I've decided to scope my dad's old Marlin 45/70 and deer hunt with it this year.

I hunt in MO, mostly in the little woods on my own property. 75 yard shot max.

Curious what would be a good commercial loading for little Midwestern whitetail deer. Thanks.

My buddy uses 250grn Hornady Leverevolution from Hornady.  It shoots really well out of his Marlin, and he has killed plenty of PA whitetails with it.

Suppose somebody had a .44 Magnum and they were to use a 240 grain bullet at about 1200 fps.

On the other hand, a starting load for the .45-70 entails a 250 grain bullet at about 1800 fps.

A 250 grain .45-70 slug launched at 1800 fps will still be travelling at about 1200 fps at 100 yards.

So shooting a deer at 75 yards with a 250 grain. 45-70 is ballistically the same thing as shooting a deer at a contact range with a .44 Magnum.

So stop overthinking things. Load up a starting .45-70 load and you will have ample power for stopping a deer at 75 yards

I’ve shot Missouri deer with my guide gun with everything from 300gr factory hollow points to 405 trapdoor level lead loads to 500 gr kill at both ends of the rifle loads. All deer were killed quickly and humanly. My favorite load WAS the 405gr Remington bullet loaded to about 1600fps, sadly they don’t sell it as a component anymore.

shotar  is correct.

They are whitetail not Cape buffalo.

They don’t take that much killing.

But your local shop. Buy what looks interesting and it will absolutely wreck a whitetail.

The good old Remington 495 Gr Corelokt has always been a hammer on pigs and I am getting ready to work up a load for the 300 gr Flex Tip for a 45/70 Co tender barrel I have. I intend to keep the ranges under 200 yds with that one and preferably under 150. All my research says it will be a hammer this year.

Literally anything (actual bullet) out of a 45-70 will kill a deer.