What's you favorite bullet to load into a 45-70 for medium game hunting? I'm looking for a whitetail/hog load. I was thinking the Barnes TSX 300gn as this is strictly a hunting rifle so the cost doesn't bother me much. I've also heard the Hornady 300gn HPs work well.

405 cast lead.
see one work and you'll not go back to anything else.
nice clean 45 hole.

300 grain Nosler partition.

I found that the typical 300 JHP was too fragile. I then switched to the Win Partition - much better !Barnes is apparently similar. Corbon, in their DPX line, loads the all copper Barnes .

In my Ruger No1 I have killed deer with the Sierra 300gr bullet, the original FP and the later HP, the Sierra 400gr and the Hornady 350RN. I like the 350 Hornady RN the best.

+1 for the hornady 350 grain rn.

Hornady 300 HP have gained my respect... some 60 boars harvested upto now with it (one shot each) - weighing from 150 to 300 lbs

So far I've been happy with 400 gr Speer FN for moose. Also shot one with a 420 gr hard-cast. Both worked quite well and normally drop the animals on spot. Velocity for both on muzzle around 1800 fps.

430gr Laser-Cast gascheck...will do 2000fps out of several here in SW Idaho and sub-2moa at 200yds.

Rich
DRSS

I know this does not answer your question, but have you tried the Hornady Lever Revolution ammo? As much as I hate to admit it, my Ruger number 1 likes it better than anything ( my handloads or factory ) that I have tried to date. I purchased one box last season, we used 11 to sight in 3 rifles, and then killed 9 deer between us that were all one shot kills. Ranges from about 40 yards out to 210.

The 300 grain Hornady hollow point is entirely adequate. The Barnes 300 grain TSX and Nosler 300 grain Partition Protected Point, while great bullets, probably aren't needed for just hogs and whitetails.

The .458" 300 grain Speer UniCor hollow point #2482 is a very good bullet for whitetails and hogs. Load it over 55 to 60 (Maximum) grains of H4198.

The 405 grain Remington JSP loaded 1300 to 1900 fps would also work.

The 350 grain Hornady RN worked well for me.

I have used 4 bullets;

300 gr sierra FNHP
405 Rem Softs
400 Gr Speer Flats
405 Gr woodleigh's


all have worked well although the woodleigh's are in a different leauge and are for larger tougher game.

I would like to try the 250 gr X bullet if it's still made oneday. and the 325 gr Hornady evolution.

I am sort of a one load for one rifle guy. I try to develop a load that will meet all my needs with the particular rifle. My 300 grain Nosler Partition performed well with game from Bison down to feral hogs.

I agree with Bill, one load for everything. I work up a load for the toughest animal the gun will be used for. I am not a fan of the hollow points, but they would probably work fine on whitetails and hogs. My load is the 350 gr. Hornady FP @ 1800 fps.

My favorite is the Hornady 350 RN.
2 Weeks ago they took 2 Canadian Black Bears. 7'10" and 8'1". Loaded to 2100 fps.

quote:

Originally posted by 22Rimfire:
My favorite is the Hornady 350 RN.
2 Weeks ago they took 2 Canadian Black Bears. 7'10" and 8'1". Loaded to 2100 fps.

How did the hornady 350 gr RN perform at that velocity?Did it break up?Was penetration good?
Thanks,ray

Never saw any need for a jacketed bullet in the 45-70. Seems sort of counter traditional.
Jim

405 grain Lee Cast RNHB out of WW alloy
Loaded to 1475fps out of a 22inch NEF Handi-Rifle. Sub-Inch groups at 100yds.

Cheap and deadly!
Why switch?

In about 2 weeks I will be casting my own 350gr. LBT LFN bullets for my newly acquired 1895 Marlin.

Really looking forward to shooting this thing. The local gun shops are very limited on reloading supplies and ammo for the 45-70, so I figured I would make my own bullets.

I'll need to start hustling more wheel weights, since I am down to about 200 lbs.

HL

after shooting into wetpack I will load ONLY the Noslers
as "warshots" for game.

I'll keep using the 300gr hornady's for practice because they shoot to the same POI as the Noslers in my rifle

But the difference in wet phone books is hard to argue with,
almost twice the penetration at the same velocity
and they all stayed together, occasionally the core will seperate from a hornady (I never tested the sierras)

Are the Noslers "necissary" for deer? No, probably not
But I won't have to resight or reload for anything bigger
where that penetration MAY be necissary.

and the cost of bullets actually expended on game is trivial

I spend more on 6oz bags of trail mix ($2.29 each) and jerkey(If I've run out of homemade stuff) for any given day than I do on "premium" bullets for the same hunt....

AllanD

HL:

Yep, I figure conservatively that you've only got enough wheel wts. for about 3600 bullets or so, you better get to hustling....

I like a 400 - 500 grain hardcast bullet at velocities of 1400-1500 fps. Nothing stops them!

Remington factory 405 softs works great on whitetail, and my Guide Gun will shoot the Winchester Nosler 300 gr Partition under two inches at 100...

Hustling indeed. I also cast a lot of bullets for my 44 mag.

If it was only for the 45-70, I would say that I had plenty to keep a shoulder sore for quite a while.

BTW, I found a pretty accurate load using 46.5 grains of IMR 4198 that groups right at 1" at 100yds. Now, I'm just waiting until my vacation comes up the first week of December to get some deer and hogs.

What ever you decide, don't try the Hornady Lever revolution ammo.

It really hurt my feelings.

The Hornady 350 grain round nose works great on hogs.

I use the Lee 405 gr HB cast soft,run thru a 45 pistol (.452") sizer, and paper patched with 2 wraps of 8 lb onionskin paper. Lee liquid alox rubbed into the paper waterproofs them. At 1800 fps, it's like The Fist of God.