New Member of the 45-70 Club (target added)

20 October 2007, 07:25

I had been planning on buying the new Taurus pump in .45 LC, but I just couldn't use the sights very well. So tonight I run up to the store to pick up some cleaning supplies and find this 45-70 Browning 1885 Traditional Hunter in the used rack. Date code is for 1997 but it sure looks pretty clean.

It even has pretty decent wood. The wife said she thought it was very pretty, of course she had a $3K quilting cabinet delivered this week.

With permission fromn the Band of Bubbas I'll even use it on the big bore hunt this year.

Shot this today with the Hornady Leverevolution at 100 yards, note that the bead covers the entire orange part of the target at this range. The shot far right was my last sighter, adjusted POI down and left and shot final 5 for a group. The shot far left was my last shot and I was probably getting a little punch drunk as I was also shooting the .50 Beowulf today. 5 shot group is 3.3", first four are 2.2" c-c.

20 October 2007, 08:05

Barutmt

Good looking rifle! I think I'll be joining you as a new 45-70 owner soon. I'll be going with a 1895 Marlin.

Get out and bloody it.

20 October 2007, 08:46

boom stick

glad to have some "we band of 45-70'ers" recruits

just add to sig line...

20 October 2007, 10:17

Big Bore Fan

Congratulation,
itÂ´s a very good looking rifle. I have the same in .30-30 and the accuracy is very good. I have a standard 1885 in .45-70 also and itÂ´s my favourit rifle. At the moment, I have three .45-70 rifles.

Martin

20 October 2007, 17:46

fla3006

Never seen one with wood that spectacular. Good buy. See you in December!

20 October 2007, 22:31

mete

My 1885 will put any of the factory loads [haven't tried Leverlution] into 1" .They're noted for being very accurate .Find a 1" load.

20 October 2007, 22:34

Big Bore Fan

HereÂ´re my two High Walls.

The .45-70 with the Hornady 300grs HP and 55grs Rottweil R902 at 100m.

Martin

21 October 2007, 03:29

El Deguello

That is a beautiful rifle! I am sure you can develop some loads for it that will shoot alot better than the stuff you used for that target! I talked to a guy at the range the other day who had used that pointed bullet stuff, and he said it shot all over the place. he was highly disappointed with it.

21 October 2007, 20:44

browningguy

I will be trying to work up some handloads for it, but to be honest I'm not sure I'll be able to do any better than that. I've gotten where I can't shoot regular leaf sights at all, and feel like I can barely shoot with the peep.

With the front blade covering all of the target center I'm thinking this might be the best I can do. These are much better than the Remington loads I also shot, I was lucky to get a 6" group with them.

21 October 2007, 21:51

Big Bore Fan

@ browningguy,
I have had the same problem with the front sight with my 1885 traditional hunter in .30-30. I bought and installed the Lyman globe front sight and it works very good. The Lyman isnÂ´t to big and the proportions are o.k. I shoot with match-grade bullets groups with 2-3" at 100m.

Martin

21 October 2007, 23:14

browningguy

Thanks bigborefan, I'll have a look at those at the gunshow the end of the month, that might be just what I need.

22 October 2007, 04:53

ireload2

quote:
I will be trying to work up some handloads for it, but to be honest I'm not sure I'll be able to do any better than that. I've gotten where I can't shoot regular leaf sights at all, and feel like I can barely shoot with the peep.

With the front blade covering all of the target center I'm thinking this might be the best I can do. These are much better than the Remington loads I also shot, I was lucky to get a 6" group with them.

An aperture front sight will shoot much smaller groups but you can do better with practice and a 6 o'clock hold on at least an 8" dia black bullseye.

20 November 2007, 21:37

Oxota Bob

Hi I have a Browning Highwall in 45-70 with a Bushnell 10X Mil-Dot 3200 model scope with a plain stock with a Pachmayr decelerator recoil pad, these rifles are super accurate and are rare.Everyone wants one in 45-70 Gov.
My favorite load is 22 grs. of Bluedot using Lymans cast bullet #457191 (wheel weights)
I shoot this load at 200 yrds.in an inch and do not use fillers you will screw up the barrel ,fillers are only for black powder loads .My friend has a NEF Handi-rifle in 45-70 and shoots this load accurately .
Give me some feedback on the load.

Regards Bob

21 November 2007, 08:31

N E 450 No2

Browningguy

Nice looking and shooting gun.

I have had excellent results with various 300 gr bullets, 350 Hornadys, 400 gr Speers, and 405 Remington bullets in several different 45/70 rifles with IMR 3031.

Start with @ 48 to 50 grains and work up.

21 November 2007, 09:01

Hog Killer

[QUOTE] [/,fillers are only for black powder loads QUOTE] bsflag

BP loads are full of compressed BP.

Keith

21 November 2007, 16:10

RiflemanZ

Congrats!

21 November 2007, 20:57

browningguy

Since I saw this come back up thought I would post a quick update. I'm running a handload now with 50 gr. RL7 and a 300 gr. Speer, I went to a six o'clock hold and it holds 2 1/2" groups or so at 100. I'm sure the rifle is probably more accurate than I am.

And 300 grains at 2100 FPS kills a whitetail deer dead as a rock.

22 November 2007, 07:22

Tyler Kemp

My turn! I love 45-70s, they are absolutely deadly!

25 yards with my squirrel load.

100 yards with my deer load.

200 yards with my deer load, along with three of my 7mm deer loads.

22 November 2007, 07:30

boom stick

good shootn tyler

22 November 2007, 07:37

boom stick

tyler...here is a new avatar ferya

22 November 2007, 07:39

Tyler Kemp

Hmmmm... tempting.

I'm liking reloading more and more. Some people seem to go through hell finding a load even shoot "sort of" good, but I have had none whatsoever. Working up loads I went from 63.8 grains of RL-22 in a 6 inch group to 64.1 all three shots nearly touching. Little differences can be huge!

Where can I find more avatars that move like that?

22 November 2007, 07:43

boom stick

search the photo hosting sites for avatars...use the search function www.photobucket.com is one

22 November 2007, 07:52

Tyler Kemp

Thanks

22 November 2007, 19:02

N. Garrett

Big Bore Fan,

That is a smart scope set up on your Hi-Wall (using a rail mount scope).

I am doing the same exact thing on a new Wesson #1 single shot being finished now.

I've struggled with offset rings, special scopes, etc. with previous single shots....the rail mount fixes all of that.

Thanks for posting the pictures.

Garrett

24 November 2007, 05:45

Oxota Bob

quote:
Originally posted by Hog Killer:
[QUOTE] [/,fillers are only for black powder loads QUOTE]

BP loads are full of compressed BP.

Keith

24 November 2007, 05:54

Oxota Bob

Hi With smokeless powder you do not need compression and can have lots of air space , with black powder cartridges air space is deadly.Some shooters have compression rings in their barrels from adding dacron spacers.
Also I never will shoot black powder in my 1885 Highwall 45-70 . Keep on Flagging

Bob

24 November 2007, 07:11

tom`

quote:
Originally posted by Tyler Kemp:
My turn! I love 45-70s, they are absolutely deadly!

25 yards with my squirrel load.

About 25 yards with my 405 grain squirrel load from the 14.5"BFR on an actual squirrel. No worries on a followup shot. Told ya they make a nice pistol round.

There I went and headshot something again.

Happy shooting.

24 November 2007, 20:00

Thomas Jones

That is a really nice rifle.
I,m not sure I would want to touch one of the hunting rounds I use in my marlin with that steel but plate, but what the hell brusis heal.
The 45/70 is tons of fun, and my malin is near moa with a 350 grain hornady.
I get a great adenalin rush when I shoot fast off hand...tj3006

24 November 2007, 20:54

browningguy

Thomas, the load I'm using is a 300 gr. Speer, 50 gr. RL7, getting just over 2100 fps. I was worried a little about the steel buttplate but it is no problem at all, even off the bench. The rifle seems heavy enough, long large diameter octagon barrel, that it keeps it from bothering me too much.

I wouldn't want to try anything heavier though.

25 November 2007, 02:00

Oxota Bob

quote:
Originally posted by browningguy:
I will be trying to work up some handloads for it, but to be honest I'm not sure I'll be able to do any better than that. I've gotten where I can't shoot regular leaf sights at all, and feel like I can barely shoot with the peep.

With the front blade covering all of the target center I'm thinking this might be the best I can do. These are much better than the Remington loads I also shot, I was lucky to get a 6" group with them.

25 November 2007, 02:10

boom stick

quote:
Originally posted by tom`:
quote:
Originally posted by Tyler Kemp:
My turn! I love 45-70s, they are absolutely deadly!

25 yards with my squirrel load.

About 25 yards with my 405 grain squirrel load from the 14.5"BFR on an actual squirrel. No worries on a followup shot. Told ya they make a nice pistol round.

There I went and headshot something again.

Happy shooting.

a 45-70 on a squirrel is like using a 155mm howitzer on a deer

25 November 2007, 03:27

MacD37

quote:
Originally posted by Oxota Bob:
Hi With smokeless powder you do not need compression and can have lots of air space , with black powder cartridges air space is deadly.Some shooters have compression rings in their barrels from adding dacron spacers.
Also I never will shoot black powder in my 1885 Highwall 45-70 . Keep on Flagging

Bob

I hate to break up your dream, but the use of filler is when useing SMOKELESS in a black powder cartridge, not the other way round!

....Mac >>>===(x)===> MacD37, ...and DUGABOY1
DRSS Charter member
"If I die today, I've had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"~ME 1982

Hands of Old Elmer Keith

25 November 2007, 05:55

tom`

quote:
Originally posted by boom stick:

a 45-70 on a squirrel is like using a 155mm howitzer on a deer

The camp girl/tracker's gf wanted to have it for supper and it seemed to make as much sense as the .375 H&H I had with at the time and I could show off my handgunner skills.

I was however, highly disappointed in the .45-70 405JSPs lack of expansion as it passed through the varmint head. Somebody needs to make a .45-70 varmint round because the recovered bullet in this barely looked like it had hit anything at all and probably would have been near reloadable outside of the rifling grooving.

26 November 2007, 12:39

Big Bore Fan

@ Garrett,
the scope is a Swarowski 6x42. I mean scopes with a rail are the easy to mount. ItÂ´s better as with rings. You havenÂ´t the problem with the correct fit.

I have no pic, but at saturday I tested same loads in my Sharps and the best was a H&N 400grs copper lead high speed bullet with 45grs N135. The group was under 1" at 100m. At second place was a handcasted 485grs Snover GC with 46 grs N135, 30mm at 100m.
The H&N bullets are a cheap bullet for practice. The price for 50 bullets is ~14.-â‚¬ (~20US-$)

Martin