First time hand loading .45-70...

[shot1]

A 405 gr lead slug, actually 418 grs from my Lyman #457193 mold at 1400 FPS propelled my 70 grs FFG black powder or 28 grs AA 5744 smokeless powder will shoot from stem to stern on about any animal in North America to considerable distance. I once shot a deer at 110 yards with my Sharps 45-70 with the BP load above that was facing me. By the time the bullet got to the deer it had put it's head down and the bullet struck it in the forehead traveled down it's neck making saw dust of the bones. The bullet angled slightly off the bones to go through the left front shoulder and exited behind the shoulder then shot clean off it's left back leg just above the knee. The bullet then hit the HARD PACKED logging road and went about 10 yards down the road turning up the dirt like a mole does then came out of the ground and about 10 yards away went through a 4" tree. I don't know where it went from there. When the US Army in 1873 decided to go with the 45-70 it was because with the 500 gr bullet at a touch over 1100 fps would shoot through 6" pine logs and go a foot into the sand on the other side at 1000 yards.
The 300 gr Sierra HP pushed to about 1800 fps with 41 grs IMR 4198 which is the suggested hunting load in the Sierra manual for the 1886 Winchester action pressure which your Handy Rifle will handle easy is an awesome deer killer.

[45-70.gov]

405 grains...why the extra 5 grains??


why does it matter   seems to have been the choice for a long time
no need to fix whats not broke


lighter than 405
faster
saves lead
less penetration
poor BC.....on and on


bigger than 405
too slow
waste lead
great penetration
better BC....on and on


405.....just right

[keith44]

The 330 Gould hollow point was very popular as a woods deer choice, for its ability to expand, but still fully penetrate deer.

The 405 is, IMO also, the best all around choice.

[gary0529]

Perhaps it is just that I have gotten too old to appreciate the pounding the 405 and 500 grain bullets give me out  of the Marlin 1895 GG.
 I limit my 45-70 shooting to 50 gr. of IMR 3031 and a 300 grain HP
The deer I have shot never lived another 30 seconds after being hit with it.
Most were bang flop.
Maybe I could load down the heavier bullet but the combo I use now is just about perfect to my hunting distances (under 150 yards) that I have no need to look any further.

Gary