45-70 relative accuracy

[timbertoes]

well, I almost hate to ask

but it's kind-of you NEF lover's fault....until you were disposed, and your brand's name spread across a few other sites,I never realized the economy and downright smart purchase the guns could represent.

I can say, that I MIGHT ONCE or MAYBE TWICE find myself paying for a day hunt or a local WMA hunt for hogs.

I sure enjoyed reading people responses about using 45-70's for our "replacement animal for Bear"   :-D

So I eagarly scanned the ballistics tables for factory loads.
I will only ever use factory loads. may only shoot a box or two a year at the range.  - thats another reason for considering the NEF with its low cost.

So I see that it's a short range whalloping son of a gun, with appreciable drop.

With that considered, do you guys find NEF's offernig to be satisfactory in relative accuracy. And is case sticking/ejection an issue in this caliber ?

I have only ever shot 2 calibers in centerfire, ever. so I have no practical experinece to use ! One was a junk Japanese 7.7, the other a .243, so no comparison.

thanks for making me aware of this obviously loved firearm! and thanks for putting up with a newbie question  

maybe later I can join you all in some fun discussions on varmint rounds!

[timbertoes]

dang, I feel dumb, there's a post right below this that answered my question!!!!!!!    :eek:  :oops:

[JPH45]

Hope you see this, I debated for a long time, at least a year, on getting either a 375 JDJ barrel for my Encore or a 45-70.

In past I have hunted deer with and 45-70 and killed several of them with one.  The hits are obvious and unmistakable. I cannot think of a harder hitting round than the factory offerings of 300 grain JHP's at about 1800 fps. Awesome performance.

I just didn't find the 45-70 to be a flat shooter. No one does. To say that is has a trajectory like a rainbow is an understatement. I wanted a flatter shooting cartridge with similar ballistics to the 45-70, a 300 grain bullet at 1800-2000 fps with a higer ballistic coeffiecient to allow 200 yard shots with a rise and fall no greater than 2" from line of site. The 375 JDJ.

But as I began to get more and more honest with myself as to the area I hunt and the ranges I would expect to have an honest shot at game, the more I realized the 45-70 would do the job, and do it well. And it has a far far greater factory ammo, reloading supplies offerings and data avaiable. The answer became simple. the 45-70 will do all I want and more.

For what you describe, the 45-70 is perfect. It is the ultimate close range heavy for  North America.

Might I suggest that you look at the offerings of Garrett and Cor-Bon as well, their offerings take the 45-70 from  standard loading to a "light magnum".

Keep posting, JP

[Woodbutcher]

Hey Timbertoes, you're going to find out as I have, that the Handy in 45/70 will group factory ammo very much to your satisfaction. Lots of shooters talk of and show photos of cloverleafs at 50 yds. and less than 2 in. at 100 yds.
 Someone on the "other site" said that the 45/70, loaded with the 405 gr. lead bullet at 1300 fps, has taken every type of game on the North American continent.
  I really like what JPH said, and boy, I agree. May I suggest that, if you do indeed use factory 300 gr. while benchresting, a little padding tween you and the buttplate is a nice idea. Comfortable even! Sometimes them benches kinda put you in a poor posture, to absorb recoil. I don't think you get that from most varmint calipers, but its nothing you couldn't handle offhand.
 Wallopin? OH yeah! Short range. h-mmm, I'm comfy to 150 yds, so far and maybe farther with more range time. That's good stuff in Western Pa. forests.  The confidence it gives is great, if I do my job, the bullet will!!!
                                                    Woodbutcher

[timbertoes]

Thanks JP,
your correct. As much as we like to think of those 200-300 yards shots, they dont happen that often.
Ever since Christmas, when my Wife gave me a Marlin 880sq, I have spent all my time on the net, reading about hunting, and hunting in texas.
Here it is virtually all shotgun for free hunting areas.  otherwise it's leases - high dollar,very high dollar, when you can even find a lease, Deer hunting.

seems almost all posts here and around, Hogs are taken either in tough underbrush or next to feeders. close range stuff.

Here it is virtually all shotgun for free hunting areas.  Then it's high dollar,
very high dollar Deer hunting. Duck hunting seems to be extremly popular, but that is a "profession" all by itself, and I need a fe more years at least before i could even consder it. Dont have a Duck Dog, for one!

Today  I walked right by a several acre pond with a dozen ducks. Not one of them flew away.  Must have know I had #6 lead = squirrel/rabbit  

Today was actually my first hunting trip since oh, 1980 or earlier.
I used to hunt in Western Ky. and a few times in LBL. small game only.

The other night, while reading through the Texas Game dept's WMA map book, I saw that we have an area close by that allows virtually all rifles.
Caddo Area, and its also a national/federal  area.

Combining that with the recent exposure to NEF rifles, it got me going....
hence my presence here.  

pretty much I found out that for paid Hunts, Hog tends to be on the cheaper side.  And as I meet more firearms enthusiasts, I hope to get some coyote hunting. but for now it's all dreams


and then lets face it, shooting is fun  If nothing else, for the price of a NEF rifle, I now realize one can :

Buy 2, even 3 calibers for the price of one "standard" bolt action.

Buy/sell/trade to your hearts content.  better to "lose" 50 dollars on a NEF re-sell than 100 or so on more epxensive rifles.

I am fortunate to have an understanding wife, and even more fortunate to work 5 minutes from a Skeet/trap/clays range. so I also have 2 shotguns.

Have a rifle range there too.   But, like the rest of you I see the cost in shooting centerfire a lot, at paper targets, so I intend to mostly stick with shotguns.

But I would sure like to shoot some centerfire rounds!  something to "blow away" the 308 boys at the range,  :-D
meaning to create more AIR SHOCK and BENCH SHAKE   :-D  :-D  :-D

Indeed I am attracted to fire, smoke and thunder.

I was registered over at Marlin Talk, it was a very good forum.
at least they opened it back up for archival reading.

[Big Blue]

Timbertoes,
  I think these last two posts have spoke volumes. We often look a rifle calibers and their long range trajectory, while thinking about making those 300 yard shots that we rarely if ever will get a chance to take. I have never shot a deer past 80 yards, yet find myself looking at long range trajectories all the time, for what I don't know. The 45/70 in Rem. 405 gr. is the most basic of 45/70 ammo, and it would suffice for almost anything you will see in N. America. It not only hits hard, it also will penetrate very deeply. In the short run, if your looking for 300 yard performance you need to look elsewhere, but if you want a rifle that will take anything you hunt at under 100 yards, this is your gun.
Don

[Badnews Bob]

Howdy and welcome. Watch out or you'll catch Handi-itis, I think its incureable, but you die happy.  AS FOR THE .45-70 Don't think for a minute its a short range round only. This is the cartridge used the most by buffalo hunters Over  a hundred years ago, With Black powder loads they dropped'em at ranges of over 300yards. Its a very capable round.

Now about them guys at the range, Get yourself a Lee Loader ($13.58 at Midway.) , some primers and black powder, cast some bullets from wheel weights read a little get some loading info and really make some smoke and thunder, you'll scatter them puny little .30cal shooters into the weeds :-D Big fun and you'll find yourself able to shoot more because your saving on bullet cost.
 Ask some of the other reloader converts here, We'll get you into all kinds of trouble with your wife :roll:  unless you can get her involved also. :grin:

have fun

[timbertoes]

When I was a real young'un, in Pensacola, the father across the street was
a hunter, and casted his own bullets. I thought that was pretty neat.

I hear that one of the boys there became a Taxidermist.
one day I went over to play, and the boy, Neil, had a bird he was "working" on.  I stepped on its heart, it had been carefully laid on the grass.  (i'm clumsy) Man oh man, Neil was mad. I think he chased me for a good while..

as a teen, I had a lee loader for .243 and for 20ga.
a few times, the 20 gauge reloads....the shot went about 5 feet.
I therfore estimate the the muzzle velocity was about 5 ft/s.  :-D  :-D

the lee loader, a 15-ish dollar kit, took a lot of work for the .243. I eventaully somehow earned enough money to get a rcbs setup. that was pretty cool.

A guy at work has a new muzzleloader. I bet he would like to have fun sharing guns for an afternoon. He said the muzzleloader knocked him down to the ground, really!!  Then he said, he laid down on the ground. Fired. Nearly broke his collar bone. He was hurting!!

My wife does shoot my .22's. Sure enough she got quite excited when she hit the "exact" bullseye.  :eek:

the Marlin 880sq has a 4.5-14x40 and my older savage .22wmr has a 6-24x50, both super sale priced simmons.

Our local range in Mckinney is 100 yards. 100 yards is longer via eyesight than most non-shooters realize.  even with say a 9X scope,
ala bushnell, that 1" area is virtually invisible, covered by crosshairs.

I might just stick with Iron sights on a big cal, Need to learn a "real mans" sights anyway.   :wink:

I'm convinced. Wensday I will go order a 45-70.
I'd go sooner, but Monday I will be.......shooting skeet !
Tuesday, I'm meeting a guy, who hopefully will put 150+ in my paws for my RC trainer airplane.

plus, a local guy I met at shotgun world says he has a 45-70 in a Marlin.  might as well join the crowd....

[nightstalker]

Bob. You talking about scattering shooters reminds me of the time a freind and I visited a German shooting range.  All they were allowed to own in their town was .22 target pistols.  I had a Ruger Security Six and My freind had a S&W M629 .44 Mag.  The Germans were all on the firing line going pop-pop pop with their .22's when we opened up.  I don't think they had ever heard anything like us before.  We instantly made a lot of freinds and got all the free beer we wanted.

[Badnews Bob]

:twisted:  :twisted:  :twisted: