RE: 45-70 any good for whitetail?
 

Killer Primate, +1 on the ought - six! Every deer I've shot with mine were DRT, not even a step after the shot. I can buy a box of good quality ammo for around 16 bucks a box, and find it anywhere.

RE: 45-70 any good for whitetail?
 

I work with a guy that has one and I have been researching it lately. To tell you the truth I'm not all that impressed.

No doubt it will work for deer though.

From everything I have been looking at it is pretty comparable to a modern slug gun or Inline muzzle loader. Slower lead cowboy loads, like from PMC are worse than a sabot slug.

I would say it is better than a rifled foster slug and about on par with with modern sabot bullets depending on what loads you pick.

Flat? No freakin way, my muzzle loader shoots flater and it isn't even loaded to near it's potential.

My opinion anyway.

Paul

RE: 45-70 any good for whitetail?
 

I take it you looked at factory ballistics? you do know the 45-70 is severly down loaded in the factory to insure safe function in old trapdoor rifles, right? If you are going to look up ballistics for the 45-70, improve the velocity by about 400 fps, and you will have given the 45-70 its true potential. To the hand loader, the 45-70 is one of the greatest cartridges, ever.

RE: 45-70 any good for whitetail?
 

Yep I did compare it to factory loads. Most people don't handload. The just by the gun and go get some ammo. So that is what I look at.

There are actually some pretty impressive factory loads for them, but it puts it slightly above what you can reach with a newer sabot load in a 12 or 20 ga shotgun.

I bet they are more accurate though.

I was just saying that I always thought of the 45-70 as being a really bad ass cartridge. However when I actually looked it up it wasn't overly impressive.

Your saying you can get near 2400 fps out of a 400 grn bullet in one? That would be pretty impressive.

Paul

RE: 45-70 any good for whitetail?
 

Zeroed 2" high at 100 yds, at 1880 fps, it is rougly 8" low at 200 yds. Put the crosshairs on the top of the deer's back, and at 200 yds the bullet will strike the heart, which is about 8" below the top of his back. A deer is about 12-18" from top to bottom, depending on age and size.

I don't know what you're basing your disbelief on Killer Primate...A 45-70 really is that flat with the Winchester SuperX 300 gr JHP.

And Rebel Hog, the 260 has about the same muzzle energy, but more at 100 and 200 yds than a factory loaded 45-70. 260 has much more velocity and a much smaller bullet.

Happy Hunting Fellas.

RE: 45-70 any good for whitetail?
 

[quote]ORIGINAL: Paul L Mohr

Yep I did compare it to factory loads. Most people don't handload. The just by the gun and go get some ammo. So that is what I look at.

There are actually some pretty impressive factory loads for them, but it puts it slightly above what you can reach with a newer sabot load in a 12 or 20 ga shotgun.

I bet they are more accurate though.

I was just saying that I always thought of the 45-70 as being a really bad ass cartridge. However when I actually looked it up it wasn't overly impressive.

Your saying you can get near 2400 fps out of a 400 grn bullet in one? That would be pretty impressive.

Paul
[/quote
Oh, gotcha, and I was refering to the 300 Gr bullet at 2400fps:eek:I, too thought the 45-70 was a monster of a cartridge, until I learned how to look up ballistics, and I saw that the ole' 30-06 churns up a lot more power and a lot flatter trajectory. I used to believe that the 45-70 had more killing power than a .300 or .338 Magnum, man, was I wrong.[&:]

RE: 45-70 any good for whitetail?
 

I'll probably take some flak for this but it killed off most of the Bison and Buffalo, not to mention the American Indian. Can any of you name another cartridge that has been around for well over a century besides the classic Mauser rounds? If I didn't have my 307 and 35 Whelen as my open sighted woods gun I'd be buying a 45-70 in a heart beat.

RE: 45-70 any good for whitetail?
 

whats that old cowboys name that shot the indian slap out of his saddle at over a mile,,,i think he was useing a 45-70 sharps. smoked him.,..no these little lever guns dont shoot all that flat way out ,they wasnt ment too ,,for the woods and swamps you cant ask for a better round ...i dont care if it blows em in two pieces ,,just so they dont run off ,,,,mines a marlin guide gun and im crazy about it...but if im huntin the fields i takeing the 7mm stw...

RE: 45-70 any good for whitetail?
 

I would be a little concerned about trying tohunt whitetail witha 45/70.
A grizzly maybe, but them steel skinned whitetail will get away every time.;)

RE: 45-70 any good for whitetail?
 

The 44-40 has been around for over a century.:Dforget the 307 and 35 Whelen, I'm carrying a 45-70 every time;)