.45-70 What Am I Missing?!

[RG]

in my opinion the reason the 45-70 gets the inaccurate tag is because of the fps so slow much past 100 yards,after the bullet slow down that much it wants to start tumbling no matter the round.its ballistics pure and simple its not a long range gun that can be counted on.

Huh?  You don't shoot the factory trap-door springfield loads in any modern guns.  You have to handload.  I killed an elk over 200 yards, (It took 2 shots, the first one hit below him), and a mule deer at 175.  I can assure you the bullets hit point first and no second shot needed.

[Fl0und3rz]

Lots of replies, thanks guys.  As far as the max for H4198 goes, I read 60 grns was the max, that's what Hodgdon says for modern lever guns.  I reloaded a batch at 48 just for her to go plinking with.  It would still kill with ease I suppose at 48 but it's definitely still accurate at 57 grns and it will definitely shoot flatter.

I shot 40 rounds of 57 grns the other day (OUCH!) and had no sticky extractions or problems of any sort. 

Yeah, ouch! I might consider for myself going a little higher than 47 grains of IMR 4198, because I would like to hit 2,000 fps and get a little flatter trajectory out of the 18.5" barrel. 

Oh no! I guess I have to go reload a bunch.  But I am definitely not looking forward to shooting more than 20 or so.   But it is a fun gun, in any event.

And as far as long range goes, it's all relative to where and how you hunt. In the brush, anything over about 50-75 yards is long range for that type of hunting.   Otherwise, I use a scoped modern cartridge rifle.

[Simcoe hunter]

in my opinion the reason the 45-70 gets the inaccurate tag is because of the fps so slow much past 100 yards,after the bullet slow down that much it wants to start tumbling no matter the round.its ballistics pure and simple its not a long range gun that can be counted on.

http://www.researchpress.co.uk/longrange/sandyhook.htm

The above will shed some light on the capabilities of this round.  Hardly inaccurate, and plenty of power.  This is simply an amazing cartridge truth be known.

[high country]

I stoke mine with 400 gr bullets and lots of varget. I have a 450 lever in the shop getting ready for surgery to become a take down soon too.

[jyerxa]

It has the just about the same ballistics as my 35 Rem and will drop off at 125 yards compared to the 30-30 sighted at 100 yards.

[Heredoggydoggy]

One of the old black powder cartridges that has survived into the 21st Century, and still going strong.  Not a blistering high velocity gun, but for knock-down power on tough game, it has got very few equals.  Marlin tried to modernize it with the .444--how many of those do you see these days? 

[washelkhunter]

Got a 444 marlin in the safe. I'll take that over the 45-70 or the 450 marlin.

[threedwizard]

  Love my .444 Marlin.

[Heredoggydoggy]

Got a 444 marlin in the safe. I'll take that over the 45-70 or the 450 marlin.

Yep--great cartridge, yet for some reason, it just never caught on.  Years ago a guy I worked with had his new 444 Marlin at the range, and let my buddy try it.  He dropped the hammer on an empty chamber, and flinched so badly we nearly died laughing!

[RG]

Got a 444 marlin in the safe. I'll take that over the 45-70 or the 450 marlin.

Yep--great cartridge, yet for some reason, it just never caught on.  Years ago a guy I worked with had his new 444 Marlin at the range, and let my buddy try it.  He dropped the hammer on an empty chamber, and flinched so badly we nearly died laughing!

It's a good cartridge but never had the heavyweight appeal of the 45-70.  The 300 and 405 grain bullets gave the 45-70 a lot of punch compared to the 265(?) or 240 grain.  It's certainly not that the 444 won't get the job done, it will.  45-70 has the advantage for nostalgic appeal too.

I have a model 94 in .356 Win. and had a Model 71 in .348.  The .358 is in the same league.  Nobody really knows what to think of the .356 because it's not the old, well known, historic caliber.  It's pretty much the same thing though.

[6x6in6]

Got a 444 marlin in the safe. I'll take that over the 45-70 or the 450 marlin.

love my trip 4.