Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only 45-70 for black bears?

I've used the 405gr Rem bullet handloaded to about factory specs. to take both black bear and elk. It works fine. Don't expect to find the bullet still in the bear at that kind of range, but it will work just fine.

What about loading that new Barnes 400 grain solid flat point? Seems like a 45 caliber doesn't need to expand any more and that bullet ought to really penetrate. Would that be legal? Or are all solids illegal in the US?

This truly bamboozles me. The 45 caliber rifles using bullets from 405 grains and up CAST at 30:1 going anywhere between 1250 and 1400 fps penetrate like cannon shells and expand well besides. Besides which they will be very accurate at genuinely extended ranges. No need to beat yourself half to death with recoil. Very easy on the guns too.

I've killed two with a 45 ACP and 6 with a 243, I think your 45/70 will be more than adequate ...

Sharpsguy and EvilTwin have the recipe. I have got 6 feet of penetration with 500 gr cast 70 gr Goex by volume. There is no need for more. Do not llisten to the nay sayers about it being a short range load. Know your trajectory, It will go where you send it and you can eat right up to the whole.

Randy

From talking to a person who has used it to take several elk with different style bullets it, according to him, would be a good idea to use a bullet with a farely large meplat if using lead. He has tried round nose and doesn't get the preformance as far as internal damage or shot reaction as he gets from the flatnose bullets.

He loads 30:1 at about 1300 fps.

Domhnall: Game laws vary from state to state, but typically solid hunting bullets are not illegal to use. Non-hunting designs like FMJ often are. These laws are often a hold over from the post WWII period that had a lot of new hunters and FMJ ammo about.

Yep, I bought a Marlin 45/70 for the exact purpose of hunting black bear in Canada a few years back. Which I did and it worked most effectively on the smallish blackie with CorBon shells. Since then I've handrolled cast 405 grainers and would use them the next time out.

In my 45-90 I use the 405 Remington, in my 45-70 I use a 350 gr hard cast. I really think that there few animals in North America that can't be killed effectively with either cartridge, or either bullet.

It's about ideal. Used it with 405 and 350 hardcast with big meplats and it smacks the hell out of them. No need to hot rod the hell out of it either unless you dig the punishment. Start trying to run stuff up and over the 2300fps mark and you'll understand what I'm talking about. Works nicely at 2000 fps and less.

But probably not gooder.

I don't want to "jack" your post, but I have the same question but with an addition to the question:

Has anyone had any experience with the Hornady Leverevolution 325 gr rounds? Are they sufficient for black bears?

I have used three boxes of them so far. They are accurate and should do just fine. I was clover leafing three round groups at 100yds out or my #1. I had only one bad experience but it was my own fault for putting the bullet a little far back on a doe. Ended up tracking a little far with minimal blood. The brass is a wee bit short in comparison to Rem or WW but no big deal.

brinky72...appreciate the feedback on the accuracy of the Leverevolutions, I too had good success with the accuracy.

But I'm interested in know if anyone has used them on black bears and if so how did they perform? I'm thinking of a balck bear hunt or hunts this year with my 1895G, but have only shot the Leverevolutions out of it.

I hunt the Northeastern swamps of NC. Our bears average 300 pounds or so mature, but 500 pounders are taken around those parts yearly.

A friend over in Arkansas has been knockin' BIG holes in black bears for dang near 20 yrs. w/ the 45-70 and 350 gn. Hornady round nose SP, a few years back he switched to the Horn. 350 gn. mag kinda like a round flat point w/ the same results.
And if You handload You can do alot worse than RL-7 for powder, he loafs his out @around 2000 fps from an old Marlin lever action.

Gunner

I loaded a 440 grain hard cast to 1875 FPS in my Guide Gun with 44.5 gr of Reloder 7. I carried it in Alaska gfor Grizzly, but never got a shot at one with it. I did shoot into a riverbank and the bullet penetrated well over 12" into hard packed wet sand. can't see it not doing the job on a black bear.

I hand load only for my Guide Gun, and it has been awhile since I checked on prices and availability. PMC used to offer a 350gr load that would do about 1800fps from a Guide Gun - don't know if they still do. Remington's green/yellow box fodder pushes the 405gr JSP to a little over 1100fps from a 18.5" GG barrel. Then there is Hornady.

If you decide to reload, you'll find the Remington 405gr JSP a lot cheaper than other .458" bullets. You don't need a premium bullet with the 45-70. I run the 405gr Rem at 1800fps from my Guide Gun, and that is probably faster than necessary. I don't hunt bear, but I can tell you that it puts Elk down just fine. It is fun to make a big hole

I've never shot or hunted black bear. I have shot a bunch of farel hogs with my 45-70. I hand load 405 grain hardcast lead
to 1600fps. Have taken several hogs in the 350-400lb range at close to 100 yards. Never takes more than one shot through the front end. Never found a slug. All pass-thru shots.Pound for pound I can't imagine black bear being any harder to kill than an old wild hog. But I could be wrong about that. People hunt bear with bows all the time. If you can kill it with a bow, a 45-70 should have no problem doing the same.

Rabbitdog

agree with the recommendations so far. I use a 300gr hardcast @ 2000fps, and it blows through both ends of everything while still shooting flat enough to take a shot at 200 yds...where it will still blow through both sides of everything.

Well picked up my new Marlin 1895G and cant wait to get it out to the range. Thanks everyone for the helpful information about this cartridge.



The dish kinda ruins the photo I know.