Hunting with a 45-70
- Thread starter elKrusto
- Start date
Never used them, not a Barnes fan, but I wouldn't think that any copper solid will do excessive damage unless driven at very high speeds... usually the opposite is the concern. In a .45/70 or .450 Marlin they should cause minimal damage... again, this is a guess as I have no experience on game with that combo.
westcoaster
CGN Regular
- Location
- Central BC
I have an early 80's Marlin that my father passed on to me. While he still used it when his eyes got bad I put a Bushnell 4200 1.25 - 4 on it. On a rest at the range the holes touch at 100 meters. A little spread at 200, can't recall the drop off the top of my head. Dad had whole crate of 400 grn cartridges for it so that is what I have used. I think my unit is good for about 200 and IIRC the drop gets large.
I shot a bear with it last fall, it had walked into my cottage on a sunny fall day. Seemed to put him down pretty good. At 200 yards or less I wouldn't hesitate to shoot just about anything in North America with it. If I started reloading for it and got serious about the drop ranging it could probably do a lot more....but then that is why the good lord invented the 338wm.
I shot a bear with it last fall, it had walked into my cottage on a sunny fall day. Seemed to put him down pretty good. At 200 yards or less I wouldn't hesitate to shoot just about anything in North America with it. If I started reloading for it and got serious about the drop ranging it could probably do a lot more....but then that is why the good lord invented the 338wm.
I was looking for an excuse to own a lever, have a bear trip planned this fall and found a nice 1895.
Plan on doing some load development, picked up some Hornady 350gr FP and some 3031, for the guys using these; how fast are you driving them? Heard good things about the bullets. I've shot the 325gr FTX, they shoot well, but I've heard the 350's hold together a bit better.
Plan on doing some load development, picked up some Hornady 350gr FP and some 3031, for the guys using these; how fast are you driving them? Heard good things about the bullets. I've shot the 325gr FTX, they shoot well, but I've heard the 350's hold together a bit better.
I saw a nice whitetail buck working up through the timber, head down scent trailing. I aimed at it's right shoulder and a split second before I fired, it snapped it's head up and looked at me.
The shot hit the buck in the right cheek, the bullet then traveled right under the brain pan, like 1/4" under it, exited out the back left side of the neck. Didn't hit any brain, spine etc...
Dropped the buck in his tracks... the buck then incredibly jumped up, and went off running up through the bush.
I could see it was going to enter a clearing on a hillside 150 yards away. As it entered into the clearing I yelled "Hey!"
The buck stopped in it's tracks (I don't know how the hell it ever sustained the shot it had and could still hear??) but anyway that shot hit it dead center of the lungs and it was pancaked DRT.
When we did the autopsy on it, we were able to stick a large standard screwdriver completely through that bullet hole and we just were amazed that a bullet could travel through that deer's head like that and the deer could still get up and run.
I believe I was using the 405 grain Woodleigh FN, which I load to about 1850fps.
Rifle was the 22" barrel Marlin M1895-XLR .45-70.
The shot hit the buck in the right cheek, the bullet then traveled right under the brain pan, like 1/4" under it, exited out the back left side of the neck. Didn't hit any brain, spine etc...
Dropped the buck in his tracks... the buck then incredibly jumped up, and went off running up through the bush.
I could see it was going to enter a clearing on a hillside 150 yards away. As it entered into the clearing I yelled "Hey!"
The buck stopped in it's tracks (I don't know how the hell it ever sustained the shot it had and could still hear??) but anyway that shot hit it dead center of the lungs and it was pancaked DRT.
When we did the autopsy on it, we were able to stick a large standard screwdriver completely through that bullet hole and we just were amazed that a bullet could travel through that deer's head like that and the deer could still get up and run.
I believe I was using the 405 grain Woodleigh FN, which I load to about 1850fps.
Rifle was the 22" barrel Marlin M1895-XLR .45-70.
Fyn: The Hornady 350 gr. fp is an excellent bullet. Have used it extensively. Holds up really well. I also load IMR 3031 under mine. Don't have the chrony figures right in front of me, but... my standard load is: 55 grains IMR 3031. A good performer on game and accurate in my rifle: Pedersoli 86/71.*
Your rifle will soon tell you what it likes. A powder charge that delivers around 1,700- 2,000 fps and accurate with the 350 FP, will more than do the job for you. Plenty, for deer or bear. Moose too.
As a matter of interest: When hunting with 400-405 grain lead bullets, I generally don't load them any hotter than 1500 fps mv.
If you want to try 400-405 grain jacketed bullets, you could also try the: "Elmer Keith" load....53 grains IMR 3031/400-405 gr, bullet. Have used it with both 400 grain Hawk bullets, and 405 Remington. Penetration/expansion in all cases was good. No recovered bullets(all clean pass-through)...but exit holes maybe the size of a nickel...depending on range and hit. Same performance, with 350 grain Hornady bullet.
ps: * loads safe in my rifle, only.
Your rifle will soon tell you what it likes. A powder charge that delivers around 1,700- 2,000 fps and accurate with the 350 FP, will more than do the job for you. Plenty, for deer or bear. Moose too.
As a matter of interest: When hunting with 400-405 grain lead bullets, I generally don't load them any hotter than 1500 fps mv.
If you want to try 400-405 grain jacketed bullets, you could also try the: "Elmer Keith" load....53 grains IMR 3031/400-405 gr, bullet. Have used it with both 400 grain Hawk bullets, and 405 Remington. Penetration/expansion in all cases was good. No recovered bullets(all clean pass-through)...but exit holes maybe the size of a nickel...depending on range and hit. Same performance, with 350 grain Hornady bullet.
ps: * loads safe in my rifle, only.
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I have used the rems405 mostly in the marlin from 1600-1950 (bumpy ride)fps. Shot few moose with it and results were good Roth a great blood trail and not much distance. Currently trying barnes 250/aa1680 in winny trapper 1885 with 2350 fps but have not had an animal to cooperate yet. Ride is little bumpy
Appreciate the responses guys. There's quite a discrepancy between the Hornady data and Hodgdon's, Hodgdons lever data starting load (for 350gr/3031 at least) is just a tad above Hornady's max, so was just curious what people are using in the real world.
- Location
- AB foothills
I have shot hundreds and hundreds of that load, have piles of them loaded right now. Never recovered one though...
crazy davey: My all time favourite load, too. It's a thumper. Like you, I've shot a pile of them. A good performer on anything up to and including moose. I usually carry a few of each: 350/405-loaded cartridges along with me when hunting. The late, great Elmer Keith knew what he was doing.
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