[jbpmidas]

I'm about to buy a .45-70 from a friend and my dies are on the way (or will be tomorrow). What kind of accuracy can I expect? He also has a .243 barrel that I will be purchasing later, maybe. I've got some 350 gr roundnose on the way because they were cheap. I will be using H335, cause it's what I got plenty of and can get more for $18 per pound.

 

[Caleb C]

I can't speak for the handi rifle but my Buffalo Classic is a real shooter. Hornadys leverevolution bullets also help with range and accuracy. I wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger on anything inside of 250 yards with that combination

It's also nice not having to follow a blood trail. Dear are stone cold dead before they even hit the ground

 

[sidroski]

250 yards would be at the longest shot I'd go with a 45-70. It'd drop about a yard. And those leverevolution are what I'd go with. (Bought Son-in-Law one with a box of Hornaday's) Basically brush rifle. Packs a whallup, to your shoulder and the deer. Would sure drop one where he stood.

 

[TomBomb]

My H&R 45-70 is very accurate with Hornady 325 gr. leverevolution, Remington corelokts, and plain blue box winchesters...great shooting gun.... have killed 3 deer with it - all dropped in their tracks. Mine shoots nearly touching holes in paper at 100 yds.... SMoffet reloads the 325 gr. Hornadys and has great results - will probably share his load info.....

 

[smoffett]

My H&R 45-70 is very accurate with Hornady 325 gr. leverevolution, Remington corelokts, and plain blue box winchesters...great shooting gun.... have killed 3 deer with it - all dropped in their tracks. Mine shoots nearly touching holes in paper at 100 yds.... SMoffet reloads the 325 gr. Hornadys and has great results - will probably share his load info.....

The Hornady 325-gr FTX were good, but I switched to the Remington 300 JHP because I got a little better accuracy, and the Rems were significantly cheaper. Also had an FTX that performed kinda weird -- bullet went in the ribs and turned upward and ran through the backstrap, and the jacket came off -- although that was probably because it was moving out close to 2100 fps, and I shot the deer at 25 yards. My guess is the bullet probably wasn't designed for that kinda velocity.

Anyway my current load is...

Starline brass
CCI 200 large rifle primers
Rem 300-gr JHP
51 grains RL7
COAL = 2.585"
Light Lee factory crimp

Disclaimer: This load could blow up your rifle and/or you. Please reduce the load at least 10% and work up, watching for pressure signs. Don't even think about using this load in an old historic rifle. Also, you might want a scope with greater than 3" eye relief (ask me how I know ;-)

 

[jbpmidas]

Thanks! His gun did not shoot the hornady's well. He may have some other problems though. Extremely flimsy scope rings being one of them.

.30-06 is the only round I even approach max on. I want it to shoot flat, but the .45-70 is not gong to do that no matter what. My loads will be middle weight. If I can get 2" groups at 100 and 4-6" groups at 200, I'll be happy. That will be the limit. Most of my hunting is inside 100 anyway.

 

[Beladran]

www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=544442

www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=633227

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=444103


way better bullets out there than green box remys and wwb

 

[smoffett]

FWIW I killed a decent size buck a few years back with the factory Winchester load. That stuff is only moving out about 1800 fps, but a 65 yard broadside shot to the vitals put him DRT. I don't remember the groups I shot, but seem to remember it was plenty accurate in my CVA. You should easily get 2" groups with it at 100, and it will not punish your rifle or shoulder too badly either.

 

[Guest]

From what I saw on the range the other day, the gun needs a good "soaking" in cleaning solvent and a very good cleaning (barrel scrubing) and then it will probably shoot a lot better.

 

[msredneck]

Factory Corbon with Barnes DPX bullet was dead on when I sighted my 444 Handi in yesterday.

One shot and she's good to go

 

[jbpmidas]

I'm not a big fan of Cor-Bon. Seems like they load all their stuff hot!

 

[Free_Stater]

WARNING: Be very careful reloading the 45-70 or any other Hornady Leverevolution brass. In order to get the ammo to work with tube magazines in lever rifles with the Evolution bullets, Hornady shortened the cases significantly to keep OAL within specs. Thus, if you use standard loading data with the shorter cases, you stand a very real possibility of pressures far outside what you'd get using regular SAAMI spec brass.

The 45-70 case has an optimum length of 2.1" and a trim-to length in the 2.09" range. Measure one of the Hornady cases and you'll find it's on the order of .125" shorter.

 

[Beladran]

+1 on that! i dont know any truth behind it but i once heard that a max charge in evo brass generated 12-15% more pressure than normal. using ONLY the starting published load you should still be safe though?

 

[Free_Stater]

"Safe" is relative. Would you really want to risk a 10% increase in pressure above maximum?

A bulky powder that might fill 3/4 of the case capacity in standard brass could very well become a compressed load in shorter brass. Maximum cartridge pressures are set by a testing authority (SAAMI) and are certainly not absolutes, but those maximums are established for a reason, namely to keep you out of trouble.

 

[jbpmidas]

I only loaded the starting load and I will stick with it.

 

[Beladran]

drop black powder in it and forget about it

 

[Free_Stater]

I had actually planned to try a reduced BP load in Hornady cases for my Sharps rifle. The idea was to use a 405-grain flat point over ~60 grains of FFG in the shorter cases, but then I realized that my chamber would get really, really dirty. Permanent chamber ringing probably wouldn't be an issue unless you fired an awful large number of the shorter rounds, though.

 

[redirn5]

thanks for the case info, was wondering why hornady were shorter than RP and Win cases.

 

[redirn5]

pyrodex rs and 405gr flat point give me 1 1/2 in at 100. Works well where I hunt, no complaints from the deer

 

[smoffett]

What if you loaded to the same COAL in the Hornady brass as you do "normal" .45-70 brass? That would leave the same amount of room inside the brass for powder as if you were using normal length brass. Not sure, just asking. Since the cartridge headspaces on the rim, it seems like this would work...