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I just purchased 400 Oregon Trail Trueshot Cast Bullets 45 Caliber (459 Diameter) 430 Grain Lead Flat Nose Gas Check. I will be loading these in my Marlin 45-70 Cowboy . I was wondering if anyone has used these bullets for hunting in their 45-70 and what powder they used to load them with . I was thinking of using IMR 4198 or H322.

Probably not the direct answer you want, but:

I've not used the Oregon Trail Trueshots, but I have use CastPerformance 420 LBTs (.429).

The CP with Starline brass, 40 grains of H4198, and WLR primer netted 1650 fps out of my Guide gun, and was very accurate. I haven't tried this bullet with H322. I have used the Beartooth PileDriver and PileDriver Jr with H322, again a very accurate combination.

You've picked two good powders. Overall, H322 has a slight accuracy edge in the heavier loads in my rifle, but the H4198 had been very good with lighter bullets and the less capacious cases, such as Starline or Remington. H4198 will zing a 300 grainer, too.

Are you thinking about 1600 or so fps, or 1200 to 1300 fps? If the latter is so, my inclination would be H (or IMR)4198.

I don't suspect IMR4198 will behave too differently. I've used it in my .444, and it compared very favorably with the H version, both in speed and accuracy.

I have been using the Hornady 300 gr HP in my 45-70 with IMR 4198. I just want to try some heavier cast bullets and see how they do since this is the classic 45-70 load.

IMR4198 will do just fine, it does well with low-pressure loads.

These bullet should make a great hunting load . I use William Peep sight instead of scope on the Cowboy , hated to mess up the looks and ease of carrying you get with open sight .

I had a Williams FP on mine for quite a while, and successfully killed deer and pig with it. I tried a Burris FastFire II for a while, and it helped acquire moving targets, but can lack in precision.

Right now, My GG has a Leupold FX-II 2.5X20 Ultralight, but I still have the FP, so if the mood strikes me, it can go right back on there.

I have an FP on my M94 Winchester, and that is a deadly combo. Light, good handling, and a sight system that I can routinely hit paper plates at 200+ yards with.

What part of Virginia are from ?

I live right next to FT. Lee, just south of Richmond. (Unfortunately, until I retire.)

I have a farm in Montgomery County, VA with around 90 acres along the Little River not far from the New River.

I know about where Montgomery count is, I kinda head that way when visiting Sister and Brother-in-Law in WV, except I'll take a right turn at I64 instead of continuing on down I81 towards your area.

I have hunted the Goshen area.

The panhandle area down there is beautiful country.

My VA home is about 10 miles from Radford , and 15 miles from Christiansburg

I loaned a friend my GS loaded with standard Laser Cast 405gr. on 50gr IMR 3031.

It fully penetrated an estimated 1200lb alaskan moose. The shot was placed just behind the right shoulder, clipping the left shoulder on exit. The bullet was not recovered.

The moose was very dead, collapsing in place.

I believe these 430 gr bullets will be hard on anything you choose to shoot with them from the Marlin CB. I'm going to load them using IMR4198

5744 is my favorite for the 45/70 and cast bullets.

I used to have a Cowboy(the mule). I shot a couple of deer with the 300 grain Hornandy hp's and 4198. Those bullets acted like an SX. In their defense , the shots where close.

I then decided to switch to cast bullets in that 420 grain range. However I traded it before I could hunt with it again.

Viking, I've noticed the same thing with the Hornady 300 HPs, also. If you were of the mind to try another 300 grain bullet, the Speer Unicor would bear consideration. I have found it to be a much less destructive bullet with noticeably better integrity.

I still use the Beartooth Piledriver Jr, though. I've not loaded or shot any 300 grain bullets in the last two or three years. I have found cast bullets at modest velocity to be much easier on the meat.

I should of started with the 350 grainers. I installed a peep sight and then had to switch out the front sight twice to acomidate the difference in bullet weights.

That rifle was another one of those, I wish I had it back guns.