Originally Posted by [B
softdown[/B];4319052]Not recommending this, just relating what I found. The .45-70 is a famous old load that was frequently used for the American bison. There are still some very old .45-70's around. I think they may be called "trapdoors" or something like that. The old guns are not recommended for modern higher velocity loads.
The cases are quite large and will easily accommodate much more than the 70 grains of powder that created the .45-70 moniker. This is called pressure packing in reloading circles.....if the bullet packs the powder as the bullet is seated. Being experimental with a solid, robust single shot .45-70 rifle, I created some loads that were downright fearsome. Managed to put some .45 lead bullets through 1/4" of steel plate. My .308 loads hardly dented that particular steel plate.
Do not do this unless you believe you are qualified and you have a robust single shot rifle such as the Ruger .45-70 for example.
Great brush load I think. Certainly leaves a large hole. I wish I would have hung unto mine.
Do not exceed manufacturer recommendations unless you are OK with possibly significant risk.
Oldtimr---All that post was a bunch of things that you read somewhere, did you ever use a 45-70? I use mine all the time, I have taken bison, hogs and deer. I don't know what you were trying to get across but it failed. Making a recommendation for something you have little or no experience with is not helpful
I've been rereading the 2 posts above which were originally posted in that order, one right after the other. OT, I believe softdown's emboldened statements above indicate that he both used to own a 45-70, created reloads for it and shot it, through 1/4" steel plates no less. He said it makes a large hole and is a great brush gun. and he even said he wishes he would have hung on to his (45-70).
Aside from it being just about impossible for any of us to restrict ourselves to owning just 1 gun (what a nightmare), I think both of us would likely recommend another caliber for a more general purpose gun for hunting the lower 48. I will always have a 45-70 and someday hope to take bison and bear with it but my 270 has worked quite well for deer, black bear and coyotes.