I will be fall black bear hunting in AK. I would like to use my 45/70 double rifle. Not being a tube mag lever gun I have a few more bullet options. What would you guys use?
Dean

Actually black bear are not too hard to kill. Almost any bullet in the 45-70 will work well.....and of course....you got to hit them.

Tonto
What 45/70 double do you have?
I have killed a few black bear, not with a 45/70 but I have killed deer with one and deer and pigs with 458 diameter bullets.
My brother and his friend have killed deer and pigs with their 45/70's.
The Northfork bullets would be an excellent choice. I think the Hornady 350 RN at any velocity from 1800fps up would work very well as I have taken game with it at 1890 fps [45/70] and 2330fps [450 No2].
The 400 Speer works well at velocities under 1900 fps.
I would want a bullet heavier than 300 grains for better penetration if I had a big bear at a bad angle. I have killed several deer with 300 grainers in my Ruger No1 45/70 at 1800 fps.
The exception might be the Nosler 300 gr Partition, but I have not used it.

NE 450 #2
I have a kodiak double. So far Ive only used it a bit with cowboy loads(405gr casts) in the longrange event. I will be hunting in the fall and was told the shots should be close. This gives me a chance to hunt with her. I have brass and dies for 450#2 Still thinking about a rechamber.But not until after this hunt if at all. It just shoots the 45/70s so nice!
I want to decide on bullets so I can start working up some loads that regulate.
Thanks
Dean
Vapodog
I have few doubts in the 45/70. I used a 45/70 sharps with factory remington 405s to take a very large zebra and a decent impala. Both animals went down very quick.

The biggest PA bears have topped 800 lbs in the last few years but the average male bear taken is only 200 lbs. I've used the Win 300 Partition only on deer but it penetrates very well at 1850. Another choice would be the PMC load which is a 350 Hornady at 2050.A 405 like the Remington would be good at 1700-1800.

tonto
My brother had a Kodiak for a while. He contacted the factory and was advised his double was save for any load ok in the Marlin Lever. The Cor-Bon 350 grain pistol loads, Garretts Hammerheads, and a load with the 405 gr Remington bullet with 53 grains of IMR 3031 all shot and regulated perefectly, as did several of the 300 gr factory loads. The rifle was not finiky at all.
Cor-Bon 350 gr 1971 fps
415 Garrett Hammerheads 1734 fps
405 gr with 53 gr 3031, 1840fps
The 300 grain factory loads averaged @1860 fps.
The 405 Rem factory load 1293 fps.

If I did not have time to develop a reload I would try the Cor-Bon 350 gr FP, the PMC 350 grain load or the Buffalo bore 350 and 400 gr SP loads.
For protection against brown bears I might prefer a hard cast bullet, but for black bear I prefer an expanding bullet.
My brother shot a black bear in Idaho with his 45/70 Guide Gun with the 350 Hornady with 53 grains of IMR 3031. Worked great.

You may want to consider the new 350 grain Swift A-Frame. I have not tried this particular bullet, but have had outstanding results with the 450 grain A-Frame in a 458 Winchester Magnum when loaded to about 2,200 feet per second.

I also use the 400 Woodleigh Protected Point bullet with good results although you may also want to try to the 350 grain Woodleigh.

Tonto....The bear bullet I prefer is the Barnes 300 gr. XFN. I load it into my .458 Win. using 50.4 gr. of H4198 powder. I don't know the speed offhand, about 1900 I would guess. This bullet is a hugh hollow point flat nose. I also shoot the 250gr. XFN with great results, but prefer the 300 for bear. The two bears I have shot with these bullets did not take one step after the shot. I think they are an excellent choice for black bears in a .458 dia. bullet. I do shoot my bears close, 10 to 30 yards. If I was goint to shoot longer 80 to 200 yards I would use the 300 or 350 gr. Barnes X-bullet. That bullet is a pointed hollow point. I shoot dear with them at over 100 yards. Bears are a very soft animal that die very easily when hit correctly. The XFN (flat nose) really stops them.