45-70 and 400 gr Speer

[Abnermal]

Chronographed my latest effort at finding a deer load for the H010. 38 grs of IMR4198 with a 400 gr Speer gave an average velocity of 1409 fps.Extreme spread was 39.75 and standard deviation was 14.10. Accuracy is good,recoil is a little stout but not unbearable. Think I'll give this a try. Could try for a little more speed but I don't think a deer will notice the difference.

[JEBar]

really looking forward to your post hunt reports .... good luck

[ssonb]

Have seen several reports from shots even from 1250fps 405gr lead of complete passthru on deer sized game even at 90 to 100yards...The lethality of the 45-70 seems to drop off after 1600 fps. The round was designed to be able to shoot thru the horse and get the Injun behind at approximately 1200 fps.

[Abnermal]

Have seen several reports from shots even from 1250fps 405gr lead of complete passthru on deer sized game even at 90 to 100yards...The lethality of the 45-70 seems to drop off after 1600 fps. The round was designed to be able to shoot thru the horse and get the Injun behind at approximately 1200 fps.

I'd like to get to 1600fps with a 400gr bullet but I have just about reached my limit on recoil. Even if the round didn't get the Commanche it would at least put him on foot where he'd be easier to deal with!

[Jrprock]

I’m happy with my load with 45 gr Reloder 7. Don’t get me wrong, it’s assertive in recoil, but it feels lighter than most of the loads I’ve tried with Benchmark or H322.

[Steve51]

I hear you!
I tried using 38 grains of IMR4198 with a 405 grain hard cast bullet. I did not like the like the recoil so I backed off my powder charge. With that big bullet, I don't think the deer will be any deader at 1400+fps than they will at 1200 fps.

[Abnermal]

I hear you!
I tried using 38 grains of IMR4198 with a 405 grain hard cast bullet. I did not like the like the recoil so I backed off my powder charge. With that big bullet, I don't think the deer will be any deader at 1400+fps than they will at 1200 fps.

What amazes me is you can read reviews of the Remington factory 405 soft point load-kills game like the hand of God running about 1300 fps. But buy that same bullet as a component to load your own? Why that thing will bounce off deer unless you run it at least 1800 fps. Thanks but no thanks!

[Steve51]

I hear you!
I tried using 38 grains of IMR4198 with a 405 grain hard cast bullet. I did not like the like the recoil so I backed off my powder charge. With that big bullet, I don't think the deer will be any deader at 1400+fps than they will at 1200 fps.

What amazes me is you can read reviews of the Remington factory 405 soft point load-kills game like the hand of God running about 1300 fps. But buy that same bullet as a component to load your own? Why that thing will bounce off deer unless you run it at least 1800 fps. Thanks but no thanks!

I live and hunt deer in Illinois and have no experience shooting deer with straight walled rifle cartridges because it is illegal in this state to do so. The .458 bullet that I use and was referring to comes from Missouri Bullet Company and it is a hard cast bullet. I may be wrong but I cannot imagine this bullet bouncing off of a deer at 1200 fps. I have cut these bullets out of trees that grow beyond my shooting range and they do not deform and penetrate well into the trunks. I have no experience with the Remington bullet you refer to but it is a soft point bullet.

[JEBar]

Missouri Bullet Company makes some fine cast bullets ..... we've literally loaded and fired thousands of them .... most certainly can attest to the punch to your shoulder from a hot loaded 405 gr'ner .... many a deer has been taken with bullets under 100 grs .... most of the hunting ammo our family has used has been selected based on the "speed kills" concept .... its only been in recent times I've come to appreciate the effectiveness of heavy bullets traveling at slower speeds

[ssonb]

My load is 31 gr of H4198 behind a 405 gr HB cast lead round nose. It runs at 1370 fps.

[BigBlue]

I just ordered a Henry in 45/70 a few days ago, so I really can't speak on that rifle, but the Marlin 45/70s I've owned always liked the Remington 405gr soft point bullets. While the factory ammunition only pushes that 405gr. to about 1300fps, I loaded them for around 1650fps and that was more than enough to get the job done on about anything walking in the lower 48. Suffice it to say I know it will knock a bison off it's hoofs.



Another load I favored for Marlin rifles was the Cast Performance 460gr LFNGC bullets over 38.0gr. of Alliant Reloader 7.