My Ruger No.1 45-70 really likes a load of 405grs.Rems. @ 1750fps.

I'm wondering what such a loads preformance is like on game like deer, hogs, black bear. haven't had a chance to shoot anything but paper with it.

At that velocity and anything slower, they will perform very well. The Remington is a tougher bullet than the Speer and they shoot very accurately in my Marlin 1895CB. Don't try to push them any faster as they will penetrate less and come to pieces.

They work really good at those levels for hogs. I push them at 1900 out of my 1895. They do EXPAND rather rapidly at that velocity.

Ok thanks! I have pushed them faster but they aren't as accurate out of my rifle.

1750 seems to be the sweet spot in my rifle. I was just concerned if they would stay together at that speed.

Sounds like I should be ok!

quote:

Originally posted by rws2:
My Ruger No.1 45-70 really likes a load of 405grs.Rems. @ 1750fps.

I'm wondering what such a loads preformance is like on game like deer, hogs, black bear. haven't had a chance to shoot anything but paper with it.

I have found that the Rem 405 opens up VERY FAST. It cuts jackrabbits nearly in half at 1800 fps, and a deer hit in the butt will lose 2/3 of a hindquarter to that bullet. I think the Rem 405 is probably designed to work at 1300 fps.

The Speer 400 gr. opens a little more slowly but still tear things apart.

I've found even the factory 300s at ~ 1800 to expand too much to my liking. I now use Win Partition - much better ! After all just how much expansion do you need starting out at 45 caliber ?

A bit off topic, but has anyone tried the Woodleigh 400g fp at about 1700-1800 fps?
How do they compare to the Speer or Barnes Os? More or less expansion?

Just looking at the Woodleigh site, its 405g not 400g. They recommend impact velocities of 1700-2000, thats pretty high end for 45-70.

350 gr. in a 45/70 works well for Roosevelt Elk at ranges typically under 100 yds, in heavy cover -- which is where they live.

405 gr. lead was the original bullet wt. for the "Govt." load. Lead, and slow moving, like 1200 fps.

Paul Matthews in "40 Years of the 45/70" (1996) discusses working up lead bullet loads in older rifles. He uses paper patch bullets and "softer" -- which expand in the game. The softer lead also expands in the barrel to form a tight seal.

Paper patch reduces fouling. Matthews was using circa 400 and 450 gr. bullets for deer in Pennsylvania, and writing letters to Elmer Keith about these loads too.

It's "old school." Lead bullet works in the 45/70 -- heavy stuff too, up in the range of 500 gr.

But locally, we're taking the Roosevelt with a "cheapo" Speer 350 gr. FP (flat point) loading Hodgdon powders -- 3031, 4198, and 4895, out of Marlin 1895's and Ruger Number 1's.

The kodiak bonded 405gr bullet will print to the same point of impact as the bulk remington bullets out of my guide gun at 1925fps. THe kodiak is a very good bullet.