Ammo selection makes a big difference but I haven't found my 1895 Guide Gun in .45/70 brutal at all. Cowboy loads are easy peasy but I've shot as many as 40 rounds of my preferred 305gr hunting ammo at a time from a variety of shooting positions without trouble or discomfort. The barrel got a bit toasty though...Originally Posted by Borderland
The .45/70 usually has three levels of reloading data listed by most sources. My wife killed her first deer with a 405gr cast bullet over Unique. The load kicks about like a 20ga target load in a field gun. I normally shoot a 360gr cast bullet at @1,900fps, more than a whitetail deer requires but it’s satisfying to cast, load, shoot, drag out the venison with little to no tracking required.
The Remington 405gr load is (was?) pretty gentle, the Leverevolution ammo is stoutish, then some of the ammo boutiques load stuff they claim is elephant capable. I for one wish Speer loaded their shot capsules in the old government cartridge to make it really useful.
I made some shot loads up, they quickly want donut shape with a hole in the middle of the pattern. 410s shoot OK-ish, but dont extract reliably, the rim is smaller diameter. heyd do for very short range pest or snake loads, and maybe, if youre lucky, really close bird loads. I ended up just using very light round ball loads for small game, grouse, and snakes in the 45-70.
Funny this came up, a friend just sent me a pic of 45-70 ammo, 2 different types, at a walmart local to him.
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
The safest place to be is in my sights anyway.
The government issued .45/70 foraging rounds with a wooden sabot once upon a time. I’m thinking a blue plastic shot capsule shaped like a 500gr(ish) .458 bullet would be a lot of fun to play with.
You might try some of the 45 colt shot capsules. Being a bit undersize may help patterns.The safest place to be is in my sights anyway.
The government issued .45/70 foraging rounds with a wooden sabot once upon a time. I’m thinking a blue plastic shot capsule shaped like a 500gr(ish) .458 bullet would be a lot of fun to play with.
I made my own 45-70 shot loads with 6 1/2 grs Unique, a felt wad (44 cal Wonder Wad), some No 9 shot to 1/8" shy of the case mouth, then a card wad made from a cardboard milk carton or cereal box, cut with a sharpened case mouth, then sort of stab crimped in 4 spots with a flat screw driver. Sealed with a bit of clear lacquer.
Last edited by Malamute; 11-18-2021 at 08:57 PM.
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
I did lol. Don't care about reloading or finding parts. Buy ammo, shoot, repeat! If I buy a 44 or 357 lever I'll do the exact same thing.
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That's the ticket. Whothefukcares.
I have a psychological disorder. I only shoot cheap to reload cartridges. I have 2 or 3 .223 rifles because it has to be the absolute cheapest rifle cartridge to reload. I have 3 or 4 9mm pistols and a bunch of 38/357 revolvers. My 1911's are 45 ACP.
A 45-70 would be a stretch for economical reloading today and in the near future. But WTFC? Me I guess.
New 45-70 brass does not exist on my radar.
Last edited by Borderland; 11-18-2021 at 09:23 PM.
In the P-F basket of deplorables.
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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If you don't shoot a lot it doesn't matter. Me, I would like to shoot 100 rds every week. I try to maintain that schedule. I shot 150 last week. All 9 mm.
In the P-F basket of deplorables.
There's certain guns I have for fun and this is one of them. My 1899 Martini Henry comes out once in a while too but it's not something I'd shoot weekly, or even monthly.
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