I have a Ruger #1 in 45/70, I have been shooting it for 3 years now, but mainly with 300gr JHPs. When my wife first bought it for me, it shot a foot low at 100 yds, I bought and installed the New England Custom Guns(NECG) peep sight, this was after a call to Ruger, and they sent me the shortest front sihjt, and the tallest rear, still shot 6" low, NECG brought the impact, and aim point together. Now I really want to hunt with this rifle, but with bullets heavier than 400 grains, it shoots low, about 2" or so. I don't really want to scope it, but I am out of ideas, I am casting 525gr roundnosed bullets for it that group very well, they just shoot really low, even when I am pushing them at 1900fps. The accuracy with this bullet really drops off, I think it is really a Black Powder design, and doesn't like those pressures. I need help, I am hoping a gunsmith doesn't have to get involved.

You might have to pick your bullet and stick with it. A range of 300-525grs is pretty big to regulate. Though, you might be able to do it with different front sights (they pop in easily on the No.1A and 1S).

The NECG peep is pretty tall (see my later question). If you have the peep cranked up, the best solution is a lower front sight. Have you measured the short Ruger front sight to see if have the lowest available? NECG has a couple low ones. (Their white bead is wonderful with the peep, if you can get it to regulate!). BTW: the sights are measured from the base-bottom to top, not top of dovetail.

I have two 45-70s one is a bolt gun and the other is a Winchester 1886. Both shoot pretty much to where they are aimed.
However I did have a S&W mod. 25, 45 Colt that shot low no matter what I did. The problem I found to be was that the velocity of the bullet was the cause. The faster the velocity the lower it shot. When I reduced the velocity to something close to the factory velocity I shot close to the sites.
Jim

Thanks folks. I know that the bullet weights are a wide spread, I want to stick with the heavier bullets. The front sight is the lowest Ruger offers, I may have to go after market, or scope it. The scope is looking more attractive.

do the way us poor people have to,file the front,or,shim the rear.later you can re-order the old height for the lighter-weights.

NECG has a .330" white bead (their lowest) for about $12. You might want to compare that to the Ruger's lowest.

Measure the overall height from sight bottom to top (I didn't and sent mine back and forth until I figured that out...)

That's the best solution and easiest to change back and forth.

A gunsmith might have to become involved, by putting a lower front sight ramp on the barrel!!

Thanks to all

AKB, you don't need a gunsmith, all you need do is use the proper weight bullets! The 45-70 was not designed to handle any bullet heavier than 405 Grs. The twist in the ruger barrel is set up for a 400 gr bullet. Even the 458 win mag doesn't have enough powder capacity to handle 500 gr bullets properly,and that is why it got a bad rep in Africa, it works much better with a 450, to 480 gr softs, and solids, and it has a capacity of 93.29 grs water, while the 45-70 has only an enemic 75.51 grs water. The origenal name for what we call the 45-70 Gov today, was
45-70-405 (45 cal, 70 grs black powder, and 405 gr bullet) I have several 45-70 rifles, and in my No1 I use 400 gr Barnes origenals, with .035" thick jacket, over a max load of IMR3031 for a speed of 2000 fps at muzzle! It will turn any black bear, that ever lived, inside out!

I can't figure why everyone wants to make a 45-70 something it can never be! There is nothing wrong with a good 400 gr bullet @ anywhere near 2000 fps, or a 450 gr at 1900 FPS max!

The 45-70 is one of my all time favorites, but it isn't magic, it is simply what it is, and that ain't bad!

Well, I now have a new mould, throws a 417gr bullet, put on a scope, to see if the gun itself needed tweeking, definitely not, sighted in 3" high at 100, it is only 3" low at 200, and still flat enough for moose or caribou out to 250 yards, it is 12" low at 250, and double that at 300. I also tried some different 520gr bullets, they hit 4" high at 100 with no scope adjustments, and were almost 5" low at 200. What a difference the scope made, fortunately I don't have the same problem with my Marlin. The Marlin doesn't shoot as "flat", it is a 200 yard gun max, I use different load data for it as it is limited to 40,000 Cup. I am thinking of having a custom front sight put on it, with different style beads. An old timer at the local range was a big help, his choice for hunting Alaska, a C. Sharps in 45/70 loaded with the 457125 Lyman bullet I cast, he shoots strictly Black, and says he is getting 1350fps from his 32" barrel, took a moose this year from 290 yards, I was impressed to say the least, got a real nice brown bear a few years back, from the pictures, he is a monster. Anyhow, thanks again.

My full box of early U.M.C. smokeless loads say 45-70-500 reloading on the top above the pull string,I thought that 405gr was the reduced "carbine load"could be wrong though.
my nef shoots the 500 lyman`s just fine,but it is scoped,never tried them with the opens.

bigbelly, you are absolutely correct!! The original infantry rifle load for the .45/70 was .45/70/500, or a 500 grain bullet with 70 grains of powder. The Cavalry carbine load was reduced to a 405-grain bullet with 55 grains of powder. The .45/70 was originally DESIGNED to shoot a 500-grain bullet. And, according to an old Hornady handbook I have, in the Ruger No.1, the .45/70 will deliver as much as 1800 FPS using a 500 grain bullet!!

Mac,
Hey, I value your opinion, and I appreciate the post, I don't think anyone is looking for an argument. Thanks again, I forgot to say that the first time.

THere seems to be two different problems ...or one problem with two describtions. If the gun is shooting low it needs different sight settings. If it has poor accuracy then a different bullet, powder combination may be the answer. I used to have an H&R Handi rifle that would group cast bullets well under an inch. I used 385 or so gr bullets and black powder. I also used up to 525 gr bullets on occassion. Both grouped well but needed different sight settings. Accuracy was there with both loads. Factory smokeless were also very acceptable as far as grouping went. I never did bother to find out what twist rate the barrel had just what it shot like.

I have tried 300 grain, 350 grain, and 400-405 grain bullets in my No. 1. Have never tried 500 or 500+ grain bullets, because I don't think I'll ever shoot anything that needs such a slug! I found accuracy to be mediocre to poor with 300 grain bullets, but got great performance from 350-grain jacketed bullets and the Lyman .457122HP. It also handles 400 to 405 grain bullets well, including both the flatnose variety and the Barnes Original semi-spitzers. I have not tried any Barnes X-bullets, but from the No. 1, velocities can be high enough for the 350 and 400-grain X's to expand some (I THINK!!).

Oh let's do argue. Just for the heck of it...

Friend's Marlin Cowboy 45-70 shoots 510 gr paperpatch like a bench gun(sub MOA) at 1500 fps. Kicks a might though. Got bear?

.458 gr. X spitzer bullets need 1600 fps impact velocity to expand. Barnes told me they would go down to 1500 fps, but when I tried loads downloaded below 1600 fps, sometimes they expanded in wet newspaper, and sometimes they didn't. At 1600 and above, they always expand. I was shooting a 300gr. X out of my 15" .45-70 Contender but again, from what Barnes told me, be it a 300 gr. or a 500 gr, the part that does the expanding is the same and they expand at the same velocity. Now, their new XFN will expand down to 1000 fps, but they are really lightweights in 250 and 300 gr.

Sorry about the duplication of posts.

I'll try to figure this thing out soon.

I guess I was lucky with my Number 1 45-70. It will clover leaf 300 grain Winchester factory loads at 100 yards. Best measured group has been about .6 inches center to center.

My favorite load in my 45/70 Ruger No1 is the Hornady 350RNSP with 56gr. of IMR3031. WARNING WARNING WARNING.....my No1 is an older version and I seat my bullets out past the crimp grove, one of my buddies has a newer No1 and my a loads will not chamber in his rifle. You should start at about 50 grains and work up.