Gun Nuts Unite!

I'm new to 45/70, scored a Ruger No. 1, stainless recently, waiting for service to return it from the mfg, replace the lever latch.

Locally, North Oregon Coast, this is the "cult" caliber for Roosevelt Elk. The game are in heavy Coast-Range woods. Actually, Lewis & Clark -- who camped just around the corner from my house in 1805/06, were asking the local natives where they were finding the Roosevelt Elk. This because L & C were used to hunting Buffalo on the open plains, had little experience hunting in the deep woods.

And so we hunt in thick woods, ranges of 70 yds or less. Scopes are 1x or 1.75x variable to about 6x, but get used at the low end, with heavy duplex reticles.

Marlin 1895 is a favorite. Ruger No. 1 is in the running. Carbines, short rifles for the woods.

We're loading "cheapo" Speer 350 gr. FP. Hodgdon 3031, 4198, 4895. No need for a "fancy bullet." Just a big one, heavy, and "pre-expanded."

Hunting expeditions -- (Eat yer heart out!) -- are about lacing up the boots, setting the coffee mug on the counter and dropping down behind the house into the woods. It's Weyerhauser forestry land. Logging roads, game trails. Ample stock of Blacktail Deer too.

Cougar rarely, coyote for sure. We see coyote on the back roads coming home from "town." There are black bear, but not so many that it pays to buy a tag.

"Band Of 45/70" -- It's the gun that gets used here.

This is the thread to post your story. Where are you? What are you hunting? What's your 45/70 Govt. all about?

Now! Gentlemen, here is a man who knows what a 45-70 is best suited to be used for! It is a wonderful heavy tember round for all North American game! It is an especially good choice for Elk, Moose, and black bear, but is fully adiquate for Brown bear, and Polar Bear, as long as one uses the right bullet/load, and limits the range to around 100 yds, or a little more! The rifles usually chambered for this round are history in steel and wood, and are fun to shoot, and hunt with!

MacD37

Damn Right

mine is a marlin stainless guide gun cuzz i like the quick lever action cowboy thing and i have an irrational liking to stainless. it also sports a 1.5X leupold fixed scout scope with an xs ghost ring sight for back up. from my info on the bottom you can tell my location and my love of the 130+ year cart. rims and shoulders are o.k. but belts are @#$%*!

i believe in HUNTING under 100 yards cuzz i like my bow as well (i have a sweet mathews solocam that i can get 10 arrows in a 5" group @ 60 yards consistantly). i think the 45-70 is great for bear, moose, bison and big cats although i am not opposed of it used on other critters.

i love heavy loaded heavy loads that have some kick to'em and i too like semi pre expanded bullets

the 45-70 is fun to shoot and cheap to boot!

i am also the founding member of the *we band of 45-70'ers*

Mac
Viva the LEVERevolution..
AK

Mine is a custom 1895CB in .45-70 with the barrel cut to 22" and the action and trigger slicked up to ultra sexy smooth. All of the joints have been silver soldered to keep them from coming apart while shooting hot stuff.

The entire rifle has been melded, smoothed and rounded. There isn't a sharp corner to found on any surface.

It is topped with a set of AO ghost rings installed by Ashley himself.

I like this rifle for just the things Mr. .45-70 has mentioned. A dark timber fast handling short range thumpinator.

I'm glad that somebody finally figured out that no one is mad at the .45-70. We just think it should be used where it shines not where it's a minimal and in some cases illegal round.

It is one of the best hog rifles ever made.

I´m owning three rifles in .45-70. My first rifle, I was 18 years old, was a Browning ´86 for this round. Followed from a High Wall with scope. Befor a few weeks I get my Sharps rifle in .45-70. This round is my favourite sporting round, it´s easy to reload and to shot.


Martin

1895 G with the ports. Brockman peep sights wild west trigger and extractor. I only shoot one load: 460gr Cast performance in front of AA2230. I like to keep things close thats why I spend more time in the field with my longbow (see pic) than with any rifle I own, buts thats for another board. I try and shoot pigs, elk and occasionaly milk jugs (I'm not perfect).

Just got back from town. My Ruger No. 1 is on its way to Ruger to replace the lever latch. Finally!

Sky had a full box of 45/70 Remington w/ 405 gr. bullet. (Sort of a "flea mkt," the ammo shows up in "trade" for stuff.) A couple more boxes of 30-06. ('Tis the season.)

But I have components and dies at home -- plenty of ammo.

Why isn't there one of the "smiley thingies" that's "drumming fingers" ???

I'm just glad to see that the .45-70 crowd on this forum has once again proven that (with photo evidence this time) they all lacked breast feeding as children!

Nice emm bow dude...

Another vote here for the stainless guide gun in 45-70. Great in black timber.

I love my stainless guide gun. Just thumped a bear with in Newfoundland a couple weeks ago. 405gr Cast Performance over 50.0gr H322, hits like a sledgehammer.

My 45/70 is a Pedersoli double. Over the years I have had 4, 45/70's. The first two were a Marlin 1895, Pre-guide Gun, straight grip, 22 or 24 inch barrel, half magazine tube. The other was an H&R 1873 Trapdoor carbine. My third is the Pedersoli Doble and my fourth was a NEF Handi-rifle.

With the Pedersoli, I have killed one deer, 2 Javelina, and a bobcat.

My current is a Marlin 1895 Cowboy (just love octagonal barrels and full length mags). I have had other Marlin's with both straight and pistol gripped 's' and 'ss' rifles and loved them as well.
I haven't used a jacketed projectile for this caliber in 15 years. I solely use my hard cast 405gr RCBS gas check bullets both at low velocity for Lever Action competition and flat out for Metallic Sillouhette and hunting.
I am waiting for a custom 525gr mold which will cast a projectile similar to the "Beartooth" which is unavailable here. When I get a good load for that I will take it to Africa and see how it performs there.

ptaylor - care to share how many grains of the AA2230 you use with the 460 gr CPBC slugs? I have the same rifle and several boxes of those slugs just waiting to be loaded and used on something. If you don't want the info. publicized just send me a PM. Thanks.

Marlin 1895 45-70 24" barrel
460 grain Cast Performance WLFNGC, 2.55" COL
R-P brass, 2.1" trim
WLR primer
START 38.2 grains AA2230 1511 fps 27,300 PSI
MAXIMUM 47.5 grains AA2230 1782 fps 37,900 PSI

In the past my 45/70 was a marlin 1895 SS 22" micro groove . I always used Hornady 350 round nose in front of 45 & 47 gr of IMR4198 for deer in the Catskill Mts of NY. This year i am using a NEF handi rifle with williams peep sights with a heavier load . And the hopes of a large black bear i am using Buffalo Bore factory 430 grain WLNGC advertised at 1925 FPS.

Marlin 1895SS
Marlin 1895 LTD IV
NEF Handi Rifle
Winchester 1886 TD

After getting a taste with the handi rifle on deer and wild boar it is now my caliber of chioce.
I have loaned them out to several and when they took game with the 4570 they had to have one of there own. I have now sold quite a few of them.

I own four 45-70s.. a Marlin 95 SS, scoped, my black bear over bait rifle,(four, so far with that gun) a Shilo Hartford model, A SRC Browning '86, (shot an antelope out the bedroom window with that), and a Browning 85 Traditional Hunter, which within one week after takeing delivery, had taken an antelope, a cow elk, a buck mule deer. I like 300 gr hp bullets over a stiff charge of RL 7.. works for me.. NOT IN THE SHARPS. Les

quote:

Originally posted by surestrike:
I'm just glad to see that the .45-70 crowd on this forum has once again proven that (with photo evidence this time) they all lacked breast feeding as children!

Nice emm bow dude...

Maybe you will like this pic better.
Sunday morning at around 75 yards, in the chest, I figured I got around 3 to 3.5 feet of penetration and whatever else I got into the hillside.

I have a Marlin 1895 Cowboy that I'm going to take for elk next weekend. Looking forward to it. I haven't figured out the PM function yet, how does that work? If anyone has some good loads for this and where to get some info on casting bullets it would be greatly appreciated. Just starting to learn and need to keep learning from those with some know how.

My blued, ported 45/70 Guide Gun is just perfect for the upclose and personal kind of shots we get in the S.E. Georgia swamp country.
Longest shot took a 6-point @ 75 yds. down a clear-cut. Mostly they've been 25-35 yds.
Always one big boom, then go pick up your deer.
Cheers,
Don

I've had a number of .45-70s, from Sharps clones to Marlins and NEFs. My current .45-70 is a Model 1884 Trapdoor Springfield. Just black powder and lead, thanks.

Mr. 45-70 Govt,

Congratulations on your new rifle!

The northern coast of Oregon huh? My Grandpa lived in Astoria and drove us around a lot of beautiful places in the area. I remember seeing 80 some odd elk at reserve.

I used to drive through Oregon going from case to case - beautiful!!

Where abouts do you live there?

Respectfully,
Harry C.

I'm about 10 miles out of town, back on the end of Young's Bay, in the woods, with the Elk. *S*

My Marlin 1895 Guide Gun, (ported).



Magnum Research BFR in .45-70 as well with 10" barrel.



Lyman 552 Gr. & 325 Gr. Gas Check in .45 Cal. Loaded .45 ACP shown for comparision. Bill T.

quote:

Originally posted by ptaylor:

quote:

Originally posted by surestrike:
I'm just glad to see that the .45-70 crowd on this forum has once again proven that (with photo evidence this time) they all lacked breast feeding as children!

Nice emm bow dude...

Maybe you will like this pic better.
Sunday morning at around 75 yards, in the chest, I figured I got around 3 to 3.5 feet of penetration and whatever else I got into the hillside.

How come you put your shirt on? Can't you handle a little weather?

I'd rather see your elk than that ugly mug. He looks pretty nice from the tiny little bit I can see.

surestrike...what gives

I've got the marlin guild gun and a new H&R buffalo classic with a 32" barrel. I loved messing around with the guide gun and seem to like the long barreled single shot even better as of now. I'm going on my first deer hunt this weekend with either the giude gun or the buffalo classic with iron sights. the stand has visibility to about 60 yrds. I'll be using the 460 gr Cast Performance and can't wait to go get me a deer. I'ld love to go hunting wild boar sometime with this round

I have a vanilla 1895ss Marlin with leupold 2.5x compact scope in warne fixed mounts, it has a taken pigs, ánd heaps of other thin skinned game, shooting 405 gr rem's at the moment but have shot heaps of the sierra 300 gr HPFN pro hunters..............................45/70 nos Ballistic tips

here is a pic of my gun. I would love to add a stainless number one and a stainless guide gun as well some day.

I used to have a couple of Marlin 1895's, one with a scope and one with a peep. But as I shoot a bolt gun much more accurately, even for quick shooting, a downloaded bolt 458 win mag or 458 lott would serve me better. Plus I can use pointy boolits!

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
surestrike...what gives

Boomstick,

This is thread about .45-70's and who has what kind.

It is not about long bows or semi naked ego maniacs or head shots for the worlds ugliest hunter contest.

Normal people show us a picture of their elk and their rifle with the them in the back ground. Not the other way around.

That is just kind of creepy.

PS

My .45-70 is to me, about as top end cool as a Marlin can be. I like them to be super slick accurate and built but should look very understated cowboy cool.

This is a proper Marlin thread photograph of a proper marlin 1895. No applogies neccesary.

Don't have one at the moment but had two over the years: 1) a beater 1895 that would cut 50 yard cloverleafs with a peep sight, and 2) a T/C Contender finger-buster.

Wish I still had the Marlin.

In the spirit of thread hijacking. Surestrike, who built the saddle?

Yes, tell me about your saddle and cowboy hat....Dude.

I thought we visited these sites to have some fun and make some friends and learn something along the way. Your taking this stuff way to serious.

The elk pic was the best I had. I like to eat the meat more than the horns so trophy pics aren't my thing and I took him with the 45/70 I just spoke of so I thought it was relevant. Also, don't you ever wonder what people look like that visit these boards frequently, you get a feel for who they might be but never even lay eyes on them, I think its fun to post a few pics.

Sorry if the pics bothered you I'll remove them.

Put me down for an 1895G. The only thing that I've shot with it is paper, but it sure is fun. Maybe if I get out for Pa deer season.

TerryR

Surestrike --

Sweet dude, really sweet.

Nice tack, great hat, and "the gun."

quote:

Originally posted by ElCaballero:
In the spirit of thread hijacking. Surestrike, who built the saddle?

Caballero,

I wish I knew who made that saddle. My sister found it at a garage sale and bought it for $50.00. She gave it to me about 10 years ago. It is obviously a custom hand made rig and it rides as good as it looks. There isn't a mark on it that would indicate who or where it was made.

There is an old time custom maker here in town and he doesn't know either nor can he find any identifying marks on it.

Whoever it was, I can promise you this, it wasn't his first rig.

You sure can write well! If you can make the cold rain forest around Tillamook sound like fun hunting, you have a true talent! Things are a little different where I'm from out of Frenchglen.