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What are your favorite 1886 45-70 loads for hunting?

Last edited by BlackWidowTackle; 08/24/21.
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If/when it goes hunting......430 grain cast (Accurate Mold), gas checked/powder coated, Starline brass, CCI Standard primers, 43.0 grains of RL 7 to get 1790 fps from my Marlin GG, 1 1/4” to 1 1/2” 5 shot groups @ 100 yards. memtb


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For hunting pigs I like the 300gn Speer JHP & 52gns H4198 for 2160fps.

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My '86 45-70 was made in 1892, it fires a 496gr flat nosed grease groove bullet i cast myself from 16 to 1 alloy over 70 grains 2F Old Eynsford for 1264 fps from it's 24 inch half round barrel, fun rifle and cartridge, i've shot exactly one deer with that rifle, 18 yards in creek bottom thicket, in one shoulder, out raking the hide on opposite ham, knocked it all wobbly up front, turned and took 5-6 staggering sideways steps and collapsed.


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It depends a little on how long a round your rifle rifle will feed. Mine is an 1886 chambered for .45-90 so I can go up to 2.75" or so. In terms of bullets there's two I like: I have a supply of 425gr Northfork copper solids, and then Swift .458 450gr A-Frames with 25gr chopped from the nose making them a flat nose and the same weight as the solid.

Powder is AR-Comp. Velocity in a 26" works out over 2000 ft/s.

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I've found the most accurate bullet in both of my 45-70s is Lyman # 457102, 445 grain GC'd cast bullet with a case full of IMR 4064, very accurate and very powerful. For plinking and play 250 grain SWC, one of Lyman's screw ups, grossly over sized, with 13 grains of Unique with a 2 inch square of Kleenex holding it back against the primer.


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The OP never told us what he wants to hunt so it’s tough to make an informed recommendation. I’ve taken a lot of deer out to 225 yards with the Hornady 300 HP over 48-51 grains of IMR4198, and shot a brown bear with the Hornady 350 RN over a stiff charge of the same powder.

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Originally Posted by dingo




For hunting pigs I like the 300gn Speer JHP & 52gns H4198 for 2160fps.





Does that bullet stay together at that velocity?


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I was want to see you favorite lods for the different types of game you guys hunt in your area.

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If you allowed 45-70 Marlin shooters to respond you might get more responses. I will give you and example of what I have been running in my Marlin 45-70's for over 20 years. A 405 grain Kodiak Super Bonded Bullet from Alaska Bullet Works over a case full of H322 powder in WW brass with a WLR primer. It fills the case nicely and helps the other stacked bullets in the tube magazine stay in place during recoil.

I also picked up some Starline brass and the same bullet in 350 grains and will try them. Recoil is right up there by golly! But, I think either bullet will handle any critter in Alaska.

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For big game hunting I've always liked the 400gr Speer JSP sitting on top of 39gr of IMR4198 at around 1580fps. The 405gr JSP Remington bullet works well too.

I actually shoot mostly cast bullets in the 45-70 and for that I prefer a hard cast 405gr flat point with a gas check over 36gr of IMR4198. For a practice and a plinking load I like the lighter 300gr cast bullet on top of 16.5gr of Unique with a large pistol primer.

These loads are lighter than a lot of the loads others shoot but I've found I don't need higher velocities with those big heavy bullets. No need for more recoil.

These loads have all worked very well in my Browning 1886 as well as my Ruger NO.1S. The Browning 1886 actually does better with cast bullets due to what appears to be deeper cut rifling as compared to the Ruger.

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Originally Posted by MOGC
Originally Posted by dingo




For hunting pigs I like the 300gn Speer JHP & 52gns H4198 for 2160fps.





Does that bullet stay together at that velocity?


That bullet is probably the toughest non-premium Cup-n-core there is in that weight. I've ran them up to 2200 fps and they've held together. The Hornadys were good for about 1900 fps then started showing signs of rapid expansion, but something hit with a 300 grain 45 caliber bullet reacts to it anyway.

My preferred bullet in the 300 grain class is the Speer, used to be called the Unicor but now sold as the Plinker. It's a sleeper.

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And Dingo, by coincidence, the propellent I used was H4198.

And to keep on track, the most versatile load I came up with was Starline brass, CCI primer, Beartooth Bullets Piledriver Jr (actual weight 436 grains) and 47 grains H322. Goes 1679 fps.

I don't think Beartooth is around anymore, or at least they're being very quiet and haven't gotten to my order from about 1½ years ago, but that was a damn good deer to big-ass bear bullet.

Last edited by Vic_in_Va; 08/28/21. Reason: add velocity
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Originally Posted by 1Akshooter
If you allowed 45-70 Marlin shooters to respond you might get more responses. I will give you and example of what I have been running in my Marlin 45-70's for over 20 years. A 405 grain Kodiak Super Bonded Bullet from Alaska Bullet Works over a case full of H322 powder in WW brass with a WLR primer. It fills the case nicely and helps the other stacked bullets in the tube magazine stay in place during recoil.

I also picked up some Starline brass and the same bullet in 350 grains and will try them. Recoil is right up there by golly! But, I think either bullet will handle any critter in Alaska.


Marlins and the Winchesters go hand in hand lol

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Originally Posted by Vic_in_Va
Originally Posted by MOGC
Originally Posted by dingo




For hunting pigs I like the 300gn Speer JHP & 52gns H4198 for 2160fps.





Does that bullet stay together at that velocity?


That bullet is probably the toughest non-premium Cup-n-core there is in that weight. I've ran them up to 2200 fps and they've held together. The Hornadys were good for about 1900 fps then started showing signs of rapid expansion, but something hit with a 300 grain 45 caliber bullet reacts to it anyway.

My preferred bullet in the 300 grain class is the Speer, used to be called the Unicor but now sold as the Plinker. It's a sleeper.


I have killed deer with the 300 gr. hollowpoint Winchester factory load. I doubt it could be bumped up in velocity much before starting to come apart. I have also used the 350 gr. Hornady at about 1850 fps and it did the work but judging from the exit hole it might be a bit tough for smallish deer. A Hornady Tech told me it was designed for the .450 Marlin and faster velocities. However 400 gr. Speer and 405 gr. Remington bullets at 1800 fps surely put a whooping on deer and hogs.


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I've heard of the Speer going 2400 fps and holding up, though I really don't know the impact distance.

I kinda got back to the heavier bullets after awhile, hoping to find accuracy between 1650 and 1700 fps. The LBT-type hardcasts bore all the way through, leaving a respectable amount of damage without excessive meat loss.

I've had no issue with 300 grain bullets at 1800 fps at all. When I was pushing them to 2200 fps, it seemed all I got was kicked harder. (grin)

But the Speer is up too being pushed.

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I always thought the Nosler 300 gr. Partition at about 1800-1850 fps would have been a great all around bullet. Sadly now discontinued.


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Originally Posted by BlackWidowTackle
I was want to see you favorite lods for the different types of game you guys hunt in your area.



Just like my primary hunting rifle, I keep it simple......one load for “all” big game hunting! memtb

Last edited by memtb; 08/29/21.

You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel

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My favorite bear (over bait) load is a Speer 400 JSP @ 1,700 ft/sec using H4198. It will print 1.5" groups at 100yds without much difficulty. I shot a 300lb+ hog in SC with this load. The bullet impacted just behind the shoulder and passed through the thick shield. The big boar ran about 100yds through the woods before it gave up the ghost. I recovered the bullet in the off-side hide. It was 90 caliber and retained almost all of its weight.

The extreme expansion is what prevented it from exiting but it sure made a big hole through a really tough animal. Since then I switched to Swift 350gr A-Frame bullets for big hogs but I still prefer the Speer for bears which aren't nearly as tough. I have yet to see a bear stop one of these 400gr JSP bullets.

For shooting whitetails I prefer the Barnes 300 TSX FN bullet at 2,000 ft/sec. A shoulder shot is immediately incapacitating and the extra velocity flattens the curve a bit. Recoil is less the my Speer 400gr load.

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Since you have an 1886 as opposed to a Marlin you have another great option. The Speer 350gr Magtip is a superb bullet for heavy 45/70 loads. It was designed for the 458 Win and works well in the 45/70 when stoked to the gills. It’s too long to function in a Marlin when crimped in the cannelure but works fine in my 1886 Extra Light. Fill the case up with H4198 and let her rip.

This buck from Kodiak island caught one in the throat from 75 yards. It pulverized a vertebrae and left a 2” exit in the back of his neck. [Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

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