The ancient (really old) .45-70 Gov't.......

[Sprefix]

Any one else in love with the old standby as much as me.....? I am the most happy with my Browning Saddle Ring Carbine with the ladder sight. I like being able to shoot loafer-loads like the 405 gr. at @ 1150 fps or stepping up to a 460 gr. hardcast at 1900 fps. I really enjoy the buffalo bore 430 gr. LFN at @ 1925 fps. It is really satisfying to be a mediocre shot and shoot off-hand at 300 yds and hit a 2' x 3' piece of steel. I believe that is better than minute-of-moose. I passed on a (Farmdale?) Sharps in 45-110 that I regret, but I'm a fan of the afore mentioned Gov't round. If you are interested in the .45-70 also, show what you got......I'll post a pic or two of mine after @*&%(WORK) Wednesday.

Finally got a few pics posted..........

 

[jag312]

I have two .45-70 rifles, and I love that cartridge. One rifle is a Springfield made in 1879, and I load black powder cartridges for it with 405 grain lead hollow base bullets. The other rifle is a Browning Model 1886 that I bought in 1987. I load smokeless powder loads with 300 grain copper jacketed hollow point bullets for the Browning. Sometimes, just for plinking, I use 300 grain cast lead, gas check bullets in the Browning.

 

[akviper]

Mine is my primary summer bear gun. It's light, packs a punch, short, and handy. Marlin came up with a real winner with the stainless guide gun. Wild West Guns tuned it up some for better reliability and sights.

 

[ASA335]

Yes, I love that old cartridge! I have owned an H&R single shot (Topper?), and a newly manufactured Marlin 1895 in this chambering in the past. Currently I have an Uberti replica Winchester Highwall in 45/70.

One deer season, in New Hampshire, a friend loaned me his original Springfield carbine for my hunt. He and I loaded some duplex loads (black powder with smokeless powder at the base, held in place with a tissue over-wad) with a 405 gr medium-hard cast bullet. It was a good combo and I got sub 3" groups at 100 yds with it. No deer that year, but I knew I could clobber one out to 150 yards if I did my part.

Peace,

 

[bettis1]

A couple of years ago I wandered into a small gun shop up in the mountains in New Mexico just to pass the time. There on the shelf was a Wild West Guns Marlin just like akviper's. Couldn't put it down. Really love that thing. Mine looks just like ak's except it doesn't get cold enough down here for me to need the large loop.

Bob

 

[jimmyj]

Good Morning, Akviper:
Re your photo: That's summer? Holy Cow!

I believe that the military bullet weights were 500gr for infantry rifles and 405gr for cavalry carbines??

 

[Iggy]

I'm another fan of the old 45-70 Gummint round.

I have taken elk, mule deer, antelope, and a myriad of pests with the old sledge hammer and a "modified" 1879 Springfield.

jimmyj, you are correct the old rifle round was 45-70-500 and the carbine round was 45-55-405.

Shiloh long shooter, presently converted to .22 LR with a barrel insert.

 

[bmcgilvray]

I'm a fan of it. I shoot an ancient, old, original Trapdoor Springfield when the mood strikes me. Don't have much hunting experience with it though, having taken only a single deer with the rifle. It does work efficiently.

 

[NFrameFred]

I've had a trapdoor Springfield and a Buffalo Classic single which both went down the road to fund other projects; still have an H&R single and a Thompson Contender in 45/70. Loads of fun . . . .

Love those Marlin guide guns - just haven't been lucky enough yet to find myself in proximity to one I could afford or snag . . . . .

 

[rimfired]

One of my top favorite all-time cartridges. I've owned Trapdoors and had a Marlin lever but this current pet is my favorite. A late 1978 prod. Ruger #3 45-70 with a Leupold compact 2x7. With the light weight and 22" bbl. I added a pad for comfort. Night shooting with this is really spectacular! Quite a flamethrower!

 

[delta-419]

I also am a fan of the 45-70 round. I shoot all 4 of my rifles. I started out with blackpowder cartridge loads in the Springfield carbine and the infantry rifle and liked it so much that I had 2 Remington Rollingblocks made for the caliber. I wanted a Creedmore style rifle and had one made up using a rollingblock action and a 32" heavy barrel with tangsight. It hits consistantly at 300 meters using the 500gr bullet BP load. The other one is a lighter version with a 26" barrel. No photos at this time, still recovering from the fire and my good computer is not back from the shop. A great caliber and loads of fun to shoot. One of the guns (short barrel)was madeup by a gunsmith in Anchorage about 1996.

 

[Badkarma 1]

Got a couple of these myself! One is an 1883 dated Springfield Trapdoor that has rung a few gongs at 500 yards! And #2 is a Marlin Guide Gun, that used to do truck duty till I moved back to Il.
The old Springfield get a diet of blackpowder loads that I homebrew; 405gr cast bullet (Lee mold) Goex brand 2F (about 65 grains to a case. The Guide gun lives on 300gr hollow points (usually Winchester factory stuff) and more than a few times I wished I had this instead of an M-4!

 

[mxbob]

At last count I have 10 rifles in this cal. They range from an original trapdoor to modern Marlins and two Bolt action conversions. I guess it is my favorite rifle caliber. When I lived in Alaska the Marlin was the gun I always had along and killed most of the game critters up there with it except a big bear. Just never got the chance for the bear but I certainly wouldn't hesitate.
Bob Ray 1815

 

[HCD]

As far as guns go I have only a plain vanilla handi-rifle, got all of them in all calibers they make. But as for the 45-70 it was the first one I got. I have taken over 2 dozen deer with the load I put together and I have never seen a deer take one single step after being hit by it. Most fall straight down, as far as i'm concerned it should be made the national cartridge for 0 to 150 yard shots at deer. Just simply a great cartridge.

 

[bettis1]

If I were forced to choose a three rifle battery, it would be a .22 LR, a .30/06, and a modern .45-70. If I were allowed to add some "specialty" rifles, there would be others, but I can't think of many tasks that I couldn't accomplish with those three.

Bob

 

[m1gunner]

IIRC I read an article where the Army did some long range testing when the 45-70 was the service round. They fired at (large) targets at ranges up to a mile. Once dialed in, they were able to stay on target.

 

[Snapping Twig]

Marlin 1895 GBL for me.

Popped a 2.5x Leupold FX II scout scope on the ghost sight rail with quick release rings and I can go with or without glass as the needs dictate.

Waiting on my group buy moulds from Castboolits, a 350g and a 425g.

Really excited about this rifle.

The old timers knew what they were doing when they designed the 45-70 and now we have smokeless powder and modern alloys to strengthen the actions.

 

[625smith]

T/C Contender

I haven't seen one of these yet. I like shooting this at the range it always draws attention.

 

[Onomea]

I have a Browning 1886 takedown, and had a Trapdoor that i gave to my brother. Somebody (Bond?) makes a 45.70 derringer....

 

[VAdoublegunner]

Hey 625Smith, nice Contender! I like mine, and you are correct that it can clear out the firing points beside you at the range quickly. They can be phenomenally accurate. I have several favorite loads, but the Rem 300gr JHP driven by a max load of Varget seems to want to cluster into at least a 1 1/2-2" group from the bench at 100 yds every time I take it out.

I have a 16 1/4" barrel for it as well. When fitted with the buttstock I have to admit that with a 405 grain JSP heavy load it is one of the more unpleasant things I've ever fired, and the big bore rifles don't really bother me much.

I also have one of the Browning 1886 SRC (oops, should have been 1886, not "5") and a B-78, both superbly accurate as well. I think at some time everyone who owns one of those has to try the Ruger/Browning "elephant" loads, at least a few times anyway. Lots of fun to chunk lead way out there at steel gongs.

Nothing slouchy about the ole 45-70, the very definition of a venerable cartridge!