Who hunts with a 45-70?

[wildmanoutdoors]

I picked up a winchester 1886 lever rifle in 45-70 a few weeks ago and plan on using it next year for deer season.I haven't hunted the modern season in about  four years.So i am curious if anyone uses the old 45-70 and what your experience has been? 

If you hit the deer in one of the front hooves, you should be able to save the other front and two hind quarters.  Have fun with it. That's a nice gun. Which bullet do you use in it for deer?

Thanks,I haven't shot it yet but i did pick up some 325grn lever evolution as it was the cheapest thing sportsman's wherehouse had at the time.

I have about 8 boxes of those 325's. Man was I surprised how much the kick!

Try out the Buffalo Bore, then. 

I have. I have a couple boxes still. Just would not have thought the 325 leverrevolution would hit that hard.

[RG]

I had a Marlin 1895 I used when I guided Grizzly hunters in BC in the early 80's. I hand loaded 400 grain soft points. I never had to use it on a bear since the hunters all got it done themselves.  I shot a 6 point elk and 3 point muley with 300 grain hollow point hand loads. One hit did the job on them. I had a Williams peep on it since it lived in a saddle scabbard in bad weather and was used for very close range shooting.   Great gun great caliber. 

I swapped it for a Model 94 in .356 Winchester to get a little more range since I don't grizzly hunt any more.

[superdown]

I was thinking of getting one of these peep sights and i ran across this Beach combination front sight that i looked cool.

[netcoyote]

I've got a Marlin 1895 Guide gun with Skinner sights on the rear and red fiber on the front which works well for my old eyes. Check out Skinner sights: http://www.skinnersights.com/1895_sight_4.html

I also have a Ruger #1 in a 45-70 but use a low power scope on it. Have carried them both but haven't brought down anything yet.

[superdown]

I've got a Marlin 1895 Guide gun with Skinner sights on the rear and red fiber on the front which works well for my old eyes. Check out Skinner sights: http://www.skinnersights.com/1895_sight_4.html

I also have a Ruger #1 in a 45-70 but use a low power scope on it. Have carried them both but haven't brought down anything yet.

Those are very nice sights but my rifle is already drilled and tapped for the Williams style on the side of the receiver like in this picture.If i get any more holes drilled in it it will be for a scout style scope mount.I really wish they made something that would use the holes that are already there.

[Revwrangler]

I have one and love it! But have never used it for deer. Seems like massive over kill. However my plan is to bear hunt with it, just haven't had the chance to put the plan into action.

[superdown]

I have one and love it! But have never used it for deer. Seems like massive over kill. However my plan is to bear hunt with it, just haven't had the chance to put the plan into action.

I used my knight bighorn in 50cal with a 45cal sst and a 100grns of black powder on my little whitetail this year which seems pretty close to a 45-70 classic load. what rifle do you have?

[T Pearce]

You will like it. Ive owned 2 Marlins and 1 Ruger. Shooting Jaebok Young 430 gr Hammer Heads at 1800fps IIRC. The factory stuff you bought will hammer what ever you shoot though without the recoil.
I shoot a 45 Colt in lieu of the 45-70 now.

[KenPCPilot]

it is my go to grouse gun

[T Pearce]

it is my go to grouse gun

I bet it plucks a chicken!

[wadu1]

I have a marlin 45-70 that I love for bears and a H&R Handy Rifle in 45-70 with a red dot. Good bear medicine or anything out to 150 yards. I load my own 350 or 405 grain bullets not as hot as the Buffalo Bore's but just as good. Some of the BC guides I know use the  Buffalo Bore's  as back-up for clients on blackies and have switched to 416 for back-up on griz. On my bucket list is moose with one of my 45-70's

[Revwrangler]

I have one and love it! But have never used it for deer. Seems like massive over kill. However my plan is to bear hunt with it, just haven't had the chance to put the plan into action.

I used my knight bighorn in 50cal with a 45cal sst and a 100grns of black powder on my little whitetail this year which seems pretty close to a 45-70 classic load. what rifle do you have?

What 45/70 do I have or what rifle do I use for deer?

I'm an archery guy.

And my 45/70 is a Ruger. Owned by my grandpa. I actually didn't even know he owned it until after he had passed away. It was still in the box in his closet when we cleaned the house out. Pretty cool find, which is why I want to find a bear to shoot with it.

[BigGoonTuna]

i burned my cabelas' points and gift cards on a remlin 1895 last year.  i haven't had any of the horror stories to report on other than the fact that it started jamming up tight randomly when feeding a round out of the magazine after i had shot it a few times.  my fault though, i didn't clean it when i bought the rifle and the magazine follower had gotten gummed up which caused it to delay feeding long enough to jam up the carrier.

i would love to make this into my all-around westside gun if i go back to modern rifle hunting, as its effective point blank range is more than adequate for just about anything over here(and not necessarily a handicap on the eastside either if you think about it).  there is just something cool about a lever gun.  those 430gr HSM bear loads kick a little though   haven't decided if i want to scope it with a low power scope like an FXII 2.5, or just go with a peep sight.  the factory sights suck, more so with my crummy vision.

[syoungs]

I bought a marlin 1895 with the big loop earlier this year, but havent had a chance to do anything with it just yet. I plan on using it for bear, and certain times I will pull it out for elk when im in the thick and nasty pushing.

took a lot of looking to get a pre remlin that was in like new shape, finally found one at a pawn shop with a vortex viper scope on it. the scope is going on another gun, I might get  a 1x4 of some sort to put on the marlin.

havent decided on a load just yet, gonna play around a little with some hand loads and see what I can make it do.

[ndcasla]

I bought a 45-70 No.3 Ruger in 76, yes I said 1976, still have it, still love it. I used  out of the box 405grs on pigs and stopped them in their tracks. I have been using Beartooth hard cast gas checked 425gr, really like em. They got a 525 gr bullet they call the piledriver, painful at both ends. Love shooting 45-70 with black powder, a little dirty, messy but fun. Enjoy your rifle.