Recommended 45-70 black bear loads ?

[Muskie Hunter]

I have a new Marlin 45-70 Guide Gun and want to load up some good black bear loads with recommended powder/bullet combinations.What do you suggest?I've handloaded for over 30 years but never for the 45-70.Thankyou.

[jhalcott]

depending on YOUR tolerance to recoil ,and , assuming you will be in a stand.300 grain JSP bullets and 3031 powder.Starting with 43gr. for 1550 fps and max load of50 gr for 1830 fps. A 405 jsp with3031 starts at 38.5 gr =1312 fps and max load of48 gr =1736.
   If you want to shoot cast bullets try some Lyman 457122 HP's. These loads require a dacron wad of about 1/2 grain(.5 grain) to hold the powder near the primer in the loaded case. 47gr 3031=1723 fps to start and a MAX load of54 gr 3031 =1934 fps. There ARE hotter loads ,but bear are not that hard to kill.
  These loads are from a 24" barrel,and are safe in MY guns (T/C contender and Mauser bolt rifle) They are from a Lyman book and deemed safe for 1886 Win & 1895 Marlin.
  I have also used an LBT bullet,420 grain pointed ,gas checked design to take bear and deer with IMR 3031 :-D

[Redhawk1]

I loaded up some 405 gr. Remingtons over 39.0 gr. of IMR 4198 for my buddy, that is using a Marlin 45-70 also. We are going on a bear hunt to Maine this October and we wiped up a very accurate load for the bears. They have a little thump, but not bad at all.

[Thebear_78]

For bears under 600lbs, 405gr Rem with heavy dose of H322 in starline brass for velosity of 1800-1900fps.  Over 600lbs kodiak 405gr over H322 in starline brass at 1900fps.

[jh45gun]

Even the low powered shells loaded factory in deference to the older black powder aged 45/70  guns  or shells loaded with black or a substitute black powder have enough ommph to kill a bear with dispatch. They been doing that for years. Of course the guide guns can handle a bit more and not saying that is not the way to go. I am saying that the standard loaded shells will still do the job so anything of that power and higher will work. I do not see the need to hotrod the 45/70 to get the job done. All that does is put more wear and tear on you and your gun. If you feel you need that much power than you should have gotten a 450 or a 458. The medium loadings for the lever actions and the lower ones for the trapdoors ect work just fine. I have a Origional frame 1902 Remington Rolling block rebarreled with a Green mountain barrel. Steve Garbe wrote me a email saying I could use the bottom third of the loading chart for the lever action guns. Any of them is all the power I need. I shot a deer once with my Roller at a angle the bullet went from front shoulder to back quarter and out and still kept going. So even a the lower powered loads really penetrate with the 45/70. Jim

[Redhawk1]

I have to agree with jh45gun there. Big and slow bullets work great.  :grin: