Thoughts on this bullet/caliber combo. Will it lay down a full grown Griz on a charge? New to 45/70 and looking at a mainland hunt next season, and Ima scaaaaared of dem grizzlies! I have these bullets and will more than likely try them on a Van Isl blackie this fall. I'm partial to the TSX's in my 7mag as they dont break up at high velocity/short range. I doubt that matters on a slow mover like 45/70, so maybe heavier is better, but with barnes weight retention, maybe it doesnt matter.
Thanks for your opinions
Mike
To quote a pal of mine, "It won't do em any good!" But where the TSXs shine is when bullets impact game at high velocities; with impact velocities in excess of 3000 fps on game, they expand without failure, producing deep penetration from the combination of high weight retention and modest 1.5X expansion, which is limited by the depth of the nose cavity. That is the TSX's primary advantage over a copper cup - lead core bullet, and is why why they became a game changer. Lighter bullets can be driven faster than lead core bullets of equal length.
But the fact that a TSX has a broad velocity performance envelope doesn't necessarily make it the better choice at low impact velocities compared to traditional bullets, which also have good weight retention when they impact at similar velocities. A .45-70 is a low velocity cartridge, that can perform well with TSXs, but does not allow the TSX to provide the advantage it does in your 7mm magnum. My personal choice is heavy for caliber, hard cast, WFN bullets; I shoot 480s in my 458, where there is good weight retention even at 2200 fps, without leading I might add. There is a short nose 550 gr WFN that is suitable for use in .45/70 lever actions. I have a few examples, but they might be too much of a good thing in a cartridge that would have to give up so much powder capacity due to the bullet long shank. Anyway, WFN bullets have a reputation for excellent terminal performance on game, producing large and deep wound cavities from both handgun and low velocity rifle cartridges, and neither a jacketed nor a mono-metal bullet performs better.
When both bullets are loaded to maximum pressure for the rifle they are to be used in, the heavier bullet will produce more recoil. For some folks this is an important consideration since the stocks found on traditional lever action, which I believe are the rifles most frequently chosen by .45/70 shooters, do not handle heavy recoil particularly well. Now we see where a 300 gr TSX has an advantage. If they are loaded to say 2000 fps, they would recoil a bit less than a 480 gr WFN at 1800, and would certainly perform well on any bear.
