far as the mould and the boolit goes it's quickly becoming one of my favorite Lee moulds.

Motor

BTW: Don't tell anyone but the 300gr JHP at Marlin Guide Gun pressures absolutely puts the smack down on them. I do apologize for mentioning the J-word. Sorry.

[Loudenboomer]

Motor. What you said! Not much says DRT like a 300 gr Hornady JHP @ 2200! That being said a 350 Ranch Dog at 2/3 that speed is more than plenty.

[Rick Hodges]

I use either a Hornady or Remington 300 gr. JHP over H-322 at 1880 fps out of a Guide Gun. It is devastating on deer without being overly destructive of meat and has a point blank range of 150 yds.

Ranch Dog 350's at 1750 are very effective as well but not as accurate in my rifle.

[texasnative46]

sac,

ANY of the usual "trapdoor safe" .45-70 loads will be FINE for WT, imo. = WTs just aren't that hard to kill.
(My 1st cousin has taken numerous WT with a Marlin .357 rifle, using "plain vanilla" 158 grain RNL .38SPL loads out to 50M. - He is a DEADLY with most any weapon & a MUCH better shot than I'll ever be.)

yours, tex

[Motor]

I use either a Hornady or Remington 300 gr. JHP over H-322 at 1880 fps out of a Guide Gun. It is devastating on deer without being overly destructive of meat and has a point blank range of 150 yds.

Ranch Dog 350's at 1750 are very effective as well but not as accurate in my rifle.

Rick, Like you we have used both the Remington and Hornady bullets equally well with the same load.

I found out something last year that really shocked me. Hodgdon's data for the Marlin 1895 using the 300gr JHP changed dramatically. The maximum load INCREASED a lot over what it was only a few years ago. I e-mailed them about it and they answered that the new data was correct. They had brought the maximum pressure up to what the .444 Marlin is noting that the .444 is chambered in the same model rifle.

Personally, the old max load is about all I'd want to shoot recoil wise and my rifle is ported. I couldn't imagine like 5 more grains of powder.

The recoil from the "old max" 300gr load is what prompted me to get the 340gr Lee and load it light.

Motor

[EMC45]

The last 3 deer I killed were with the Lee 405gr. RNFP plain base over 15-16gr. Unique. It will flatten deer.

[Boogieman]

RCBS 300gr. RNFP , mine go 325gr. lubed with the gas check, over 41.5gr. of IMR4198. works in my number one Ruger.

[missionary5155]

Good morning Sac
Your Miroku 86 probably is like all the other well made jap barrels. Both ours and all I have been in contact with will shoot cast sized or as cast .457-.459 very well. They seem to make barrels very consistent and accurate. Yours will like a diameter somewhere in that range.
Your part is to decide which cast you want to blow through your corn crunchers and make it accurate. Should not have any problem coming up with a combination that will shoot 1.5 inches at 100 yards.
Mike in Peru

[Elkins45]

That's a deep rabbit hole but I have a 405g hollow base single cavity made by Lee years ago. Maybe you can find one on Ebay. It shoots like a house fire in my buddy's 450 Marlin which is basically the same thing you have. I figured seating depth then measured 100% case fill with no compression using Trail Boss. He's taken several deer with it and managed a cool shot on a coyote that was raiding his chickens. It was a frontal shot between his front legs. It exited out the poor things junk. I guess it was because it was a slightly angled down shot off the back porch. .....it didn't run for some reason. LOL!

I think Lee is still making that mold. I know they were just a couple of years ago because I bought one to use with my Handi Rifle.

[Rick R]

You could just about throw any .45-70 bullet hard enough to kill WTD. The accuracy part is up to you.
I cast the NOE RD 460-350 out of water dropped wheel weights over enough Varget to hit 1,950fps out of a Guide Gun (Hodgon's data for 350gr jacketed). That load has shot well out of six Marlins, one H&R and an Italian Hi Wall clone belonging to various friends and slain multiple deer without drama.

[frogleg]

I like 32gr IMR 4198 with 300gr flat nose boolit it is pleasant in my Marlin cowboy and groups nice

[Iowa Fox]

Well sac, good question. If I go out it will be to my apple orchard carrying my Marlin 1895 cowboy. I have a very old 456192 mold that is my favorite 45/70 bullet, easy casting and drops nice fat bullets. I think that mold was originally made for the old winnies with their large bores. 13 grains of Unique is all I have ever used under it whether shooting the cowboy or the Encore. By the time I read Veral's book in the 80'S about velocity and killing power I had already come to the same conclusion empirically.

I also have a MiHec 457122 HP & pen-ta point but for the first year of Iowa's rifle season its time to put that old bullet back to use out of a long barreled lever gun.

[Flinchrock]

With a 45-70, penetration on WTD is not likely to be a problem, with just about any load.
I like to use 45gr Rx7 under a RCBS 300gr fpgc, 1650 in my Henry steel, haven't chronoed the 1886 yet.

[sac]

Looks like I will go with the lyman 330hp, as I want to keep over penetration to a minimum. Now I just have to wait for lyman to make some.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

[Iowa Fox]

Scott, Keep your eyes peeled for a nice used old one and you will be happy. Try a want to buy in the classified here, nothing to loose. Good luck on your rifle whitetail.

[dh2]

I am still with my stand by NOE .460-405gr HP pushed as hard as your shoulder can take with IMR4198 pushing it.

[Elkins45]

Looks like I will go with the lyman 330hp, as I want to keep over penetration to a minimum. Now I just have to wait for lyman to make some.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

You don't have to wait for Lyman. NOE makes a really slick HP setup with their RG molds, and you get two cavities.

[sac]

You don't have to wait for Lyman. NOE makes a really slick HP setup with their RG molds, and you get two cavities.

I took Iowa foxes advice and found one on swap and sell. thanks

[Iowa Fox]

I took Iowa foxes advice and found one on swap and sell. thanks

Happy for you Scott. Keep us posted on your progress as you get ready for hunting season. Over 55 years ago my uncle told me you need to shoot at least twice a week starting 3 to 4 months before season or shooting match's. He was really right, it makes a big difference. Velocity kills when you're shooting jacketed bullets, NOT so when your shooting lead. Remember the buffalo hunters that cleaned the plains with big slow lead bullets. Hope you post a pic of the monster you take for us guys, goes for all the Iowa guys using rifles & handguns with their home brew lead bullets.