Help! What bullet for 45-70

[roysclockgun]

While I have hand loaded for 40 years, I have not hand loaded for 45-70. I just bought a British Martini type rifle, originally chambered for .303 British, but rebarreled for 45-70. I only intend to do range work at 100 yards. This is a fun project. The load manuals say use .457 bullets, but all the catalogs show .458 bullets. Can I use .458 bullets in this rifle. Lastly, I have a ton of .45ACP cartridges, can I put those bullets and shoot them in a 45-70 rifle, just for plinking?
I do not want to get in to producing my own bullets from lead, as what I already am doing, in terms of hand loading, keeps me busy.
Thanks,
Steven in Florida

 

[JD338]

Congrats on the 45-70.
Sounds like a tight bore but you should be fine with a .458 bullet.
I am loading the Nosler 300 gr BST with H322 and getting amazing accuracy from the 1895 Guide rifle.

JD338

 

[Woodycreek]

The 45acp is .452cal so probably can't use them.

 

[SJB358]

45 ACP would be too small for your bore, but I would bet good money a good .458 cast of jacketed bullet would work fine in your rifle. You could always slug the bore and see what it really is and then get some Beartooth bullets for it! Scotty

 

[1Shot]

You need to know what twist you have in your barrel if you plan on shooting long cast bullets in the 500 gr range you need around a 1 in 18" twist but a 1 in 20 to 22" will work well with 405 gr and lighter. I would get a cast lead bullet .458 diameter and drive it through the bore and measure the high spots which will be your groove diameter to determine the bore size. If it measures .457 which I bet is does then .458 diameter bullets will be perfect. I would use loads listed for the TRAPDOOR SPRINGFIELD only in that rifle. Look up Accurate Powders and get their loads with 5744 powder. They work really well.

 

[BK]

I would be curious is a swaged lead pistol bullet would 'bump up' and engage the rifling acceptably. Talk about a pussycat to shoot!

 

[roysclockgun]

Thanks for the information, gentlemen. I just sent off my funds and FFL today. When I get the rifle, I will report on barrel twist.
I am set up to hand load 45-70, so as soon as I know barrel twist, I will be ordering bullets and get down to working up load data.
Best,
Steven

 

[Elkman]

I am also a new owner, right now I have settled on .458, 350gr cast bullet from montana bullet company. I have not shot much but the bullet maker recommended these for my rifle.

 

[1Shot]

BK: Smokeless powder will not "bump up" a bullet. Smokeless powder is a highly flammable propellant that is a progressive burner. Black Powder WILL "bump up" a bullet because it is an explosive. It gives a hard hammer blow from the explosion at the start. Even properly sized those light very little bearing surface pistol bullets usually don't shoot well in the average twist of 45-70 rifles. About the lightest cast bullet that I have gotten to really shoot well is the Lyman #457122. It is an average 330 gr to 345 gr depending on your mix HP bullet. With a 1/20 mix it really opens up well on deer out to 100 yards, which is as far away as I have shot a deer with it, starting out at 1500 fps and is a pussy cat to shoot.

 

[HeathSexton]

A 405 Remington and 25.0grs of Alliant 2400 would be hard to beat unless you want to run it hard and feel the recoil. A 405 Remington and 42.0grs of RL 7 is also very accurate and mild.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I mostly use the 350 grain Speer Hot Cor (I have several boxes of these bullets) or the Hornady 350 gr HP, .458 diameter bullets. I also load with IMR 3031 powder and have found that I get excellent, nearly MOA accuracy at about 2000+ fps muzzle velocity. My interest in even owning a .45-70 is to use it for jungle elk hunting of Roosevelt elk here in Western Washiongton. I also use the Buffalo bore 325 grain loads at about 2300 fps. Eirther one of these loads will do what I want the rifle to do out to 150 yards on elk.

 

[SJB358]

I would love to hunt the big Roosevelts with the 45-70 in the thick stuff! That is a tailor made hunting area for the mighty 45-70.

DrMike, have you gotten your 1886 yet? Scotty

 

[DrMike]

DrMike, have you gotten your 1886 yet?

I'm still looking and drooling. I have a couple of other rifles to pay for first. That doesn't mean that I don't have the burning desire. You'll be among the first to know when I succumb to this disease.

 

[Elkman]

I would love to hunt the big Roosevelts with the 45-70 in the thick stuff! That is a tailor made hunting area for the mighty 45-70.

Me to, my next controlled hunt tag. I have 4 preference points, for Wa.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Bill, I need to start accruing those preference points! I already have the rifles for whatever comes along, terrain wise.

 

[RogueRiver]

I like the 5744 powder with a 360 grn gc Ranchdog lead bullet- very accurate and took a nice Blacktail last year w/ this load.

 

[JD338]

I have not tried the hard cast bullets yet in my 45-70.
I have a bag of 350 gr bullets that I need to play around with one of these days.
IMO, a 400-425 gr hard cast would really shine in the 45-70, especially for big and tough game. They would turn the 45-70 into a drill press.

JD338

 

[roysclockgun]

I received the Martini-Henry British rifle, re-barreled for 45-70. I am pleased with the appearance. See http://s101.photobucket.com/albums/m78/ ... G_5519.jpg
There are lots of British markings on the rifle. Either it was made in 1885, or the model number is 1885. It originally was chambered for .303. Made in England, it was sent to New Zealand, and so marked. The workmanship on the sights and blueing appear first rate. No markings are on the barrel. I pulled the fore stock, but found no markings.
The bore appears to be very shallow, 6 groove. As far as I can tell by pulling a .58cal. bore brush through the 22 inch barrel, the rate of twist is 1 in 19". The bore has no dark spots and in fact is mirror bright, so unless the shallow grooves mean that the bore is shot out, I am in good shape with that. Now to buy bullets. I have plenty cases and propellent, so what bullet should I start with?
TIA
Steven

 

[Woodycreek]

What do plan on using the rifle for? More than a few of us have had great luck with the 300gr BT. The 300gr Partition would make a great all around hunting bullet if you can find it. The 300gr Speer would make good substitute for the Partition. I like the 300gr stuff for mass and the extra speed you can get over the big stuff for the 45-70.

 

[roysclockgun]

Yeah, I was thinking of a 300 gr. bullet. I am only intending to use the rifle for having fun at the range and our County range is only 100 yards.
Here in FL. I have been hunting on open, power line edges, so I can get some long shots. For that, I use a 280 Remington.
Best,
Steven