Your Thoughts On Best All-Rounder 45-70 Gov load.

[303carbine]

45-70

A load that has worked good for me in 4 different 45-70's is....40 grains of H4198 or IMR 4198 under a gas checked Doug Green 420 grain cast.

 

[simulate]

405 lead gas checked over 16gr. of Unique with a powder holding disc paper, plastic foam, inserted to contain powder. Very consistent and very accurate and can shoot it all day.

 

[Sir William]

I'm using a 350grGC dropped out of a Saeco mould with Lyman #2 mix, CCI 200 primers and 48grs of RL7. I find 3031 leaves to much unburnt powder, but H4198 works great. I used this load last year to take a nice black bear. A five shot string average was 1950fps over the chrony with the 350.

 

[buckbrush]

Sir William, what dia. do the bullets drop out of your mold at? Saeco's are excellent moulds.

 

[Sir William]

The bullets average .461" out of the mould and after lubing and with a Hornady gas check they weigh 355grs. That is using the Lyman #2 mix, out of my 1895gs I get little to no leading even at 1950fps.

 

[JohnC]

Hard cast, wide meplat, 1900 FPS in the 450 gr range. trying to duplicate Garrett Hammerhead performance

 

[7.62Man]

Ranch dog's TLC460-425-RF
load of H-4895 (1900fps or so)
Starline brass
WLR

You simply can't beat Ranch Dog's cast bullets in the Marlin rifle.

 

[John Y Cannuck]

All the above loads have worked for me, however, my rifle doesn't like IMR3031 for some reason. I prefer Rel 7, or H4198. I find the heavier bullets shoot best, those of 350 grains or more. The 400 grain area probably being optimum. Loads that generate velocities below 1800 tend to be more accurate than faster loads, and submit the shooter to less discomfort.


REMEMBER There are three load levels for the 45-70!
Using hotter loads in weaker action designs could hurt you very badly.

 

[kodiak1]

405 cast from WW. 9 1/2 Rem Primer 65Grn. FFg .030 vege wad. Dropped thru 36" drop tube compressed .025.
Ken

 

[H4831]

Has anyone out there chronographed 50 grains of IMR 4895 with a 420 grain gas check? Or, 40 grains of IMR 4198, same bullet?
Hopefully, my chronograph will soon arrive.

 

[BigUglyMan]

Nope, my load is 418 gr cast bullets in Winchester brass and Federal magnum primers burning 3031. Pushes them out at 1950 FPS and does the trick nicely!

 

[John Y Cannuck]

If i were going to take the 45-70 to Africa, and feel well gunned, it would be with a 500 grain Hard cast gas checked bullet in the 1700 to 1800 fps range.
That bullet loaded like that hurts at both ends by the way, and penetrates along with just about any big bore out there.

 

[Johnn Peterson]

If i were going to take the 45-70 to Africa, and feel well gunned, it would be with a 500 grain Hard cast gas checked bullet in the 1700 to 1800 fps range.
That bullet loaded like that hurts at both ends by the way, and penetrates along with just about any big bore out there.

A local guy supplies me with a 420gr cast, with GC, that's quite a preformer.

 

[Republic of Alberta]

All round? The Hornady 350g flat point with enough H4198 to get decent velocity.