Favorite 45-70 Store Bought Round for Deer

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Favorite 45-70 Store Bought Round for Deer

Posted: 8/25/2018 8:23:16 PM EDT

I don't reload, though I'm sure as heck going to be getting into it now.

I bought a 1895 to hunt with with the thinking that I need to anchor a deer rather quickly due to the layout of the land I hunt on. If I don't there's a large chance it can go on neighboring property.

What round do you guys recommend? I have some Winchester 300 grain hollow points now.

Posted: 8/26/2018 10:20:24 AM EDT

[#1]

Just how big is said property you are planning to hunt? I would say shot placement has more to do with how far a deer will run than anything else including your choice in gun or ammo. The SCDNR published a pretty good study that said basically half the deer will run and the other half will drop when shot. Of those that run, they found deer shot in the shoulder ran an average of only 3 yards, whereas those shot in the heart or lungs ran an average of 50 yards. Personally I just aim for the shoulder because I hate losing a deer or tracking them and dragging them out of a bog or nasty brush. Others prefer neck shots and although a smaller target, they drop like a rock when hit in the right spot.

Posted: 8/26/2018 10:49:19 AM EDT

[#2]

Posted: 8/26/2018 11:19:15 AM EDT

[#3]

Quote History

Quoted:
Just how big is said property you are planning to hunt? I would say shot placement has more to do with how far a deer will run than anything else including your choice in gun or ammo. The SCDNR published a pretty good study that said basically half the deer will run and the other half will drop when shot. Of those that run, they found deer shot in the shoulder ran an average of only 3 yards, whereas those shot in the heart or lungs ran an average of 50 yards. Personally I just aim for the shoulder because I hate losing a deer or tracking them and dragging them out of a bog or nasty brush. Others prefer neck shots and although a smaller target, they drop like a rock when hit in the right spot.

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8 acres

Posted: 8/26/2018 12:55:55 PM EDT

[#4]

I've heard of issues with two rounds. The Hornady Leverution and the Remington Core Lokt in 45-70.

If price isn't an issue, Garrett makes great stuff. I'd probably use the 350gr WeldCore.

Buffalo Bore makes some great stuff too, maybe the Barnes load.

I'd stay away from the Hornady though. I've heard like half a dozen stories of shitty performance with them.

Posted: 8/26/2018 1:30:34 PM EDT

[#5]

Quote History

Quoted:
I've heard of issues with two rounds. The Hornady Leverution and the Remington Core Lokt in 45-70.

If price isn't an issue, Garrett makes great stuff. I'd probably use the 350gr WeldCore.

Buffalo Bore makes some great stuff too, maybe the Barnes load.

I'd stay away from the Hornady though. I've heard like half a dozen stories of shitty performance with them.

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What was happening with the Hornady loads? I have a .444 Marlin and have not had any issues with the Leverevolution loads.

Posted: 8/26/2018 1:33:41 PM EDT

[#6]

Quote History

Quoted:
What was happening with the Hornady loads? I have a .444 Marlin and have not had any issues with the Leverevolution loads.

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
I've heard of issues with two rounds. The Hornady Leverution and the Remington Core Lokt in 45-70.

If price isn't an issue, Garrett makes great stuff. I'd probably use the 350gr WeldCore.

Buffalo Bore makes some great stuff too, maybe the Barnes load.

I'd stay away from the Hornady though. I've heard like half a dozen stories of shitty performance with them.

What was happening with the Hornady loads? I have a .444 Marlin and have not had any issues with the Leverevolution loads.

@Tradwoodsman lost a deer to it, his is the most recent example I've read on here.

I'll let him speak to it.

I haven't had first hand experience with it, honestly. However I've read at LEAST half a dozen guys complaining about the performance and how it cost them a deer.

Posted: 8/26/2018 3:48:30 PM EDT

[#7]

First and foremost hitting the animal properly is one heck of a lot more important that the round used to "anchor it quickly". A spine shot is about the only thing that will reliably drop them right there. It may not be the fastest kill, but it won't move off so a follow up or finisher is usually pretty easy.

As to loosing an animal to a particular round, as mentioned above, placement could well be the cause. We all miss our mark from time to time.

Posted: 8/26/2018 6:51:03 PM EDT

[#8]

I wasn't impressed with the Hornday load seeing a doe it in boiler room.
I found the doe 2hours later still alive had to put down with my 10mm.
The guy who shot the doe said he never had that problem with a dozen of deer he shot with it.

Posted: 8/27/2018 2:05:30 PM EDT

[#9]

That's potentially ugly news. Those 2 rounds are about the only thing available around my AO. Any ideas on what might have been an influence? Placement counts, undoubtly.

Posted: 8/27/2018 2:18:38 PM EDT

[#10]

Quote History

Quoted:
That's potentially ugly news. Those 2 rounds are about the only thing available around my AO. Any ideas on what might have been an influence? Placement counts, undoubtly.

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The Core Lokt is underpowered. 405gr @1350

To compare, Garrett has a trap door safe load which is 420gr at 1350.

It's better than nothing but there's so much factory versatility out there I don't see the point.

I'm not implying CoreLokt will bounce off a deer or anything retarded, just that they are way better options.

Edit:

Garrett just came out with these, check these out.

Posted: 8/27/2018 6:26:12 PM EDT

[#11]

I've heard mixed things about the Hornady's, but they fragmented badly when I shot watermelons with them.

Hornady 45-70 325 gr FTX LEVERevolution vs a watermelon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_wlmolBavQ

Posted: 8/29/2018 5:10:56 PM EDT

[#12]

What about the Barnes Vor-tx TSX-FN 300gr 45-70 @1950fps round? In all my reading everyone seems to love it for deer.

Posted: 8/29/2018 5:14:50 PM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
What about the Barnes Vor-tx TSX-FN 300gr 45-70 @1950fps round? In all my reading everyone seems to love it for deer.

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I know that's great bullet for reloaders in .458

(Both 45-70 and .458 SOCOM)

That'd be a great choice.

Posted: 8/29/2018 8:36:11 PM EDT

[#14]

I got my Marlin 1895 in 1979. Always had good luck on deer with the 300 grain Federals.

Posted: 9/2/2018 10:25:35 PM EDT

[#15]

Sorry can’t comment on factory rounds as I have never shot a deer with a 45-70 factory round. I can tell you that every deer I have shot with a 45-70 has died within 50 yards of where it was shot. I longest tracking jobs were a doe shot with a 420 cast bullet at about 1400 FPS, she went 50 yards and the 8 point my son shot last fall with a 405 Remington bullet pushed at 1800 FPS, it also went about 50 yards. Every other deer has died in its tracks. Most were shot with the 350FP from Hornady at 1900fps or the 405 Remington at 1800.

Posted: 9/14/2018 1:22:32 PM EDT

[#16]

I just purchased some Remington 405 SPCL Full Pressure. I think it is 1600 FPS.
This is with a Marlin 1895 Trapper.

Posted: 9/14/2018 9:28:04 PM EDT

[#17]

I am no longer a user of the Hornady leverlution ammo. The 2 deer I shot with 405 grains of hardcast dropped instantly. The levereverution shot deer ran off and was not found until the meat was bad. The deer went about 300 yards and got into a thick area of briers and died. 45-70 works

Posted: 9/14/2018 9:36:53 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:

@Tradwoodsman lost a deer to it, his is the most recent example I've read on here.

I'll let him speak to it.

I haven't had first hand experience with it, honestly. However I've read at LEAST half a dozen guys complaining about the performance and how it cost them a deer.

View Quote

Quoted:
I wasn't impressed with the Hornday load seeing a doe it in boiler room.
I found the doe 2hours later still alive had to put down with my 10mm.
The guy who shot the doe said he never had that problem with a dozen of deer he shot with it.

View Quote

Quoted:
I am no longer a user of the Hornady leverlution ammo. The 2 deer I shot with 405 grains of hardcast dropped instantly. The leverlution shot deer ran off and was not found until the meat was bad. The deer went about 300 yards and got into a thick area of briers and died. 45-70 works

View Quote

More proof this stuff is just range ammo for me.

Admittedly, I don't get out hunting as much as I'd like, but I've read far too many stories about Hornady being crap in the Leverevolution 45-70 cartridge.

Posted: 9/26/2018 1:18:54 PM EDT

[#19]

Here's a theory:

Factory 45-70 loads used to be low pressure, for use in old Springfield trap doors.

When the factories decided to offer full pressure loads for modern rifles, they did not redesign the bullets.
Therefore, the hollow point bullets open up too fast with full pressure loads.

Posted: 9/26/2018 5:00:57 PM EDT

[#20]

There are no certainties in hunting. A friend took a cow Elk with a 405 grain Laser Cast bullet over black powder with his Sharps rifle. She fell in her shadow. I've seen Elk hit with Wundermags that required hours of tracking... Upon opening them up I've been amazed by how far they traveled with that amount of damage. Sometimes you hit the off switch. Sometimes you don't.

Anecdotally, with Black Bear, Deer and Elk, it's a GREAT hunting cartridge in my experience. Put it where it goes and there will be meat on the ground nearby even at black powder velocities. I personally have not witnessed better performance pushing it to "Ruger" levels, in fact the opposite might be true. Not enough samples to say absolutely though.

I'd be plenty comfortable using 45-70 to hunt anything so long as the it was a load that shot well in my rifle, including blackpowder.