Help with the 45-70

[Monte]

I just purchased a marlin cowboy in 45-70. I have never loaded for this round so I would appreciate some help with powder choices and bullets selection. I will just be shooting paper at first so no reason for any HOT loads.
Thanks

[Chuck 100 yd]

Great subject. I have a few but no time now so BTT. I am sure you will get lots of help as the old govt.45 is very popular here.

[TedH]

There are several good powders for the 45-70. For anything but pipsqueak loads RL7 is hard to beat. It'll do from mild to wild. Accurate XMP 5744 is another good choice for mild to mid range loads. Trailboss or Unique for light loads.

If you cast, one of Ranch Dogs molds would be the ticket for bullets. I have also had good luck with the Lyman 330 Gould mold and the RCBS 45-405 mold in my Marlin. If your just punching paper I would certainly want to use a cast bullet of some sort to keep from breaking the bank.

[Old Savage]

Mild - 25 gr of 2400 and a 400 gr bullet.

Wild - 53 gr of 3031 and a 350 Hornady.

41.5 gr of RL7 and a Sierra 300 Mildish.

This for an 1895SS Marlin.

[Ysabel Kid]

21 grains of AA5744 under a 405-grain LRN-FP pill makes for a nice mild target load.

24.5 grains of AA5744 under a 300-grain LRN-FP is also a great target load. I think Kirk did a 1/3 sheet of TP rolled and folded for both.

49 grains of IMR 3031 under a 400-grain Speer JPS makes a good hunting load. NOT for use in any trapdoors though!

Always check any loads you get from the internet with information from the powder manufacture!

[Jay Bird]

I like 405gr swc w/ 11 grs of unique. Around 1150 FPS. Light and a blast to shoot..

[Noah Zark]

Wild - 53 gr of 3031 and a 350 Hornady.

Whoo-hoo! Wild -- got that right, but!

That's one of my staple "standard" 45-70 loads; it kills at both ends but is remarkably effective against soft armor and aircraft under 5000 ft . . .

With those loads and a Marlin 1895, who needs a Boys Anti-Tank rifle?

Noah

[Old Savage]

What do you shoot it out of Noah? In my 1895SS with the scope it doesn't seem to bad. Chronographs about 1860+ fps. 5x 1.5" at 100 yds.

[Slick]

My best results have come with IMR-3031 and RL-7. My "pet" load is 40gr of RL-7 under a 405gr OT cast on Starline brass w/fed primer.

[AndyM]

I use Re-7 for my Marlin hunting loads and the 350g hornady flat point.
For my fun shooting load it is aa-5744 under a lead 405 - usually out of my Pedersoli Sharps...

[jdad]

Here is the link to the Laser Cast "low velocity" Load Data

http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm


This is the data for 300gr Laser Cast bullets.

45-70 Government 300gr FPbb
PR: WLR CM: Rem TempF: 63 OAL: 2.515"
PT PW Vel SD GS
700X 7.0 912 13.2 2.1
8.0 997 10.4 4.5
9.0 1079 10.3 3.1
10.0 1151 15.2 2.1
11.0 1215 10.9 1.58


45-70 Government 300gr FPbb
PR: WLR CM: Rem TempF: 64 OAL: 2.515"
PT PW Vel SD GS
AA2 8.0 875 22.2 2.2
9.0 971 7.2 2.2
10.0 1047 9.1 2.7
11.0 1117 16.0 1.78
12.0 1181 9.9 2.0


GMDR assumes NO liability for mishaps of any kind resulting from the use or misuse of this data

45-70 Government 300gr FPbb
PR: WLR CM: Rem TempF: 64 OAL: 2.515"
PT PW Vel SD GS
Bullseye 7.0 884 26.9 3.8
8.0 965 17.3 3.4
9.0 1042 10.6 2.7
10.0 1117 6.6 2.6
11.0 1189 10.1 1.49


45-70 Government 300gr FPbb
PR: WLR CM: Rem TempF: 62 OAL: 2.515"
PT PW Vel SD GS
GreenDot 8.0 878 24.9 3.3
9.0 961 28.8 2.5
10.0 1056 8.5 4.5
11.0 1132 22.0 1.56
12.0 1194 18.0 1.20


GMDR assumes NO liability for mishaps of any kind resulting from the use or misuse of this data

45-70 Government 300gr FPbb
PR: WLR CM: Rem TempF: 64 OAL: 2.515"
PT PW Vel SD GS
HS6 11.0 897 8.6 1.54
12.0 964 11.7 2.2
13.0 1037 18.0 3.2
14.0 1105 10.0 1.20
15.0 1175 18.2 1.61


45-70 Government 300gr FPbb
PR: WLR CM: Rem TempF: 60 OAL: 2.515"
PT PW Vel SD GS
HS7 12.0 882 29.5 2.3
13.0 961 14.8 2.7
14.0 1022 12.6 2.7
15.0 1089 14.7 3.4
16.0 1148 13.2 1.44


GMDR assumes NO liability for mishaps of any kind resulting from the use or misuse of this data

45-70 Government 300gr FPbb
PR: WLR CM: Rem TempF: 64 OAL: 2.515"
PT PW Vel SD GS
Solo1000 8.0 912 11.3 2.6
9.0 990 10.7 1.74
10.0 1056 14.7 2.5
11.0 1127 7.0 3.0
12.0 1200 7.6 1.71


45-70 Government 300gr FPbb
PR: WLR CM: Rem TempF: 62 OAL: 2.515"
PT PW Vel SD GS
Solo1250 9.0 914 43.0 3.0
10.0 1001 15.0 2.9
11.0 1081 14.8 2.4
12.0 1151 14.9 1.88
13.0 1214 14.6 1.91


GMDR assumes NO liability for mishaps of any kind resulting from the use or misuse of this data

45-70 Government 300gr FPbb
PR: WLR CM: Rem TempF: 64 OAL: 2.515"
PT PW Vel SD GS
TiteGroup 7.0 908 12.5 3.0
8.0 992 12.3 7
9.0 1071 16.2 4
10.0 1143 9.2 2.2
11.0 1227 8.7 1.73


45-70 Government 300gr FPbb
PR: WLR CM: Rem TempF: 64 OAL: 2.515"
PT PW Vel SD GS
TiteWad 7.0 885 20.0 2.3
8.0 966 14.3 2.6
9.0 1052 11.0 2.6
10.0 1117 8.0 1.47
11.0 1190 12.7 1.64


GMDR assumes NO liability for mishaps of any kind resulting from the use or misuse of this data

45-70 Government 300gr FPbb
PR: WLR CM: Rem TempF: 65 OAL: 2.515"
PT PW Vel SD GS
Unique 8.0 837 26.9 4
9.0 928 30.4 1.78
10.0 1018 13.6 2.5
11.0 1081 17.3 3.2
12.0 1151 10.8 1.71


45-70 Government 300gr FPbb
PR: WLR CM: Rem TempF: 62 OAL: 2.515"
PT PW Vel SD GS
VVn320 8.0 849 16.6 2.7
9.0 949 11.2 2.2
10.0 1022 10.7 1.86
11.0 1112 5.9 2.1
12.0 1171 9.3 1.31


GMDR assumes NO liability for mishaps of any kind resulting from the use or misuse of this data

45-70 Government 300gr FPbb
PR: WLR CM: Rem TempF: 60 OAL: 2.515"
PT PW Vel SD GS
VVn350 10.0 813 43.7 2.6
11.0 915 21.5 2.3
12.0 1000 23.6 2.2
13.0 1088 12.3 2.2
14.0 1155 17.9 1.72


45-70 Government 300gr FPbb
PR: WLR CM: Rem TempF: 64 OAL: 2.515"
PT PW Vel SD GS
W231 8.0 868 28.1 3.2
9.0 941 24.3 2.9
10.0 1005 16.0 2.1
11.0 1095 18.3 1.91
12.0 1164 11.9 1.64


GMDR assumes NO liability for mishaps of any kind resulting from the use or misuse of this data

[Jay Bird]

My best results have come with IMR-3031 and RL-7. My "pet" load is 40gr of RL-7 under a 405gr OT cast on Starline brass w/fed primer.

Slick, I killed an elk last year w/ that RL-7 load out of my 86 SRC.

[Griff]

My favorite load is 2F Goex to w/in ¼" of the case mouth, hold rim against the bolt of my vibratory clener (while it's running), to settle the charge, press in a waxed card wad, then seat a boolit cast from a RCBS FN-325-U sized to .458 and lubed w/SPG. SERIOUS medicine, good for 300 yds.