45-70 bullet help

C

crout

CGN Regular
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Location
Rosemary, AB
I just picked up a marlin gbl. i'm so exited!! it's a remlin but I know it will be great. It comes with some hornady 325gr ftx bullets. my intentions for the rifle is a camp gun, bear defense so i'm not very interested in using the ftx bullets. I would like something around the 400gr. what do you all think?
 
+1 for casting your own. Shooting the 45-70 with any platform can be very addictive. Look to Canadian suppliers for cast boolits, such as Budget Shooter's Supply or Bullet Barn. Most stores that sell reloading supplies should have cast boolits or can order them.
You can set yourself up for casting for less than $100 with a Lee pot, mould and hand sizer.
Look on the EE for pre-owned stuff for even less $$$
Have fun,
Mike
 
oldrodder said:
+1 for casting your own. Shooting the 45-70 with any platform can be very addictive. Look to Canadian suppliers for cast boolits, such as Budget Shooter's Supply or Bullet Barn. Most stores that sell reloading supplies should have cast boolits or can order them.
You can set yourself up for casting for less than $100 with a Lee pot, mould and hand sizer.
Look on the EE for pre-owned stuff for even less $$$
Have fun,
Mike
Click to expand...

thanks but i'm not interested in casting my own. i already have too much on the go.lol
i'm just looking for a good bullet for my needs.
 
The hornady 350's are a good performing very accurate bullet. The hornady 325gr, "lipstick load" bullets are very accurate as well; I just use them for practice. I find in my rifle the 405 rem's simply are not as accurate.(not bad, just not as good) From my own very unscientific milk jug/newspaper box tests absolutely nothing beats a 400gr hawk bullet for damage, wound channel, penetration and weight retention.

Personally I'm not a fan of hardcast. Tried some from a reputable supplier, they shot OK but when I dug one out of the dirt it was not malformed in the least; looked like I could reload it as is. Never used another one. I figure the bullet is supposed to conform to the rifle, not the other way around. Never looked at cast past that, perhaps you can purchase softer cast? I don't know. Just my personal experience.
 
Wanna try some 500 grain hard cast gas checked slugs?? PM me...Or I also have a bunch of 340 grain cast slugs. These are lubed,not hard cast....
 
I shoot the 325gr ftx in my muzzle loader at 2300fps. I had one of the 325gr ftx go through 18" of spine on a big mb whitetail at 10 yards or so. That's a tough test on a bullet. Why would you not use this bullet for bears?
 
I used 350 fn interlock at 1950fps for a while. I shot 1 bear with it and never recovered the bear. The wound was extreme. Chunks of fat and meat left behind. Not bullets fault bad placement I guess. Long story. Switched to Remington 405 gr fnsp at a tame 1650 fps and stopped a bear dead in its tracks at 12'. Massive wound channel. Had loaded it much faster but recoil had me looking at the sky and my gun wouldn't regulate them so I backed it off till I got 2" group at 50 yards. Cast is much cheaper if you can avoid shipping
 
kman300 said:
I shoot the 325gr ftx in my muzzle loader at 2300fps. I had one of the 325gr ftx go through 18" of spine on a big mb whitetail at 10 yards or so. That's a tough test on a bullet. Why would you not use this bullet for bears?
Click to expand...

I'm shooting them at a little over 2000fps from my Guide Gun.

I've shot two moose with the 'lipstick' bullets (that's what my Newfoundland guide calls them). They both fell just as fast as the moose I shot with a 420 WFN lead bullet, which was 'instantly'.

The FTX shoot very accurately in my gun and so far I'm very happy with their performance on large game.

Nice thing about the 45/70 is that there are so many bullet choices and most of those are very effective. It's an awesome caliber for a handloader and hunter.
 
Johnn Peterson said:
Here are a few

Click to expand...

Are these your own casts??
Do you use these in a lever by any chance and do they cycle and chamber ok?
Have you used these on bear or any game? just wondering how they perform. that 420 gr bullet is speaking to me.lol

as for the ftx I don't know, still on the fence. I've heard some good and bad.
 
crout said:
Are these your own casts??
Do you use these in a lever by any chance and do they cycle and chamber ok?
Have you used these on bear or any game? just wondering how they perform. that 420 gr bullet is speaking to me.lol

as for the ftx I don't know, still on the fence. I've heard some good and bad.
Click to expand...

No, they are not mine. I get them from a friend close by that's into casting in a big way. Casting is one aspect of reloading I;), don't care for.
With cases trimmed to length and crimping in the groove for that, I haven't had problem in staying just under the suggested maximum of 2.550" to allow live ammo to be cycled through the Marlin 1895 action.
 
Johnn Peterson said:
Here are a few

Click to expand...

Here is 10 shots fired at 100 meters with the Marlin mid length 45-70 I used to have. Not sure if it was Johnn's 405 bullet as shown, or 420 grain that was very similar to Johnn's 420 bullet.
You will notice five holes are circled. I first fired five gas checked bullets, circled the group, then fired five plain base on top of them.
Likely just by accident, but the plain base made a better group.
Bruce
 
H4831 said:
Here is 10 shots fired at 100 meters with the Marlin mid length 45-70 I used to have. Not sure if it was Johnn's 405 bullet as shown, or 420 grain that was very similar to Johnn's 420 bullet.
You will notice five holes are circled. I first fired five gas checked bullets, circled the group, then fired five plain base on top of them.
Likely just by accident, but the plain base made a better group.
Bruce
Click to expand...

Good results Bruce. Here's a few targets I shot a while back.



 
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