45-70 Kelbly's Atlas

[Yule]

Bought this last year from a fellow member and finally found time to start working on some loads. I am sure most people think this is a crazy way to spend $, but it sure makes a nice rig for some of the straight wall states. Built on an Atlas action with a 1 in 18" Douglas barrel, this gun is shooting 1/2" groups. I am shooting the Barnes 450 gr TSX, seated into the lands, at an average of 1857 fps. H4198 is the only powder that I have tried. Something different, for sure......

 

[epc308]

Bought this last year from a fellow member and finally found time to start working on some loads. I am sure most people think this is a crazy way to spend $, but it sure makes a nice rig for some of the straight wall states. Built on an Atlas action with a 1 in 18" Douglas barrel, this gun is shooting 1/2" groups. I am shooting the Barnes 450 gr TSX, seated into the lands, at an average of 1857 fps. H4198 is the only powder that I have tried. Something different, for sure......

How neat is that?

 

[DirtySteve]

Very cool.. It may not be other folks cup of tea. But it is what make you happy that counts...! On that action you could really push them big bullets, or so I would think..

I am a Sharps guy.. lol.. 45-70, 45-90. Paper patched..

 

[Matt_3479]

That’s honestly pretty freaking cool. It had never crossed my mind to do something like that

 

[NZ_Fclass]

Excellent. That would make a great NZ Bush hunting rifle.

 

[Treerat-sniper]

Fantastic, I'm a .45/70 enthusiast (have 5 rifles chambered in it). I often wondered how the .45/70 would perform with top of the line components!

 

[XTR]

I have 3.
If 4198 is working work it. It workes great in my 50 cal smokeless ML with lighter bullets too.

in my one smokeless 45-70 I run Remington 405s over 3031.

If you see them ever again bag 500 or 1000 of the Remington 405s, though they may never be made again. I got them once about 10 yrs ago, then another batch about 5 or 6 yrs later. They dont come around often.

the Hornady 350s are a good choice too. You can run them faster, but some place above 2000 the recoil starts getting punishing. I seem to recall running them up to about 2400 before my fillings started getting loose.

 

[Jtate]

I like it. very cool

 

[Mauser06]

Very cool!

I love my Atlas Tactical....although not a straightwall....


I did however build something along the same lines...I had a m700 in need of a barrel. Nearly stole a Browns Precision Pound'r...ordered a McGowen remage 18" 450 Bushmaster barrel. To spruce it up, and because it needed refinished, I sent the action to Twisted Barrel for some work...6 1/4lbs with glass on top.

It did fit a niche. Ohio rifle. Though I'm sure it'll kill more PA critters...going to run 250gr TTSX...should be able to get 2200-2300sh out of them. Been running it with 300gr Deep Curls I got cheap just to get some rounds through it. For a little lightweight rig, it will shoot big ragged holes at 50yds.

 

[Orr89rocz]

That seems like a high pressure rig. Very nice velocity in 18”‘barrel. I think 50 or 53 grains 4198 got me a touch over 1800 fps in my 458 win mag with 20” barrel and 500 gr solids. I think max load was 55.5 and 2000 fps in the book With a 24”. 45/70 is something else!

 

[XTR]

That seems like a high pressure rig. Very nice velocity in 18”‘barrel. I think 50 or 53 grains 4198 got me a touch over 1800 fps in my 458 win mag with 20” barrel and 500 gr solids. I think max load was 55.5 and 2000 fps in the book With a 24”. 45/70 is something else!

In figured out when I read Paul Mathews book(s) that he and others have and can in the right platform push the 45-70 into the lower power realm of the 458WM. Personally I haven’t drawn a T-Rex tag locally and don’t feel the need to visit there again after I did it once.

 

[Yule]

Just to be clear.... barrel is 24" with a twist of 1 in 18.

I am looking for other bullets with a long bearing surface since this gun will accept OAL over 3"

 

[XTR]

Just to be clear.... barrel is 24" with a twist of 1 in 18.

I am looking for other bullets with a long bearing surface since this gun will accept OAL over 3"

Long bearing surface in a 458 translates directly to heavyweight, face it, it’s a fat bore. Heavy can get to some shoulder separating recoil you probably don’t want or need. (but it’s fun to play there once)

I hunt with my highwall. In that rifle I shoot smokeless. I experimented with 325s up to 405s from pop gun loads to loads that had guys walk over across the range and comment how punishing it looked.

The other problem with a whole lot of the 458 bullets is that they are designed for the 458WM/Lott/460Wby and as such are intended to be fired with much higher energy/MVs and are designed for really deep penetration on dangerous game, and as such probably aren't going to do anything other than knock you over and punch a half inch hole all the way though anything on the North American continent including most automobiles. If you look through the catalogues of bullets from people like Woodleigh and others you'll see bullets marked as 45-70gov that aren't as solid, but they are usually not heavier than 405.

No matter the bullet or load the 45-70 ends up dropping over a foot at 200 yds from a 100 yd zero. Probably closer to 16 inches. What I finally settled on was dialing in a load that tuned to the BRX reticle in my Swaro scope. If you play with it you can tune it to drop right at or close at half a mil per 25 yds. With the right setup that gives you dead center holds every 25 yds for about 200 to 225 or 250 yds. That translates to about a 14 to 16 inch drop from 100 to 200.
edit: translation is hold center to 100 then drop one mark on the reticle out to 200 or 225. If you’re hunting someplace that you know and you can put out range markers you don’t even need a rangefinder

 

[David Milisock]

Bought this last year from a fellow member and finally found time to start working on some loads. I am sure most people think this is a crazy way to spend $, but it sure makes a nice rig for some of the straight wall states. Built on an Atlas action with a 1 in 18" Douglas barrel, this gun is shooting 1/2" groups. I am shooting the Barnes 450 gr TSX, seated into the lands, at an average of 1857 fps. H4198 is the only powder that I have tried. Something different, for sure......

DUH it AMERICA, do as you damn well please. I did a very similar thing, except 450 Marlin, Mauser action, Shilen air gauge barrel. Shoots 3 shots ragged hole at 50 yards with iron sights. I don't scope dangerous game rifles. I shoot 500 grains Hornady solids and 500 grain soft points well over the lever gun pressures.

 

[David Milisock]

Fantastic, I'm a .45/70 enthusiast (have 5 rifles chambered in it). I often wondered how the .45/70 would perform with top of the line components!

The 45-70 in a solid bolt rifle is very similar to the 458 x 2 and the 450 Marlin custom loads, 500 grain projectiles between 1850 to 2,000 FPS.

Hold on to the rifle when shooting!!!

 

[Treerat-sniper]

Yessir, one of mine is a Ruger #1 & it kills on one end, wounds on the other!

 

[joshb]

Yessir, one of mine is a Ruger #1 & it kills on one end, wounds on the other!

I call my 45/70 Siamese Mauser my Truck Gun. I’ll grab it when I need to kill a truck.
I loaded 15 test rounds, middle load up to max book loads for my Ruger #1. I fired three. Pulled the rest apart.

 

[Treerat-sniper]

Somewhere I've read about elephants being brained with .45/70s! I typically run a very light deer load in mine (mostly use the guide gun). 300 gr Hornady HPs over 26 gr of 2400 (I think this was actually my Contender pistol load). Its good to 200 yards through the 2.75 scout scope, bottom of the duplex hold rings the gong soundly. Tips over whitetails pretty good too.

 

[helmut in the bush]

My Kid and I have model sevens in 450 Marlin, we shoot 300 and 250gn slugs

 

[David Milisock]

My Kid and I have model sevens in 450 Marlin, we shoot 300 and 250gn slugs

The 450 Marlin provides a significant increase in safety for a build of a 500 grain dangerous game rifle.

The 500 grain cartridge is loaded to a COAL longer then can be chambered by any means in a lever gun and the belt is a proprietary size preventing it from be chambered in other magnum calibers.