.45-70 guide gun question

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Win94

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Fellas, whats your opinion of a .45-70 guide gun for deer up to 200 yards? I have a leupold vari x II to mount on the one i might buy. Is the 18.5" barrel okay for a 200 yard deer gun??
 
I use Willams FP peep and a firesight front bead on mine. I'd give it 120yrds for deer, 200yrds for moose with my eyes. maybe to 150 on a deer if the conditions were perfect.
 
Yes, my guide guin consistently rings the steel pig @ 200 yards. Havent done it in a few years, but it was very very consistent.
Win, you wont regret it, unless you want a Timber more :lol:
 
I've got a 1.5-6X scope on mine. There's absolutely no doubt that you can hit a target at 200 yards as long as you practice and know the trajectory.

My buddy has done testing at various yardages and then taped the bullet drop to the stock of his. So if he sees a buck at 200 yards then he can have an idea what holdover is required.

Handloading the .45-70 is imperative IMHO if you want to wring some performance out of it. Factory 405gr Remington bullets are a modest 1300 fps MV. I have loaded those same bullets to 1900 fps MV, but have deliberatley reduced the velocity of any of my 400gr bullets, to 1700 fps MV.

You can safely and easily get the 350gr Hornady Interlocks to 2000 fps MV. This bullet is a great all around bullet in the .45-70.

I've never tired the 300gr Nosler, but they'd probably be very good. I'm pretty sure that Barnes makes a bullet specifically for the .45-70 also.

Personally, I've kinda decided on using mine mainly as a pack rifle or in the timber, in order to try to avoid having to take a 200 yard shot, but I certainly would if the situation demanded.

You know how those Canadian soldiers shot that guy in Afghanistan at something over a mile? Well at 1 mile the .50 BMG they used drops 96"... 8'!
Imagine the holdover required for that shot!
My buddy was checking that out and it took the bullet 3 seconds or something like that to arrive at the target, but it's like 20 seconds or something before the sound of the shot gets there. So they actually missed that guy, then relaoded and dumped him with the second shot, before the sound of the first shot even arrived.
 
Mark all this talk of a early christmas present. A 45-70 to hell with it. I need one too! If you haven't already seen them SIR has them for $583.00 Take care. Hows the new home situation going?

Dave.
 
I have used the hornady's (350gr FN) with great sucess on 3 bears and 2 moose. I'd steer clear of the 405 rems, everyone I know (personally) that has shot them into game at modern speeds (1800fps +) has complained that they act like a giant V-Max :?

A 350gr Hornady FN @ 2150fps is the hand of god when it hits something breathing.
 
Last month I bought an 1895GS and if I could marry it I would.

The first thing to do is replace the stock sights... they are garbage.... I'll say it again... GARBAGE.

I set mine up with a set of XS ghost ring sights and I am delighted. Order them from Willwagspal amd you will be guaranteed an excellent price (best in Canada) and speedy delivery. Time was not on my side this year, so I only got them sighted in at 50 yards, but they are within 1.5 MOA from a shaky rest (hood of my pickup) with max handloads using the Hornady 300gr HP. I bought some Partitions (made specifically for the .45-70) but have not had a chance to load them up and shoot.

At the same time, I also ordered the XS Scout scope mount, and will mount a scope this winter and play around with it and see what the gun is trule capable of. I am confident I will be able to work up some MOA loads at 100 yards. Should be fun trying them out at 200 and 300 yards.

I wish I could have tried it on deer this year but managed to fill my tag during the black powder season so... no luck trying it this year on game. I have a bear license and am heading out this weekend... so you never know.

BUY IT IMMEDIATELY. The new Marlin shipment came in a few weeks ago, and they 1895GS's sell out quickly. And yes, SIR has the absolute best price on them in Canada at $709.
 
I'm using 300 grain Nosler partitions in my Marlin GG. Excellent performance from that bullet for all my hunting needs! I have them chronographed at 1960 fps and could push them faster but find no need to. For hunting I use a Leupold 1.5X5 scope on it and I get 1 inch groups at 100 yards. When zeroed for 1 inch high at 100 yards I am 7 inch low at 200. Very acceptable and I would not hesitate to shoot at a deer at 200 and moose even a little farther.

For non-hunting bush carry I use Williams sights and heavier bullets (up to 550 gr..). Plenty accurate at 50 to 80 yards and definitely a stopper!

Get a guide gun, they are fun and practical!

Troutseeker
 
I have both the 45-70 and 444.....if you reload, buy the 45-70. If you dont reload, buy a 444.

I havent shot either past 100yds, but there is nothing in this country I cant kill with either at 100yds and under.
 
The key to stretching a .45-70 to 200 yards and beyond is being able to judge the distance to within 3 to 5 yards. The Remington factory 405 has more than enough remaining foot pounds to down moose or deer. I have taken both with my guide gun. The fly in the ointment is the looping arch of the bullet's travel. It is so steep that an error of 10 yards in range estimation will cause a miss. (at 200 yards plus) You can flatten it a bit with 300 and 350 bullets but then it wouldn't be a true .45-70 load. I went the 300 350 route and I am now back to the 405 factory loads. (driven at 1300 to 1400 fps) That big bullet will auger right through a deer even at 700 fps. I now have a '86 SRC that shoots the 405's well and the factory sights are regulated for that load. Enjoy the .45-70 Marc they are addictive. Amphibious is right about moving the 405 too fast thay do strip jackets and blow up. (from experience) I have no respect for the hollow point 350's they completely come apart on small black bears and deer. (from experience) I wouldn't shoot a moose or big bear with those at all.

cheers Darryl
 
I have an 1895 in .450 Marlin and it simply rocks!!!

The open sights a good to go to 200 meters IMHO and if you don't like the factory set up, XS makes a great aftermarket, high viz ghost ring set up for them. I have it zeroed about 2-3" high at 100 which is dead on at 200. I wouldn't stretch it's legs too far beyond that as the thing turns into a bit of a rainbow. That said, it is nuclear for smashing through brush and cover to get to that deer's boiler room in a circumstance where a clean shot is not going to happen - try that with your traditional high speed, longer range, deer caliber.

I agree that scoping it would be a crime - keep the scope for another toy that warrants that can actually put the optics to good use for the money you have invested in them!!!

Last but not least, the 1895 (especially with an 18.5" barrel) makes for a nice bear defence carry gun and is also great to 200 meters for hunting bear, moose, and elk.

I'm about to head out right now in search of a muley buck, and white-tailed buck, or a white-tailed doe (hopefully all 3!!!) and my .450 Marlin will be riding very close "shotgun" in the truck!!!
 
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