45-70 Plinking Bullet?

Crazy Chaingun

Crazy Chaingun

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Hello all,

My cousin and I have decided to start hand loading for our Marlin 1895s to save on ammo costs. At some point we'll be doing hunting loads, but for now, I'm fairly happy with the accuracy of factory Hornady LeverEvolution 325 gr. FTX. What we really need is a cost-effective target practice load.

One of my mentors has suggested his pet load of 51 grains of IMR 3031 with a 300 to 350 grain bullet as a good starting point for hand loading the 45-70, but I'm still trying to figure out what kind of projectile will be best.

There seem to be some cheap cast options out there, but I'm brand-new to hand loading and am slightly intimidated by my lack of knowledge in the world of cast. Campro makes a jacketed 45-70 projectile that looks decent, so that's up there with my options. My mentor recommended Speer for a good projectile, but I can't seem to find any stocked in Canada.

Curious what my best option would be here? Priority is cost and being idiot-proof. I'm just going to shoot pumpkins with them.
 
For cheap and foolproof I would suggest the campro plated bullets. Not much more than buying cast and no worries about leading, fit, etc.

Personally I just cast a few hundred 350gr from range scrap lead. It's not difficult but it's another set of things to acquire and learn.
 
vagrantviking said:
For cheap and foolproof I would suggest the campro plated bullets. Not much more than buying cast and no worries about leading, fit, etc.

Personally I just cast a few hundred 350gr from range scrap lead. It's not difficult but it's another set of things to acquire and learn.
Click to expand...

Home-casting is definitely a skill I'd like to pick up in the long-term.
 
I would try a light campro bullet like at the link below that is a closer match to your factory ammo. There is a link to campro load data for the trapdoor Springfield that you could practice/plink with and not dislocate your shoulder. I had a Ruger No.3 .45-70 carbine that only weighed 5 1/2 pounds that kicked like a mule. Plinking with a 45-70 to me means light loads that don't cause nose bleeds and black and blue shoulders.


https://www.campro.ca/en/products/bullets/458-socom/45-70-300-fcp

Load data

https://www.campro.ca/images/-45-70.GOVERNMENT.300.TRAP_DOOR.pdf

Below a Ruger No.3 carbine at 5 1/2 pounds, it would have been more fun to shoot in 30-40 Krag or .22 Hornet. :bangHead:

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Brutus said:
I use 12.0 grains Trail Boss and a PB 405 cast flat point in the 45-70. Lots of fun accurate with just enuf recoil to remind you it's a 405 sent downrange. A Bullet Barn product.
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Bullet Barn hard cast and trail boss is 80% of my shooting and 100% of my grouse hunting. I figured is twice the diameter than my .22 I'd have a better chance at head shots:rolleyes:
 
50 new brass starts at $75 and up now. Too bad you live so far away.

A good spot for plinking loads. http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm
 
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MRP said:
Bullet Barn hard cast and trail boss is 80% of my shooting and 100% of my grouse hunting. I figured is twice the diameter than my .22 I'd have a better chance at head shots:rolleyes:
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Sounds like a winning pair up sir!
My 45-70 is an 1890ish drilling. Sounds exotic at first but those darn Prussians gave it a rear site maxes out 80-100 yards dependant of bullet weight. Unenviable in a good shootable 45-70.

Lol
 
Rusty Wood Trading Co lists Starline brass as on order, $90/100pc. They also have bullets.

Jet Bullets is another option for cast lead bullets, made in Canada by a CGN member.
 
Suther said:
Rusty Wood Trading Co lists Starline brass as on order, $90/100pc. They also have bullets.

Jet Bullets is another option for cast lead bullets, made in Canada by a CGN member.
Click to expand...

Everyone in Canada seems to be out of stock on the Starline 45-70 brass. I'll probably have to bite the bullet on some Winchester or Hornady at $1.50 a pop.
 
Crazy Chaingun said:
Hello all,

My cousin and I have decided to start hand loading for our Marlin 1895s to save on ammo costs. At some point we'll be doing hunting loads, but for now, I'm fairly happy with the accuracy of factory Hornady LeverEvolution 325 gr. FTX. What we really need is a cost-effective target practice load.

One of my mentors has suggested his pet load of 51 grains of IMR 3031 with a 300 to 350 grain bullet as a good starting point for hand loading the 45-70, but I'm still trying to figure out what kind of projectile will be best.

There seem to be some cheap cast options out there, but I'm brand-new to hand loading and am slightly intimidated by my lack of knowledge in the world of cast. Campro makes a jacketed 45-70 projectile that looks decent, so that's up there with my options. My mentor recommended Speer for a good projectile, but I can't seem to find any stocked in Canada.

Curious what my best option would be here? Priority is cost and being idiot-proof. I'm just going to shoot pumpkins with them.
Click to expand...

A plain base 300 gr. cast bullet loaded to trapdoor pressure levels is a good economical pumpkin bullet. 45-70 shines with cast bullets.

I sell cast bullets here: www.jetbullets.com and I'm a CGN sponsor.
 
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Take a serious look at casting your own. LEE makes a very nice 340 grain round nose flat top, RNFT bullet. Kinda in between the lighter Hornady 325 LeverEvolution & the Campro 405 plated. Mold # 90373
It doesn’t have to be super hard cast if you powder coat your castings. You can obtain all the stuff you need from Higginson Powder in the LEE catalogue. (PM me if you want a rundown of the items to buy)
 
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