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

My go to load for my GG has been H4198 and the 300 gr. nosler partition bullet. I've used it to take bear, hogs, and 7 head of african plains game. Penetration has always been awesome, and of all the animals I've taken with it, I've only recovered 4 bullets. Three were from my zebra in RSA[long story] and one from my kudu. Everything else has been complete pass throughs.


maddog

I will say it once more. There is no need to hot rod this old workhorse. 1250-1300 ft/sec with a 30:1 hard cast 500 or more gr bullet will penetrate beyond your wildest expectations. I have shot a lot of big blackies in Canada and have never found it wanting. Best penetration comes with the original velocities by the way.

Randy

My bear load was with a 300g JSP speer bullet loaded to 1800 FPS in my Marlin 95 I had in the 70s. Took 3 with it when I lived in CA and thought it was the best bear gun around.

Barnes accuracy load with their 250 TSX FN, 53.5 gr. Vit. N120 at 2,553 fps. That's from a 24" bbl. and recommended for the 1895 Marlin.

I shoot it in a 30" Browning BPCR 45-70 with a Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x40 CDS for Primitive weapon system. It's dialed in for 300 yds. and shoots 1" groups at a hundred. It'll put all rounds on a pie plate at 300, probably around 5" or so.

Bad load on hogs. Haven't shot a deer with it yet.

DF

Getting back to your initial question: As you can see, the overwhelming opinion is, yes the 45/70 will work just fine on bears over bait. IMHO, you don't need anything more than the factory 405gr. Rem. for your intended use. Yes, you can reload and get MUCH better velocity and power and there are special factory loadings that will get you there as well, but you just don't need them for your intended purpose. The factory load will kill EVERY black bear just as dead just as well. It has been doing it for much longer than we all have been alive and will continue to do it when our grandkids grandkids are using it.

Spot on. Our own Sharpsguy who arguably has more trigger time with this round in it's black powder format than anybody, has shot clean through a bull bison and a host of African game with a similar bullet although I think his are 20:1 and 475grs. I used the same bullet out of a 110 (1330 fps) to knock a bison DRT.

I consider Sharpsguy the epitome of expert. I wonder how many tons of lead he has sent downrange, and for which he has kept records. That 45/110 of yours is a fine rifle, and you know how to make it shine as well/

Randy

Thanks, Doc. Regarding Sharpsguy, I'd conservatively estimate he's sent close to a quarter million rounds down range!

I shot a 6' 4" boar black bear with a 270 at 40 yards over a bait once, swore I would never shoot another over a bait with a rifle again as it was too easy. So i'd say the 45-70 is way more than enough to put down even the biggest black bear at 60 yards as long as you put the bullet where it needs to be.

Well I took my 45-70 to the range last night for the first time and fired some federal fuion 300gr. Took me a couple shot's to get a feel for the gun. Here's my 3 shot group in the bull before I decided to come home. I have to say I'm very happy with the result and cant wait to get out hunting.


Hopefully I can break the 45-70 in on this guy.

quackbang

He looks like a nice bear. nice pelt and some good eating there.

Randy

well i personally would want a bigger gun, i mean up here in new yaaaaaawk black bears weight 2000lbs are coverd in kevlar coated chain mail and have bad attitudes, i really think you should look into some old world war 2 bofor's anti aircraft weapons because only real men who can handle the recoil of a 30mm bofor should be allowed in teh woods...


Signed...

Polska.


:-D just figured id stop in and write his response for him before the idiot did it himself haha

Heading out, Thursday in NH with a karg re done to 45/70 loaded with 38 grains of re7 pushing a 325gr hornadys doing 1600fps that should getr done

A little off topic. I have an Encore barrel in 45-70 on it's way for bear and back up deer. If I cast my own bullets can I cast them with pure lead or do I have to mix 30:1? I want to cast my own. Do I need to lube the groves on the bullet?

Slug your barrel for size, then size and lube bullet to land diameter. 30:1 or 20:1 lead/tin alloy work very well if you aren't gonna push it much over 1300.

Let's see some pics of these dead black bears that have been killed with the 45-70s.

Thats mighty fine shooting there mate . What , if any scope are you using ?
Regards.