Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters What's the best Deer bullet for a 45-70 in a Marlin 1895?

just traded for a 1895 XLR, that I am going to use as a rainny day rifle but don't know where to start. THANKS

Any slug that will make it down the barrel in a 45-70 will more than suffice for deer. I purchased my unit as a dark timber rifle and run 400-405 grain pills. Most tend to go toward the 300-350 grainers for a little more velocity.

I only used 400 grain Speers in mine and was glad I did when I shot a black bear about 5 feet from the muzzle on the UP one day. It was my first bear and left a lasting impression for both of us, though his was short lived.

I don't have a lot of experience with a .45/70 but I started using a H&R .45/70 some this year. I killed a doe with it using Winchester Super X 300 grain Jacketed Hollow Points. The shot was about 100 yards and I placed my bullet just behind the shoulder about middle ways up. At the shot the deer hit the ground and never moved. It left a quarter sized entrance hole and quarter sized exit hole. I don't think you could have asked for better performance considering that if the deer would have ran, she would have left a really good blood trail. So based on my experience with it on this one deer, I'd say give the Winchester load a try. Just about any bullet will work on deer out of a .45/70 since you are starting with a big hole anyways.

Hey RickyD that bear sounds like a story we would like to hear - why not tell it here?

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/2717625/page/0/fpart/1

Thanks,

If you don't handload, try a box of the hornady Leverevolution ammo. I shot a black bear with it, and it was awesome. If you handload, any of the 300 gr. bullets will serve you well for whitetails.

maddog

As stated earlier, just about anything that goes down the bbl accurately will suffice for whitetails. I have used 405 gr R-P soft points (probably the best all around 45-70 bullet) 300 gr HPs, and cast bullets. They all work very well. Pick the one your rifle likes and go hunting!

The last .45-70 I loaded for, I shot 350 grain Hornady's in. I never got around to shooting a single head of game with it though.

Nephew uses the Barnes X versions, calls em flying ashtrays. Works just as good as the X in my 50 beowulf and I"d not be scared to tackle about anything in either gun with that bullet.

Jeff

I have shot several deer with different 45-70s including a few Marlins and a Ruger #1. The jacketed 300 grain HP bullets are enough for deer and create less recoil than the heavier slugs, but the different brands differ quite a bit in toughness, so pay attention to which ones you use and how fast you send them. Not surprisingly, the softest are the Sierras. They work well with 45-50 grains of H4198. Next up the toughness scale are the Hornadys. Tougher still are the Speer UCHPs (Uni-Cor Hollow Point) which are jacketed by plating the jacket over a hard lead alloy. The Speers are tightly bonded on a molecular level so separation is unlikely.

It is not necessary to hot-rod the 45-70 for deer hunting!
Rounds loaded to SAAMI spec pressure of 28kpsi or less will kill any deer, and your gun, your brass, and your shoulder will last longer. I have a load that I carried while elk hunting and that I would carry bear hunting, but that is a totally different application.

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300 gr Hornadys and 405gr Remington Cor Lokts

BWalker

Just noticed your signature.

"I don't have to speak, she defends me."

Just about my favorite Band ever.


Oops sorry, I don't have a .45-70 answer y'all.

gahuntertom

I have nine deer down to my Marlin .45-70, all with 300 grain factory hollow points. A few observations.

The factory 300 grain hollowpoint is designed to expand at .45-70 velocities, but they expand a bit too much at muzzle velocities if they hit a bone! However, they still carry a lot of energy. Most of the deer fell from 50 yards to...well one at a range that accounted for almost a 24 inch drop from the point of aim.

All but two of the bullets exited. The deer shot at long range had a rib broken going in and a rib going out...but it went out! Two deer died easily, but with the bullets remaining in the body. One - a very large bodied 8pt was shot at 25 yards quartering on and the bullet came apart, but ravaged the heart. DRT. The other was about a 125 yard shot and the bullet broke up on the spine just in back of the shoulders.

My feeling is, that the 300 grain hollowpoint bullet is a decent choice for deer, but one might get better performance from a jacketed soft point, like a 350 grain or 405 grain if factory loads are necessary.

It is a deer killing machine.

Dan

I am one who uses the 300 gr bullet for deer.
I have used the Nosler 300 gr partition at 2150fps with good results on deer and a 400 lb black bear.
Also I switched to the 300 gr Speer at about 1950 fps this year and it worked well on the one buck I shot with it. The exit was about 1 1/4 " but I have no idea how much expansion I had.
I use bulk Rem 300 HP for practice but am to concerned about excessive meat damage if I hit a shoulder to use them on game.
I believe that if I can't stop a 300 gr in a deer or bear I don't need a 400gr. And the 45/90 used a 300 with pretty good success.

I have also killed deer with the 400 grain Speers at sedate velocities - around 1400 fps at the muzzle. This is an absolutely reliable deer load as well. It leaves a caliber-sized or slightly larger exit wound and buckets of blood on the ground. Again, pushing the pressure way up gains nothing but pain for the deer hunter. No amount of powder will ever transform a 45-70 into a flat shooter. Now, were I carrying my guide gun as protection in griz country, yeah, I might step it up a bit to make a bit more of an impression on Mr. Bear, but it's just not needed for deer.

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After shooting Sierra and Hornady 300 grain bullets for almost 30 years I now like the 300 grain Speer UniCor #2482. This is the bullet used in the Federal Power Shok 4570AS and Buffalo Bore 8E ammunition. Here is my load:
Marlin 1895 45-70
300 grain Speer UniCor #2482 seated to 2.53 and crimped with a Lee Factory Crimp Die
Winchester brass, 2.1" trim
CCI 200 primer
55 grains H4198
2170 fps in a 22" barrel
Approximately 28,000 CUP

The .458" 405 grain Remington JSP is not a Core-Lokt� bullet.

A couple of days ago, a friend shot an average (big) moose with his 45-70. The intended bullets in the pipe were the 405 Buffalo Bore loads. The first shot hit (and killed) a willow, but was deflected into the fringes of intended target. A quick follow up with the #1 resulted in the unintentional use of a factory (Rem or Win) 300 HP. Result: hole in, hole out; right through the breadbasket. No recovered bullet. I suspect a 54" moose is bigger than most whitetails.

Hi jackfish. Long time no "see."

Have you shot anything larger than deer with that load? I'm curious about just how tough those UCHPs are. Whitetail are the biggest thing I've killed with them.

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Hook: How did your cast bullets perform. I'm pouring for a 45-90 (BPCR), and if those slugs (425 grain 20:1) would suffice in a Marlin 1895, I'd use them. I think I paid something like $26.00 for a box of 50 Speer or Sierra recently, and that's a bit stiff.

I do have the gear to put a copper base plate (can't remember the proper nomenclature) on the bullet base if needed. Thanks, 1Minute