Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General What is good 45-70 bullet?

Not really a "rabbit hole", just cheap, fun shooting. You can buy coated cast for 1/4 the price of jacketed. I got mine from Missouri Bullet Co. A small amount of powder gets them downrange without a lot of fuss out of that stubby Trapper. We had a ball at deer camp busting up firewood with mine.............'till I ran out of ammo.

I just do not want to get back into casting and all the supplies/equipment I have to acquire.


Appreciate the offer to send some samples...But I will just order some from the above mentioned Missouri Bullet Co. Looks like some great plinkers, and will blow right through a deer.

Consider this a very shallow hole. The bullets can be purchased commercially coated. To load, just like jacketed bullets, they need enough case flare to avoid scraping the sides. Then they'll need at least enough crimp to flatten the flare. If they're actually powdercoated and not Hi Tek coated you can run them up to 2000fps. Easy peasy. Not much different than loading jacketed bullets and they're cheaper. In the venerable 45-70 I dare say cast bullets kill just as well as, if not better than, jacketed bullets.

ETA: Seems I clicked on a tab I had open before the other replies came in. I didn't see them until after I typed and posted the info above. MBC makes great bullets. They're Hi Tek coated so keep them under 1500fps and you'll do well. Depending on bullet weight 1500fps may be all the faster you want to shoot them.

Thanks, Dinny

If you want to use cast but not cast them yourself...
https://www.buffaloarms.com/reloadi...t-lead-bullets/411-459-diameter.html?p=3
I have killed deer with cast bullets in original Trapdoor carbine 45-70 and Sharps 50-70.
They do not do the job of a jacketed bullet driven at the higher speeds. The cast bullets just punch a hole through deer. A flat nose helps but nothing beats the expansion of a jacketed bullet.

Yes, but I went with the 405 grain to try to match the POA/POI with the subsonic 410 grain jacketed I had loaded up for deer hunting. I settled on 11.5 grains of Unique for a bit over 1000fps. Pleasant to shoot and I'm sure it would do fine for deer too, millions of buffalo fell to similar ballistics.

You must be using wax based lubes and really hard alloys to overcome leading. Powdercoating eliminates the mess of waxy lubes, eliminates barrel leading, allows for game to be efficiently killed with softer, expanding lead bullets. I have found them to kill better than jacketed bullets because they can be shot slower and with much less flinching. Jacketed bullets need alot more speed to expand that a soft cast bullet.

It also looks like BA is really proud of their bullets!

I have no doubt about the effectiveness of cast bullets.

Just think buying jacketed bullets is the least labor intensive, cost effective route. The dynatek coated bullets from Missouri bullet company check two boxes. Inexpensive and perform well.

Do not want to go to pay just as much, or more for cast. Then have to go through the work of powder coating.

Buy naked cast bullets online and have them shipped to me. I'll PC and size them then send you half of them.

Why a 405 Gov slug or course.

Nuh unh.

Using the bullet diameter that fits your bore correctly. No leading. Sheeesh!

I could care less about the bore and I haven't slugged a barrel in a decade. Throat size is all I care about. If it chambers it will go down the bore with sufficient rifling grip to shoot accurately. PC applied correctly ensures I won't ever again have any sort of leading in my bores.

Keep on old man. Shine that 30-06, put away the torpedo cartridges.

CRS,

You've already found all the bullet you need for your stated goals. Quite of few powders will work well, My load for several of us using 45-70s during primitive season in Mississippi is:

Win. Brass
Win. LR primers
49.0 gr. RL7
Hornady 300 gr. HP
Velocity runs 1800-1900 FPS

The deer you hit will drop or have very short runs.

Yes, I think I am pretty well set.

Did order a some of the Missouri 405gr bullets this morning. Called the company and stated they can be run up to 1600fps. Do not plan on running them close to 1600fps. Plan is to use them getting familiar and breaking the gun in. Then work up a good moderate load with the 300gr Hornady HP.

If I need to, I can get into the 300 Nosler Ballistic tips. Would like to save those for my son's rifle.

Have IMR4166, Accurate 5744, and Trail boss. If I have to, will get some IMR4198.

My Handi rifle was the oddball that didn't shoot as well with the 300gr. Hornadys. Quite a few years ago, I found a good deal on a big bulk buy of 405gr. Remington SPs. Dang thing thinks it's a sniper rifle with the heavies. When I pull the trigger on the 405s, I'm wishing they were 300s.

I've used RL7, H4198, H335 and A2015. I used H335 for a while. Accuracy was great and I've killed several deer with that load. One evening I shot a six pointer with it and the flame out of it was like watching an old video of battleships unleashing broadside salvos. Trying to see the deer's reaction was as bad as trying to look through the smoke from a muzzleloader. I didn't have to worry though, he was laying where he stood.

I found a supply of A2015 and 48.0gr. of that powder worked nicely. I loaded five hundred rounds and recently sold the rest of the 405s off. Pretty sure that will be enough to take me all the way out. I've got four boxes of the Hornady 300s for my Mississippi folks when they need a resupply.

I'm sure one of the powders you have will work well for you. If you need another option, 4198 would be a good choice. Enjoy your new rifle.

I shoot the Hornady 300 grain bullets in my Marlins to hunt deer. I use the 350 grain Hornady's in my custom Siamese Mauser bolt gun. It's one and done on every critter I've used it on. It's very accurate too.

Trail boss and some cast 300 gr

I've had good luck on pigs with the Hornaday Leverolution 325's on pigs!