45/70?

[Trad1]

Anybody use a 45/70 for deer?If so what load do you use?What the yardage you sight in at?

[turkeyfeathers]

6 minutes ago, Trad1 said:

Anybody use a 45/70 for deer?If so what load do you use?What the yardage you sight in at?

@G-Man

[airedale]

I own a couple of 45-70 rifles, a lever action Marlin 95 passed down to me from my Dad and more recently I purchased a 45-70 Thompson Center Encore single shot.

The Marlin 95 had been used quite a bit, my Dad took his last Deer with that rifle and I have taken 3 with it myself. I have only used mildly loaded factory ammo in the Marlin and it will kill Deer no problem. The Marlin 95 has a strong action that can fire loads hotter than what is factory available, good handloads will definitely increase it's capability.

The Thompson Center Encore is set up completely different, I fire handloaded ammo using a stash of old 350 and 400 gr.  copper jacket pointed soft point Barnes bullets loaded to the max that should only be used in strong modern firearms. I believe I could hunt with confidence any big game in North America with this setup and not be under gunned in anyway.

Both rifles are are very accurate and are sighted in for short ranges out to 150 yards max because the habitat I hunt. That being said the 45-70 can be very effective at long range, the old Buffalo hunters proved that with their Sharps single shots.

Al

Edited September 14, 2020 by airedale

[G-Man]

7 hours ago, Trad1 said:

Anybody use a 45/70 for deer?If so what load do you use?What the yardage you sight in at?

I have a few 45/70s levers   by marlin.   I usually sight 3 in high at 75 gives me . 4in low at 150. Using Hornady ft.  Bullet drops fast after that .if you think of it as a multiple shot muzzleloader good to 200 yards ( about 10 in low )  you'll enjoy it tremendously 

[sbuff]

7 hours ago, airedale said:

I own a couple of 45-70 rifles, a lever action Marlin 95 passed down to me from my Dad and more recently I purchased a 45-70 Thompson Center Encore single shot.

The Marlin 95 had been used quite a bit, my Dad took his last Deer with that rifle and I have taken 3 with it myself. I have only used mildly loaded factory ammo in the Marlin and it will kill Deer no problem. The Marlin 95 has a strong action that can fire loads hotter than what is factory available, good handloads will definitely increase it's capability.

The Thompson Center Encore is set up completely different, I fire handloaded ammo using a stash of old 350 and 400 gr.  copper jacket pointed soft point Barnes bullets loaded to the max that should only be used in strong modern firearms. I believe I could hunt with confidence any big game in North America with this setup and not be under gunned in anyway.

Both rifles are are very accurate and are sighted in for short ranges out to 150 yards max because the habitat I hunt. That being said the 45-70 can be very effective at long range, the old Buffalo hunters proved that with their Sharps single shots.

Al

Didn't happen to be a 45/70 tc katahdin ? I gave my lever action 45/70 to a family member.  I now need a replacement but she loved the hornady lever action ammo 

[Buckmaster7600]

Barnes 300gn TSX at 2300fps at the muzzle. Deer didn’t seem to like that load much.


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[airedale]

2 hours ago, sbuff said:

Didn't happen to be a 45/70 tc katahdin ?

Not a Katahdin, a standard Encore with a regular 24 inch stainless barrel.

[rob-c]

I want a BFR revolver in 45/70. Some day.. 

[cas]

I've taken a couple deer with the .45-70.  Only shoot handloads, first was with a Remington 300gr JHP from my stubby Marlin.  I used that bullet because that's what I shot in my 12" .45-70 Contender pistol. (used to hunt with that as well, never got anything with that barrel though)

After being less than impressed with that bullets performance on a doe, I switched to 405gr JFP handloaded to an impressive click. That did a lot better IMO.  

 

The Marlin has a 2x scope mounted in the scout position, zeroed maybe a smidgen low at 100 yards.

Edited September 23, 2020 by cas

[covert]

I've shot two bucks with a .450 Marlin. Both kept walking and never reacted like they'd been hit at all. I kept shooting until they dropped. Hit them 3 times each. Heart, lungs and neck on the first with 350gr FP, lungs twice and shoulder on the second with 325gr nerf bullets. Nice clean .45 holes straight through. Now I have it loaded with 250 gr Barnes TSX hollow points. We'll see how they work, eventually.