Lever Guns

[Malamute]

Well I don't shoot it that much to begin with so buying X boxes of ammo isn't a big deal. I save brass in case I ever take a chance at reloading. It's sounds fun but I know myself and I don't have the patience for that. Maybe a few rounds before.....oh look kitty!

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[geezer mode] 45-70 used to be relatively cheap to reload. Remington used to sell component bullets, both the 400 gr soft points and the 300 gr hollowpoints for around $16-$18/100. I also used to be able to get 5 gallon buckets of wheel weights for free from about any tire shop, and would cast my own to make it all pretty cheap. I bought factory ammo in the beginning (think it was around $7.50/box), so had a couple hundred rounds of brass going, which so far hasnt worn out, as well as a couple hundred new brass ive never needed to break into.

I started out with a Lee Loader, then got a Lyman 310 tool, both only neck size, part of the reason brass lasts so long. RCBS bench dies make good ammo, but arent strictly required to make decent ammo. [/geezer mode]

[Borderland]

[geezer mode] 45-70 used to be relatively cheap to reload. Remington used to sell component bullets, both the 400 gr soft points and the 300 gr hollowpoints for around $16-$18/100. I also used to be able to get 5 gallon buckets of wheel weights for free from about any tire shop, and would cast my own to make it all pretty cheap. I bought factory ammo in the beginning (think it was around $7.50/box), so had a couple hundred rounds of brass going, which so far hasnt worn out, as well as a couple hundred new brass ive never needed to break into.

I started out with a Lee Loader, then got a Lyman 310 tool, both only neck size, part of the reason brass lasts so long. RCBS bench dies make good ammo, but arent strictly required to make decent ammo. [/geezer mode]

I think you're looking at about 0.50/rd if you buy cast bullets and have a supply of brass. I don't know what a box of commercial ammo would cost but I know I wouldn't want to pay for it.

[ECVMatt]

I am lucky to have a ton of components for my .45/70 but only shoot it once or twice a year. It is still one of my favorite rifles.

[fatdog]

I think you're looking at about 0.50/rd if you buy cast bullets and have a supply of brass.

I think that is about right. I have been using these for a few years for my smokeless rounds, which all get shot in a Marlin and I am quite happy with them. 1000 fps with Trail Boss and quite pleasant. Wandering into bear country where the marlin is the camp gun (not hunting), I pump them up to 1250 fps with a different powder, but still not obnoxious to shoot.

Shooting my original trapdoors I stick strictly to 2F real black powder and use the hollow base 405's lubed with SPF because the actual bore on those old guns is usually .460-.462 range and it helps to have the bullet base pop and expand to fill the bore.

I truly love the cartridge just because of the guns, no other reason, but 250 black powder rounds for CAS and a couple hundred smokeless rounds to play with in the Marlin is all the .45-70 work I am up for in any given year. I cannot imagine paying the current prices for the factory stuff, breathtaking.

[Malamute]

I think you're looking at about 0.50/rd if you buy cast bullets and have a supply of brass. I don't know what a box of commercial ammo would cost but I know I wouldn't want to pay for it.

^^^ Way more than Id care to pay, but its at least available for those that dont load their own.

Some of my loading for 45-70 was for an original 86 Winchester, I mostly used 3f black, and home cast bullets in it, so it was fairly cheap at the time. Smokeless requires much less powder, but with the price of black being so high now, its not saving to use it.

I havent bought commercially cast bullets for 45-70 in a long time. If/when I run through what I have Ill get the moulds out and start casting again. The 400 gr Barnes originals at 1850 fps were the carry loads in bear country, but I never shot many of them, mostly the cheaper Remington jacketed bullets and various cast stuff that was available. I started casting partly because there wasnt much if anything available in cast stuff at the time, besides being cheaper. When decent cast bullets became available, I didnt cast much, but always liked that I CAN make bullets for most of my stuff if need be.

[4RNR]

^^^ Way more than Id care to pay, but its at least available for those that dont load their own.

Some of my loading for 45-70 was for an original 86 Winchester, I mostly used 3f black, and home cast bullets in it, so it was fairly cheap at the time. Smokeless requires much less powder, but with the price of black being so high now, its not saving to use it.

I havent bought commercially cast bullets for 45-70 in a long time. If/when I run through what I have Ill get the moulds out and start casting again. The 400 gr Barnes originals at 1850 fps were the carry loads in bear country, but I never shot many of them, mostly the cheaper Remington jacketed bullets and various cast stuff that was available. I started casting partly because there wasnt much if anything available in cast stuff at the time, besides being cheaper. When decent cast bullets became available, I didnt cast much, but always liked that I CAN make bullets for most of my stuff if need be.

They were cheaper back in 2019!!!! [emoji2959][emoji2959] But $40 is still not too painful when you don't shoot it often. I think I still have 2/3 boxes I bought in 2018! Besides, stuff like this is what I buy casually. A box here, a box there. Less painful and by the time I fell like taking it to the range all of a sudden i have several hundred rounds.


A buddy of mine has the H&R Buffalo Bore break open 45-70 he bought years ago. He even bought a hand held reloading tool, bullet mold, and we got a bunch of wheel weights. We even cast and loaded a few rounds but that's as far as that got. We don't have long attention spans. One round, two rounds, hey who wants a beer/let's go to a bar/what's this thing I found on the floor/why is my phone so silent is it even on/let me check the weather for next month?!?!?

[4RNR]

Obligatory crappy cell phone pic
10 rounds of 45-70 [emoji48]



Kind of a lever gun. It has a lever!

[Malamute]

When in Jr High and High School I could be happily entertained for hours with reloading ammo with a Lee Loader, Lyman 310, or RCBS Rockchucker Jr press. That continued on through later years, reloading is pretty relaxing and distracting for me. The time factor didnt mean that much, as I enjoyed doing it. It became part of the enjoyment of shooting. Most of my guns have had little to no factory ammo shot in them unless cheap surplus was available.

[Ed L]

My first gun was a Marlin 336C in .35 Remington. I was 14 when I got it. It was the late 1970s and I lived in NY State At the time. I chose the gun and a family member bought the gun at the gun section of a sporting goods store Morsans. It was a big sporting goods store that had a single gun counter That had maybe 50 rifles and shotguns behind it. I was a frequent visitor there looking at BB guns and long arms and the guy behind the counter knew us. This was a time when the guy behind the counter wore a sport jacket with a tie. I selected the gun it at the advice of a family friend who was a NYPD cop who had one and deer hunted with it. He assured me that the .35 Remington would do a better job of "brush-busting" than a 30-06. I really liked that gun and felt that with it I was ready for anything that I could possibly face in NY State--be it black bears or burglars. I wound up selling that gun a few years later after I got a .270 which took over the role Of a medium game gun. This was a time when owning a 30-30/.270/30-06, a shotgun, and a .22 was considered a complete long arms arsenal. In recent years I came to regret that sale. I'd heard bad things about modern Marlins, and the wood on the stock and forearm of the 336C that I owned was far nicer than any of the stocks on those these days.

I had looked on GunBroker and seen some modern versions of the gun in the local gun store that I frequent-- Jackson Armory of Dallas Texas. I handled the newer Marlins but I still long for an older one like I had is my first gun.

Last night, I was going to a nearby restaurant and decided to stop in to Jackson Armory which was in walking distance Of the restaurant. I walked in and said hello to the guys working there glanced around then went into the sporting rifle room, not expecting to find much, and low and behold I found an older Marlin 336C in 30-30. It had no rear sights and came with a scope mount. I figured I would remove the scope mount and put rear sights on the gun so would be exactly as it was when I first bought one. A guy at the store ran the serial number and estimated that it was manufactured in the late 1960s. I figured that 30–30 would be a much better caliber to own than .35 Remington because the ammo would be far more available in a wide variety of places. I bought the gun, quite happy with myself, Then got home and discovered that there was no 30-30 ammo available anywhere.

Here is a picture of the gun:

[revchuck38]

There's some ammo out there, but it's at scalper's prices.