Author Topic: Think I could handle it? (Read 876 times)

chipmunk · « **on:** April 20, 2009, 12:35:25 PM »

I'm thinking of getting a 45-70 barrel for my 223 ultra. I want it more as a "just because" thing then something I really need. Although it could come in handy to have a big bore gun if I happen to go on some of those fancy moose or bear hunts I wish I could afford! I could also use it for deer if I happened to feel like it. It would be winter before I would be sending it in so I have plenty of time to think about it.

My question is; Do ya think I could handle the recoil? I have not shot any "high recoil" rifles so I can't compare there. But I have experience with 3 1/2" turkey guns. I have shot 3 1/2s through two different 12 gauges. The first is a mossberg 935. I would rate the recoil as stout but manageable. I don't mind shooting it. The other gun is a remington 870 express super mag. Weighing in at a feathery 7 pounds, the recoil is brutal. My brother, who owns the gun, refuses to practice with 3.5s unless it is in the lead sled. I will shoot it but I don't like to. That is my upper limit.

Could anyone who has shot both a handi 45/70 and a 3 1/2" 12 gauge let me know how they stack up?

PHATINJUN · « **Reply #1 on:** April 20, 2009, 12:52:05 PM »

If your shootin 3 1/2 turkey loads you will be fine. Check out the post on What's the heaviest recoil you have ever shot and you will see way more 3 1/2" TURKEY 12GAUGES THAN 45/70'S Kurt

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #2 on:** April 20, 2009, 01:31:57 PM »

I would shoot .45-70 all day long before I ever lite off another 31/2 inch turkey load. Trapdoor loads in a handi are not hard at all.

petemi · « **Reply #3 on:** April 20, 2009, 01:36:46 PM »

The Hornady .45-70 Leverevolution 325 gr. is about like shooting a 2 3/4 inch high brass 20 ga. I won't bother you at all. It may even be more like low brass 20 ga. depending on the rifle.

Pete

chipmunk · « **Reply #4 on:** April 20, 2009, 02:28:42 PM »

Wow if it's that soft then I shouldn't have a problem at all. My uncle told me that I was crazy for wanting to get one. He said he bought one of the marlin lever guns, shot it twice, and then sold it. He must just be a wimp

In fact now that I think about it...I think I remember him saying his 444 marlin was too much for him!

Plus I would imagine that if I like it enough then I could get dies and handload to my perfect recoil/performance balance.

mechanic · « **Reply #5 on:** April 20, 2009, 02:43:23 PM »

You won't have a problem with the recoil if you stay away from close to max. loads.

Spanky · « **Reply #6 on:** April 20, 2009, 03:31:11 PM »

Trapdoor loads don't really kick at all in a Handi but Ruger loads in a Handi can screw you into the ground.

A 45-70 Handi will shoot well with just about any load you can put through it too.

Get one... you won't regret it.

Spanky

maglvr44 · « **Reply #7 on:** April 20, 2009, 05:06:56 PM »

A 45-70, even heavily loaded, is a pussycat compared to a 3.5" 12ga mag.
Then again, the only 3.5" i've ever shot was 00Buck in my full choke H&R/NEF turkey gun with 22" or 24" barrel with the "sissy-bar" removed from the stock, it weighs less than 6lbs.
45-70 is a real sweet round!

rickt300 · « **Reply #8 on:** April 20, 2009, 08:00:13 PM »

Having a lot of experience with the 45-70 I'll give you my opinion. Heavily loaded to me is the 405 grain Remington bullet on top of 52.0 grains of IMR 3031 for somewhere above 1700fps. This load killed two different shotgun scopes to give you some idea and pleasant is not what I would call it. However the 405 gr. factory load is easy on the shoulder and ears, nice load to shoot. The 300 grain factory load from Winchester is a much harder kicker, past a 30-06 easily. It is one thing to take recoil and another to carefully aim one shot after another and put them into tight groups. I say get the barrel and shoot the 405 gr. factory loads at first. They will take anything you want and not cause you to avoid using the barrel.

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #9 on:** April 21, 2009, 02:24:09 PM »

I ran 40 rounds of 45-70 after an afternoons worth of shooting alot of other rounds, and didn't bother a bit. I would advise a Limbsaver pad instead of the stock recoil pad. I have a small slipon on my 45-70 and it's great. DP

highwayman · « **Reply #10 on:** April 21, 2009, 02:45:47 PM »

i have the own the 3 1/2 and a 45-70 cva. i sold the 3 1/2 and still have the 45-70. the last time i shot the 3 1/2 was with 3 1/2 number 4 buck shot. the gun busted my nose somehow and i sold it the next week. a friend had a 45-70 i shot it a few times and bought one.

Swampman · « **Reply #11 on:** April 21, 2009, 03:38:10 PM »

The Remington 405 grain factory load doesn't really have any recoil.

mechanic · « **Reply #12 on:** April 21, 2009, 03:52:45 PM »

I just tried out some reloads today. I loaded 5 each of tier 1, 2, and 3 in two different bullet wts. With a 405 gr. at approx. 1350 or so fps., I got a tremendous amount of penetration through some wet magazines in a box, and the recoil was about like a 30-30.

With the second loads and a 405, I got more penetration, and a lot more kick. About 1550fps.

The last ones I loaded just a bit hotter, and offhand they are manageable, but from a bench they are a killer.

Tomorrow I'm loading 100 rounds of tier 1 loads in 405gr. I am a small, and (getting old )man, and these are comfortable to me. You should have no discomfort at all with (trapdoor) type loads.

Ben

Swampman · « **Reply #13 on:** April 21, 2009, 03:54:56 PM »

If you want to shoot heavy kickers off the bench, put enough bags under the forend so that you can sit up straighter. Hunching over into a gun that kicks bad, will make it really hurt.

mechanic · « **Reply #14 on:** April 21, 2009, 03:59:43 PM »

Quote from: Swampman on April 21, 2009, 03:54:56 PM

If you want to shoot heavy kickers off the bench, put enough bags under the forend so that you can sit up straighter. Hunching over into a gun that kicks bad, will make it really hurt.

I already do Swampman, but my shoulder has been broken in the past, and the arthritis causes me great pain with a heavy kicker. I'm ok for once or twice, but too much and I pay a price. That why I like my Handi 357...fun and no pain.

I do ok with the factory level loads though, and my 11 yr. old nephew can handle them as well, so Chipmunk should like them fine.

Tim turned me on to some Buffalo Bore ammo.....now thats some nasty stuff unless an elephant is charging....

Swampman · « **Reply #15 on:** April 21, 2009, 04:00:44 PM »

I want to try 40-42 grains of Varget under a 405 grain Remington bullet.

tykempster · « **Reply #16 on:** April 21, 2009, 04:09:52 PM »

With standard loads it's nothing near a 3.5 inch load. I would say really stout loads might be near a 3 inch magnum though. Heavy bullets and H4198 can churn out some impressive speeds.

mechanic · « **Reply #17 on:** April 21, 2009, 04:26:07 PM »

Quote from: Swampman on April 21, 2009, 04:00:44 PM

I want to try 40-42 grains of Varget under a 405 grain Remington bullet.

I've loaded and shot a handful of those. Its a comfortable load, and hits hard. A little hotter than Rem. factory, but not that much.

chipmunk · « **Reply #18 on:** April 22, 2009, 06:05:44 AM »

Wow theres a lot of opinions on this! All basically the same though. I'll get it as soon as I decide I can handle being without my .223 for awhile. (most likely winter) I think it'll be a really cool barrel to have. If i like it I might even carry it around during deer season some instead of my 30-06. Can anyone recommend a low power scope that can handle the recoil? I have to scope it cause I can't hit anything with iron sights. Don't know why. I have great vision. It's not from lack of practice either. Just can't do it.

I'm gonna have a recoil bruise here in a few hours. Gotta shoot the turkey gun a few times to make sure I'm ready for opening day Monday. Somehow I got stuck with shooting my brothers gun for him too. Man those 3.5's are brutal. But they're worth it, last year a friend killed a gobbler with my gun at a confirmed 82 yards! It just wouldn't take another step so he went ahead and shot. Amazed me. I think it amazed him too. He just sat there for awhile staring.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #19 on:** April 22, 2009, 06:09:53 AM »

Read the 45-70 Scope link in the FAQs.

Tim

PHATINJUN · « **Reply #20 on:** April 22, 2009, 06:40:41 AM »

Man ....Quick there sure is a lot of information in them FAQ'S ain't there? ;)Kurt

45-70.gov · « **Reply #21 on:** April 22, 2009, 07:52:56 AM »

i looked at those big 45-70 bullets

imagined how they must kick

and they did...untill about the 10th found

amazing what you imagination can do to you.....now i can't beleive how mild it is

time to reload some that do kick since store bought are so mild

to me.....it kicks about like cheap low brass 12 gage

don't be without your 223....just get a whole new gun .. i like the stainless scope ready one

nikons seem to have the most eye releif........oops didn't want to suggest recoil

chipmunk · « **Reply #22 on:** April 22, 2009, 09:21:52 AM »

Man...I forgot to check the FAQ again! Never expected there to be scope suggestions for 45/70 specifically. Guess I was wrong. It's really a great thing that FAQ. Glad it's on here.

45/70, I would like buy one but, for a gun I don't really have a specific need for, around $100 sounds a lot better then paying for a whole new gun. I considered trying to find a barrel off of the classifieds here or somewhere else similar, but I am afraid of it not fitting right. I'm competent enough at this type of stuff that I could probably make it work, but what if I couldn't? Then I'm screwed.

I almost asked how fitting a barrel works, then I remembered the first sentence of this post

It's there. I think I could do it, but.....still worried. How often does a barrel fit perfectly or with fit with only minor adjustments?

quickdtoo · « **Reply #23 on:** April 22, 2009, 09:30:19 AM »

Quote from: chipmunk on April 22, 2009, 09:21:52 AM

How often does a barrel fit perfectly or with fit with only minor adjustments?

Maybe 50-50, just depends, if you have multiple frames, the chances of having one fit perfect are greatly increased.

If you want an inexpensive low power scope with plenty of eye relief, here's one that many here use, it's $30 shipped.

Tim

http://www.cdnninvestments.com/si28shpocosc.html

pitman_mm · « **Reply #24 on:** April 23, 2009, 06:28:37 AM »

If you want an inexpensive low power scope with plenty of eye relief, here's one that many here use, it's $30 shipped.

Tim

http://www.cdnninvestments.com/si28shpocosc.html

How well do these hold up to a 45-70. Cant decide if I want to use a peep or scope on mine and for that price I would buy it and give it a try.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #25 on:** April 23, 2009, 06:39:00 AM »

Excellent from others that have used them, mine has never been to the range yet, MSP has at least two of them, maybe more. If you're lucky enough to have an Ultra rail it can be mounted ahead of the hammer in low rings or cut another slot to accomodate it.

Tim

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,107175.msg1098309078.html#msg1098309078

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,117141.msg1098380107.html#msg1098380107

petemi · « **Reply #26 on:** April 23, 2009, 07:42:42 AM »

The ultimate bottom line is NOBODY should be without a .45-70 Handi. It just doesn't get any better than that...........well.....perhaps.....the .357.

I was just shooting the .357 and the .30-06 and the wind chucked up to about a half million mph and I had to quit. The bullets were going where pointed, but the shooter was being blown around. That's what I get for being a little guy. Gotta go clear off the shooting bench. See ya.

Pete