.45-70 Government

Fish and Hunt Texas ^ | Dec 2004 | Clay Oldham

[45Auto]

Some cartridges just seem to live forever. Thankfully the 45-70 Government is one of them. It began life in the days of black powder and has evolved over time into the cartridge we know today. After owning and shooting several guns chambered for it it’s easy for me to see why. It’s accurate, easy to reload for, and hits like a freight train. From the muzzle to 150-200 yard range this old cartridge is hard to beat.

To really see the true performance of this round you do need to hand load for it though. Factory ammunition lacks the true performance the 45-70 is capable of producing. It seems almost any load will shoot accurately in a rifle or handgun. If you are willing to endure a little punishment, the old 45-70 Govt. will show you the love. Recoil can be heavy but it’s well worth it. Since the 45-70 is a low pressure round the strait walled cases will last for a very long time. The large rim makes it a natural for single shot rifles and handguns.

A heavy roll crimp is a must to keep bullets in place under the heavy recoil of a repeating firearm. I recommend separating bullet seating and crimping into two steps to insure the crimp is solid. Be sure to follow the loading data recommended for the firearm you are using. Most manuals have several levels for the 45-70. Light loads for the old or antique guns, a little heavier level for modern guns such as the Marlin 1895 lever actions, and heavy loads for guns like the Ruger No. 1’s and the Browning 1885. Care should be taken to insure the proper data is being used for your gun.

The results of improperly hand loading the 45-70 can deadly. Be careful! The best powders I’ve found so far are Reloader 7 and IMR 3031. As far as bullets, I’ve tried from 300-grain up to a hard-cast 510-grain flat nose. Firing the 510-grain bullets from a 14” Thompson/Center Contender is an experience not soon for gotten. The 300-grain hollow points are common among deer hunters and offer higher velocities than heaver bullets. I’ve used them in the past with good luck in T/C Contenders. They are accurate and hit hard.

For deer the 300-grainers are probably the best choice. I used Sierra’s 300-grain hollow point with IMR 3031, in both the 16” and Super 14” Contender barrels I’ve owned. Accuracy from a scoped T/C Contender is phenomenal. Last fall I started using a 350-grain Hornady flat-point in my Marlin 1895 “Guide Gun” with Reloader 7 and now prefer it to the lighter bullet. This load kicks like a mad mule but hits just as hard. I truly believe it will take any game in Texas, or the world for that matter with authority, excluding truly dangerous game. At the time I’m writing this I’ve not tried the 400-grain or heaver bullets in my rifle but plan to try them soon and will update this article once I have a good load. A hunter looking for this type of cartridge but who prefers to shoot factory ammunition, the 450 Marlin is the one. It was developed as a joint effort between Marlin and Hornady to duplicate the performance of heavy loads in the 45-70.

[Myrddin]

That's quite a confluence of fortunate events. Still, it took much skill and care to carve the stock. I don't blame you for backing off on the checkering job. That takes serious patience and care. Flaws are immediately obvious. It was a good decision.

[45Auto]

[elkfersupper]

Thanks for the ping.

Gun porn!

Mine is a Winchester 1886 Ultralight. Good brush or open-country gun on big game (don't shoot a Javelina with one, there's not much left).

[Squantos]

BTW let Slim know that we have officially started our efforts to secure the Texas borders......he better stop sneaking over here late at night stealing cowpies !

[Swordmaker]

It is pretty, isn't it? The '86 is my favorite rifle. John Browning outdid himself.

The 1892 is essentially a miniature '86... same drop lock mechanism.

[Tijeras_Slim]

BTW let Slim know that we have officially started our efforts to secure the Texas borders......he better stop sneaking over here late at night stealing cowpies !

How am I gonna heat my house?

[OKSooner]

Reference ping.

[uglor]

I have just purchased a 45-70 BFR and i have to reload this thing or i cant afford to shoot it.... do i have to keep my formulas consistant w/ the trapdoor guns to keep it from flying apart? I'm interested in expanding on the 45-70's potential for greater distance in some loads (hot 300 gr'ers) and more knock-down in others (500 gr'ers) but there is little or no realoading data available for the BFR. What experience do you have with this? do you reload your BFR 45-70?

[Myrddin]

I reload all my 45-70. The gunsmith at Magnum Research quoted 31,000 PSI as maximum pressure for the BFR. The corresponding value for CUP is around 32000. That's more than a trapdoor (28000 CUP), but less than a Marlin 1895G at 40,000 CUP. A load that is rated no more than 30,000 CUP should be fine.

One problem you find with the 45-70 is keeping the powder near the primer. The recommended approach is to purchase some cotton batting from the local sewing materials store. A small patch placed on top of the powder will help ensure consistent ignition.

There is a nice article on PSI vs CUP here. You can find a couple trapdoor loads using Hodgdon powder here

If you are interested, Magnum Research will fit the 450 Marlin cylinder to your frame for $150. That's a hotter belted magnum load. Two cartridges using the same frame/barrel.