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Thread: Is .45-70 making a comeback?

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    Team GunsNet Platinum 02/2014 Hatedbysheeple's Avatar

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    Is .45-70 making a comeback?

    It may be I just never noticed this, but lately it seems like there is a lot more attention than usual being paid to the .45-70. While it doesn't have the range of some other calibers with in 150 yards it is a big game King. I am wondering if the new rifles being able to accept higher pressure rounds is not a motivating factor in this. You can buy commercial ammo from a 250gr hollow point moving at 2025fps and 2276 ft/lbs or a magnum 405gr flat nose solid moving a 2000fps and 3597 ft/lbs. Both loads well beyond the old blackpowder loads. Every couple of months new rounds are being developed.

    What's with the surge?
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    Senior Member Aggressive Perfector's Avatar

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    Here in Ohio it's becoming more popular due to the fact we can now deer hunt with rifles, but only in straight wall cartridges. Out of the available options, 45-70 tends to be a favorite.
    "Never take pity on a blind man. He may not be able to see, but he saves a fortune by getting the butt ugly hookers".

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    Team Guns Network Silver 04/2013 alismith's Avatar

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    Never was very big in MD, but it didn't disappear, either. I have a Marlin Guide Gun and am all set up to reload for it. Just about every gun store around here carries the ammo. It doesn't sit on the shelves very long, so someone else must like it, too.
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    Senior Member Helen Keller's Avatar

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    factory ammo selection was one gripe for years.



    Im sitting on a big chunk of reloading components for it since i sold my rifle.
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    Team Gunsnet Platinum 06/2016 ltorlo64's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by Aggressive Perfector View Post
    Here in Ohio it's becoming more popular due to the fact we can now deer hunt with rifles, but only in straight wall cartridges. Out of the available options, 45-70 tends to be a favorite.
    What kind of weird ammo restrictions are those? I have heard of minimum calibers (I.e. not allowed to hunt big game with anything smaller than .247 caliber), but what is the deal with having to use a straight walled cartridge? That restriction seems to mean you are using only .30 Carbine or something really old like the 45-70. Is that restriction state wide or localized?
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    Site Admin & **Team Gunsnet Silver 12/2012** Richard Simmons's Avatar

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    I'm thinking the 45-70 and even the 30-30 have gained a new lease on life with the advent of rounds like the Leverlution series which have the polymer tips which allow for more aerodynamic bullets in traditional lever action loadings. Originally these cartridges were restricted to soft nose / round nose bullets due to the large number of firearms chambered for the cartridges with tubular magazines.
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    Senior Member Helen Keller's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by ltorlo64 View Post
    What kind of weird ammo restrictions are those? I have heard of minimum calibers (I.e. not allowed to hunt big game with anything smaller than .247 caliber), but what is the deal with having to use a straight walled cartridge? That restriction seems to mean you are using only .30 Carbine or something really old like the 45-70. Is that restriction state wide or localized?


    it's flat with a lot of farmland.



    my dad goes out to ohio every year to a lease and the area is shotgun slug only.
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    Team Guns Network Silver 04/2013 alismith's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by ltorlo64 View Post
    What kind of weird ammo restrictions are those? I have heard of minimum calibers (I.e. not allowed to hunt big game with anything smaller than .247 caliber), but what is the deal with having to use a straight walled cartridge? That restriction seems to mean you are using only .30 Carbine or something really old like the 45-70. Is that restriction state wide or localized?
    They are trying to copy the older style firearms from the BP era. Back then, if you wanted more power, all you could do was increase the powder charge and straight-walled cartridges were the way to go. For a while, .45-70 was the monster load, then they started increasing the cartridges to .45-90, .45-110, even did the same with .50 calibers.

    Some states, still have "backwards" laws trying to copy what the BP era did, without allowing more powerful, father shooting cartridges due to the lay of the land. High powered rifle bullets tend to ricochet a lot and travel farther then intended. Heavier bullets, from straight-walled cases, tend not to ricochet as much as more modern bullets do.

    Massachusetts had, probably still does have, a really strange BP hunting law that makes no sense. They only allow BP hunting rifles with smooth bores for deer hunting. This limits the accuracy range to about 50-60 yds. I would think this, also, allows for a lot of wounded deer, too.

    Some states don't allow inline muzzle loaders for deer hinting. You have to use "traditional" BP rifles for hunting.

    Not sure if I explained it correctly or not, but I tried.
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    Senior Member jet3534's Avatar

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    For me 45-70 is a fun round to reload. My standard load is a 405 grain hard cast bullet and 42 grains of RL-7. This load will penetrate a medium tree. When I had my Marlin 1895 out of the safe during deer season I had it loaded with the Lehigh defense round for home defense (see below).

    http://www.lehighdefense.com/product...ant=1065901372

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    Senior Member Aggressive Perfector's Avatar

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    Helen Keller hit the nail on the head. While in some parts of the state, and some select parcels of land rifle hunting could be done safely (and is done for the likes of cyotes, groundhogs and other varmints), our state just decided to do a blanket law. They caved in to pressure to allow hunting with rifles (vs the shotgun and muzzle loaders only that we were previously restricted to), but to keep us from slinging high powered rounds, they limit us to straight wall.
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    Senior Member Helen Keller's Avatar

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    45-70 can take almost everything on the planet.
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    Senior Member Aggressive Perfector's Avatar

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    Providing it's within the relatively low range of the heavy, slow round.
    "Never take pity on a blind man. He may not be able to see, but he saves a fortune by getting the butt ugly hookers".

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    Senior Member NAPOTS's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by Aggressive Perfector View Post
    Providing it's within the relatively low range of the heavy, slow round.
    I thought 45-70 was great at long range you just have to lob them in there

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    Team GunsNet Platinum 02/2014 Hatedbysheeple's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by NAPOTS View Post
    I thought 45-70 was great at long range you just have to lob them in there
    Looking at buffalo bores charts for the round I use from them at 300 yards I have almost 4' of drop, and 1/3 the energy.
    Not ideal compared to even the 308 with 10 inches of drop and 2/3 the energy retained.

    The ballistic co-efficient isn't there for that van sized and shaped bullet.
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    Moderator & Team Gunsnet Platinum 07/2011 O.S.O.K.'s Avatar

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    45-70 has been up and down in popularity ever since Marlin came out with the 1895/336 levergun in the early 70's which gave it a big boost. It gained more popularity when cowboy action shooting took off and it was used for long-range matches. Got another boost as states (like MS) allowed it to be used in single shot rifles during muzzle loading seasons - and other states allowed it during regular seasons where standard rifle rounds are not allowed at all.

    Because of all this, the manufacturers have responded with more and more commercial loads which helps to support the continued interest in the round.

    I've got two guns chambered for it. A Marlin 1895 LTD and a Handi-Rifle.
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