.45-70 bullet test #1

[M700]

This afternoon I hauled the .45-70 1895 Marlin, a mess of one gallon milk jugs a chronograph and some ammo to the range. A couple of friends were with me and we had a blast. Here's the numbers & photos:

350 gr Hornady FNSP, 50 gr H4198, RP case, CCI 200 primer. MV today was 2086 fps.

Results: bullet recovered in 6th jug. Retained wt 296 grains, .846" diameter

350 gr Swift A-Frame, 50 gr H4198, RP case, CCI 200 primer. MV = 2046 fps.

Results: bullet recovered in 7th jug. Retained wt 345 grains, .710" diameter

Swift and Hornady bullets

Swift and Hornady bullets, fired and unfired.

To me it's obvious that the Hornady expands more and sheds more weight. The Hornady would be my choice for deer, and likely for most game. It has been my standard hunting load for several years. I was very impressed with the performance of the Swift however. It's an expensive bullet, and apparently a friend and I got what we paid for. Excellent weight retention. Magazine photo perfect mushroom and good expanded diameter. Was a bit surprised that it only penetrated into the 7th water-filled jug.

Ten jugs were lined up on a bench at 20 yards for the test.

More tests to follow as time permits. Regards, Guy

 

[2506]

I learned this shooting my 45-70. A bulldozer does not have to be going very fast to plow through a bunch of stuff. I shoot a 1874 Sharps copy with black powder most of the time. I once shot a deer that was standing 110 yards away facing me head on. I aimed at the white patch on it's chest because that was all I could see through the open tang sight. I was shooting 70 grs. FFG under my home cast from a Lyman mold 418 gr. flat nose bullet 1 in 10 mix. When the smoke cleared after the shot the deer was on the ground dead as a hammer. When I went to get it I found this. The deers head was laying in a pool of blood it had a hole just over 45 cal. in size on the top of it's left front shoulder, it's left back leg was shot off completely just above the knee. I could see on the ground of the hard packed logging road that the deer was standing in when I shot it that the bullet had went into the ground and left a trail that looked like a mole had gone down the road for just over 10 yards and then the bullet came out of the ground and went off into the wild blue yonder. Upon closer inspection the bullet had enter the deer's head just above the eye line in the center of the scull between the ears. The deer had put it's head down between the time I fired the rifle and the bullet got there. The bullet went down the deers spine and made saw dust of it, came out it's left front shoulder and traveled down and shot off it's left back leg and then hit the ground and kept going. That bullet only started out at 1400 fps. If you want good expansion and very deep penetration try the Speer 405 gr. Jacketed bullet. It is made for the 45-70. If you want to shoot through a tank get you some cast 500 gr. or larger bullets. It is like the old time buff hunters use to say. The old 45-70 will shoot through a big old bull from stem to stun and you can eat right up to the bullet hole. Oh! I almost forgot. The 300 gr. Hornady HP makes a better deer killer than the 350gr FP. It will open up much quicker. With the 45-70 you really can have a BLAST. No what I mean?

 

[M700]

I understand. These things are just plain fun.

Bought the .45-70 seven or eight years ago with bear and elk in mind. Have only shot one mule deer with it since - not much of a test for the big bore lever. Was using the 405 Remington loaded to a modest 1650 fps. Took the mulie doe at about 70 yards, high through the shoulders. Impact also broke the spine. Bullet went right on through, out into the canyon somewhere... Didn't look like it expanded much, ruined a lot less meat than a high velocity cartridge. I'm impressed with the big ol' beast. Still, I'd really like to get that bear or elk with it someday!