Jacketed vs. cast in 45-70

Cast is the more traditional choice. By and large, anything you can do with jacketed, you can do with cast. Though I personally prefer jackets as they're much less finicky
 
Cast bullets are a good match with the 45/70, you can use them at full speed with good accuracy, lower pressure, better variety, better designs including heavier flatpoints, lower price. Check out the MT Chambers' Supply line of cast bullets...8 diff. ones for the 45/70.
 
I've hunted with, and prefer cast to jacketted for my levergun.
they crimp more solidly, never move in the tube mag, can be had in a bewildering number of styles if you cast your own. (You can even design your own bullet!).
As said above, you can drive them pretty much as fast as jacketted in a 45-70.
They are accurate, and, wether they expand, or not, a good hunting bullet. A .458 entrance and exit wound makes for good blood trail. It will shoot through pretty much any animal on the continent with the right bullet and load.
 
By virtue of the diameter, just about any cast or jacketed bullet will be devastating on game. The size is there.
Doug Green, a local guy in Duncan (250)748-2604, has quite a selection of bullets available, both Plain Base and Gas Checked. I've used some of the PB variety, with IMR 4227 & a filler for some light loads. Mainly, the .45-70 bullets I get from him for heavier cast loads are 325gr GC, 420gr GC with a LFN profile and they've worked out well. :) With them I use IMR 3031. I recently picked up some IMR 4198 to try. A couple of guys I shoot with have found IMR 4198 to work even better than IMR 3031. Trying it is on my agenda. I do get one more from him, same profile, with a GC but quite a bit heavier, 525gr. That one I may save for the .458wm.;)
Two jacketed bullets that I like are the Speer 400gr FN and the Hornady 350gr FP interlock. Again, with these I've been using IMR 3031 but will be trying IMR 4198.
 
John Y Cannuck said:
Try reloader 7 if you get the chance, my rifle likes it even better than H4198.
Click to expand...
I've never used any of the reloader powders, I'll have to give reloader 7 a try. After your post, I did a quick check in the Sierra manual for their powder of choice for accuracy & hunting loads. Their preference seems to be IMR 4198 & H-4198 but I will get some reloader 7 to try.
By the way, what rifle are you using? What jacketed bullets have turned out best for you? Oh, also, not having used any of the reloader powders, I notice in the Hornady manual they list RL-7 but in the Speer manual Re7 is listed. I'm assuming they're 'one and the same'?
 
Jacketed bullets are a good thing. They are the same kind of bullet you can get in the factory loads. However a lot of people who shoot 45-70s, don't want to shoot the factory loads, because they are designed to be safe in weak 19th century rifles. So the real question here is do you want to shoot the anemic factory loads and bullets or crank out more power? If you want more power then the easiest way to get it is the cast bullet. They are cheaper also and there is a domestic supply.

Would someone please make something exactly like the Crater 550 grn ! That is just so cool! Ben's 485 grain hits the SD minimum and may be a smarter choice. But if I was smarter I wouldn't be wasting my time on this nonsense!

Also, can one shoot the 500 grain factory round noses? I assume they are unsafe in the magazine? Maybe it's possible to reshape the nose?
 
You can shoot the 500 gr. Hornady, but you can't crimp in the cannelure, it is a good bullet esp. in the Ruger #1 where length isn't an issue.
 
Johnn Peterson said:
I've never used any of the reloader powders, I'll have to give reloader 7 a try. After your post, I did a quick check in the Sierra manual for their powder of choice for accuracy & hunting loads. Their preference seems to be IMR 4198 & H-4198 but I will get some reloader 7 to try.
By the way, what rifle are you using? What jacketed bullets have turned out best for you? Oh, also, not having used any of the reloader powders, I notice in the Hornady manual they list RL-7 but in the Speer manual Re7 is listed. I'm assuming they're 'one and the same'?
Click to expand...
I've also seen it as R7, and yes, it's the same.
I like cast bullets, and use them most often, however, the rifle isn't picky, 350 grain Hornady, Remington 400gr bulk bullets, Sierra Hollow points, all shoot well too.
My rifle, is a custom original 1886 Winchester, with a Douglas premium barrel.
 
John Y Cannuck said:
I've also seen it as R7, and yes, it's the same.
I like cast bullets, and use them most often, however, the rifle isn't picky, 350 grain Hornady, Remington 400gr bulk bullets, Sierra Hollow points, all shoot well too.
My rifle, is a custom original 1886 Winchester, with a Douglas premium barrel.
Click to expand...
I had a Pedersoli Remington rollingblock replica that I used for a lot of the lighter loads but now I have a Marlin 1985GS. It's a little more versitile. I've heard good things about the 405gr Remington bullets so that's something else I'll have to get to 'play' with. Thanks for the info guy.
 
About the only thing that my rifle doesn't seem to like, suprisingly, is Black powder. Four inch groups.
Too much mess for me anyway.
I did get that down to three inches, with some pure lead 405 gr cowboy bullets I think Idaho Territory, I got off Ebay a few years back.
I use a home cast gould design lyman Hollow point the most. Casts around 385 grains for me. I also use the 500 grain gas check Lee on occassion.
I've pounded myself enough with the super heavy loads. I stay below 2000fps now. Better accuracy, less powder burnt, and the game is just as dead.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom