Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots H&R 45-70

Just seeing who all out there has a H&R 45-70 and what the think of them I personally have a handi with a 3-9-42 redfield revenge with the 4 plex recticle

I had one for a time, the 22" bbl with open sights, and it was a fun rifle with factory loads. I traded it off on a .223 as I just didn't use it all that much.

What's the best load y'all have found to shoot out of these

Iv had 2, one was the long barrel Buffalo gun they both shot great, and both liked the 300 grain factory Rem. shells, shot a deer one time at 270 yards, with a 2.5 scope, one of my better shots! wish I still had it!

I had two of the early Shikari models. One of them I left at it's original length and loaded 500 gr cast bullets (Lee mold) to about 1350 using 4198. It shot very well with iron sights (about 2 moa).
The other one I cut down to 18" and loaded Speer 400's ahead of Reloader 7 (41 grains, as I recall). Kicked like a mule but would flatten a black bear right out. I carried it in the government truck for that purpose. Later I mounted a 2.5 Weaver on it and was amazed at how well the stupid thing shot. Groups under 1 1/2 inches at 100 yards were common. GD

im shooting hornady leverevelution rounds threw it holding about 2 inch groups at 100 yards tryin to get the best groups i can out of it

I've had 5 or 6 of them. They all liked the Remington 405 grain loading.

I have a Remmy made H&R with the plastic stocks which I purchased two years ago.I mounted a cheap 4x scope on it and it will shoot the bullseye out of the target at 50 yds with Rem 300hp bullets and RL7.Not bad for a $240 rifle.

I might have to try the Remington loads I'm thinkin of gettin a .223 or .243 H&R for a coyote gun I really like the H&R guns great gun for the kno net in my opinion I've only had there shotguns as kid up until the .45-70

I have a buffalo classic 32 in barrel peep sights both ends around 1.5 in at 100 yards with 300 gr rem or hornady lever l. loads haveing fun great gun to shoot

I had a Buffalo Classic and later bought a regular 22" barrel Handi Rifle in 45/70.I found the Handi to be as accurate as the longer barrel Classic so the Classic got traded.
I regularly hunt with the Handi and find it most effective and accurate using my handloads of 300 grain bullets.

Stan in SC

I have owned several nd like them - do not own right now, but only a matter of time before I buy another.

I have Ultra Hunter in 45-70 and feed it handloads:

- 300 grains Hornady #4500
- 52 grains of IMR3031
- Winchester Magnum primers

My deer brush gun, love it.

I've set up two of the H&R Ultra TH/Lam/SS models, one for me and one for Dad. Both shoot really well to 200yds. I feed mine 325 HDY FTXs over 55g AA2015BR in R+P brass lit by WLRs and Dad's is doing well with the factory LRs. His shoots a bit less than an inch with the factory loads and mine hovers just over an inch with handloads(Haven't tried factory in it). The factory loads chrono 2025 avg from his and I'm getting 2105 with the above load.

Also have two buddies that run the Buffalo Classic and both run the Factory LRs with decent accuracy.

Two of my relatives have the std syn 22" model and neither could handle the recoil of the LRs in that version, so they are shooting the 300g Rem HPs. Couldn't tell you the accuracy as I haven't personally shot those two, but the skinning rack reveals minute of whitetail thus far.

I find that the recoil of the two Ultras to be very tolerable with the LR factory loads as well as a bit stiffer handloads. Sort of reminds me of a 30-06 and nothing in the realm of my .277-.308 Mags. Though, based on hearsay, the std syn version must be a beast with the LR pills.

I've owned and shot several H&R 45-70s. The jolt of a stout load gets tedious very quickly. A good recoil pad makes a lot of difference. Every factory pad I've seen and used on H&Rs was pretty hard and ineffective. A lighter load also makes a huge difference.

The load I shoot most these days consists of a 400-405gr cast bullet over 11 grains of Unique with no filler. They go about 1000 fps and will wear out the bullseye at 100 yards. I can shoot them all day and feel nothing but joy. Anyone who has faith in the ability to kill game with a 44 magnum handgun shooting cast bullets should have no doubts about the game killing ability of a 405gr 45 caliber cast bullet from a 45-70. It isn't a flat-shooting load by any stretch of the imagination but it certainly is good enough for point-blank-range of 100 yards or so on deer.

The Bufflo Classic is a fun rifle to shoot, and very accurate. I have tried the stout loads (55 grains of Benchmark with a 405 gr Remington FP) and the "pad" -- read case hardened butt plate, doesn't absorb a lot of recoil.

What I find is a fun load is a 405 gr, home cast, water quenched flat point with either 25 gr of AA5744, or 12 gr of Trail Boss. The AA5744 load is going along at 1250 or so, and shoots great - recoil - just a bump. The Trail Boss load is rocketing along at 970 fps and hardly moves during recoil. Use it for sniping empty 12 guage hulls at 50 yards. I'm glad I got the rifle.

Where did you find a mount for the buffalo classic? H&R does not have them.

I paid $100 for mine used 10 years ago.
My late gun designing father showed me how to calculate how much pressure the action could take.

1 gr Bullseye, 150 gr cast bullet, case filled with steel or Aluminum, bonded in place with Loctite, 440 fps, sounds like a BB gun, will stop a raccoon with a body shot.

Bought a lightly used Handi 'Gummit' rifle and topped it with a Leupold M8 4x. Right now I'm shooting Nosler/Winchester 300gr moly-coated BT over IMR4320 with LR magnum primers in Starline nickel cases. The black bullet has a light gray polymer "Silvertip." The loaded round looks sharp as all hell. Getting 1.5" at 100yards. Not bad, but hoping that will improve as I tweak the powder charge and the barrel breaks in. I'm at about 100 rounds right now, and "they" say it takes 200-300 to get the burrs off'n it. By some miracle, this Handi has a very sweet trigger; I'm guessing 3# tops. I put a Limbsaver recoil pad and a padded cheekrest on it; so I can shoot as much as I like. I'm workin' up a load with Montana Bulletworks 405gr LFNGC boolits and Reloder 7. I gotta dumb it down a little, 'cuz I was loading it right around 2000 fps, and that's 300-400 fps faster than that bullet needs and WAY too tough on my shoulder. Cheers!

Anyone visited the dedicated Handi-Rifle boards on Graybeardoutdoors.com?

Lots of .45/70 shooters who spend time there, and shooters of other Handi cartridges.