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

Teapot

Teapot

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If you could load only ONE bullet with ONE type and quantity of brass, primer, propellant and utilize this round for everything, like target shooting of all kinds, hunting, bear protection etc. what form would this bullet take? ( Rifle is Marlin 1895GS)

Would it be tungston cut from rods? Hard cast lead alloy? Jacketed soft points? Use your immagination and your experience and write to inform us what your round would be composed of.
 
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Although my experience with the 45-70 is still quite limited, for an "do-it-all" round I would go with:

350gr Hornady FP
Win WLRM primers
RL-7 to ~2100fps. (in a modern action, of course...)
 
MT Chambers 480gr Wide Flat Point Gas Check, cast hard, 51grs AA2015, 1820fps, from 26" barrel of 1895 Cowboy gun. Second choice: Gould 340gr.H.P. cast , med. hard, lots of AA2015,(to 2200fps). This second load is more for deer and varmints.
 
agilent_one said:
Although my experience with the 45-70 is still quite limited, for an "do-it-all" round I would go with:

350gr Hornady FP
Win WLRM primers
RL-7 to ~2100fps. (in a modern action, of course...)
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With the velocity you've quoted, by the Hornady manual, that looks to be a load listed for the Ruger # 1.
In the rifle suggested, 1895 Marlin GS, my favorite load and the one I've had the best accuracy results with is;
- WW cases
- CCI 200 primers
- Speer 400gr Flat-sp
- 53grs IMR 3031
- 1700 f/sec
 
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48gns of RL-7 with Rems 405jsp is what I load for my buds Guide rifle.
It gives amazing accuracy @ about 1850fps.
It's a good combination between bullet weight & expantion!
The only draw back might be for Grizz hunting! but for grizz defence I'll bet at close range a couple of those 405s would certainly make one sick ;)
 
The 300 grain Sierra hollow point is plenty of bullet for any North American species loaded at about 2100 fps using Varget or RL7. Excellent performance even at low velocity.
 
My ONLY 45/70 load is cast Lyman 457125, from WW. seated to top groove and compressed FFg.
....'course, its in a rolling block....
 
I like the old Lyman 457102 - 460gr flat nose gas check cast of 20 : 1 lead & tin with 40gr 3031. I see no need for hard cast in any of the loads I've tried in 45 - 70. If the focus was target, I've had slightly better results with the 425gr Saeco spirepoint mold also 20 : 1 and 24 - 25gr 2400. With the Marlin, you could probably push those loads harder if there was a point to it. I've been using a rolling block.

Hope this helps.
Grouch
 
I'm just getting into loading .45-70 for my Uberti 1885 Hiwall.
I don't have the time right now to cast, so I bought some 350gr round nose flat point, bevel base, cast lead bullets from Goodwin Bullets.
Any thoughts on powder and charge for the Uberti Hiwall?
 
Brutus said:
Much like John Peterson I have had good luck with:
405 grain Remington SP
53.0 grains of IMR 3031
CCI LR primer
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I use the same load as well and have for quite some time.

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Pickles said:
Wow:eek:
Lots of people using 53g of 3031 and 400 Speer
Works really well for me as well:D

Pickles
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This is my pet load as well.
Except I use 54 grains of powder and shoot an XLR.

Consistant 1" and under groups @ 100 meters, using a FP-336 on the reciever.

Have any of you fellows loading the 45-70 with imr 3031 cronographed your loads in cold weather? I have and found a major reduction in velocity and a change in zero.
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No chrony, but yes, there is a change in zero from summer - winter. I get around this buy 'seasonal' shoots @ the range, to re-set the guns zero.

The most extreme shifts that I have noted was ~ 1 1/2" @ 100 meters (elevation). Not a huge deal, if you limit your shots on game within that distance. You're still well within the kill zone on boiler-room shots.

Never noticed any shifts in windage, only elevation.
 
buckbrush said:
Have any of you fellows loading the 45-70 with imr 3031 cronographed your loads in cold weather? I have and found a major reduction in velocity and a change in zero.
Click to expand...
I don't have a chrono, yet, but I haven't noticed any real appreciable change in zero shooting in cold weather VS warmer weather. A chronograph is on my list of 'things to get'.
 
Imr 3031

For those that shoot 54.0 gr. Imr3031 and a 400 grain jacketed ..Velocities are:

Three shots, 1764..1743..1762 fpsecond in 22 inch #3 Ruger...and fairly accurate for me too at about 1.10 in/100yd..

Have not noted any differences between winter /summer velocities useing 3031 in the 45/70 that are more than the usual shot to shot deviation.
 
In using IMR 3031 and Reloader #7, I did find some small differences in groups.
But it is hard to say what has more effect at -30 degrees, shooter discomfort or powder preference to low temps? And in neither instance was there enough variation in group, to miss the vitals of a big game animal at normal expected hunting range.
 
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