45/70 Hornady LeverEvolution Penetration?

[moolfson]

So, I'm hunting a small farm this year (10 acres) surrounded by other farms. I've never hunted with a 45/70, and i'm using the 325g Hornady LeverEvolution. So, assuming I shoot my deer brodside, how much penetration am I looking at? Anybody here have some stories to tell about this particular load?


 I got this rife for a slow moving, accurate, devistating, short range round, however I'm used to shooting in the deep woods and now I keep hearing all these stories about 45/70 rounds going clear through deer and not loosing any speed, and I can just hear my old rangemaster from work "Over-penetration is a liability!"


So? Am I going to blow though my deer, 300 yards of woods and leave a dent on the sheriffs door 2&1/4 miles away? 

[petemi]

I really can't give you the answer you're looking for.  I've only killed one buck with the .45-70 LE.  I spined him broadside at 220 yard and the bullet only passed through about 4 or five inches of meat and bone.  I can tell you it didn't put a dent in our Under Sheriff's door, because he lives 2 1/4 miles in the opposite direction....a fact

Pete

[geezer56]

I haven't shot the LE in the 45-70, but it seems to be a bit more fragile than other bullets in the 444 Marlin.  In the 444, the LE penetrates far less than a 300 gr hardcast bullet, or the 265 gr hornady offering.  Not the answer you were looking for, I know, just a reference point. 

[Swampman]

I always want to shoot through so I'll have a blood trail if I need it.  The LE bullet is very fragile.  I don't believe you'll have to worry about hitting anything at 300 yards.  There are a lot of good bullets available.  The LE isn't one of them.

[pghrich]

Hello, pghrich here, i have shot a doe with the hornady lever revolution with a buffalo classic 45/70, about 70 yards away, and i can tell you first hand that the bullet will go clean thru but certainly not very far,i had the largest blood trail ever and the dear traveled about an honest 10 yards.

[petemi]

I always want to shoot through so I'll have a blood trail if I need it.  The LE bullet is very fragile.  I don't believe you'll have to worry about hitting anything at 300 yards.  There are a lot of good bullets available.  The LE isn't one of them.

Swampy, you're only saying that 'cause they ain't Remington.    Seriously, I didn't reload when I used the LEs.  Now I load the Remington 405 gr. running 1950 fps......no question about what it does.  If it's not a bang flop, he'll bleed to death in 50 yards

Pete

[Jimbo47]

Basically what he is asking is not so much the penetration results of hitting the deer, but what happens to the bullet once it passes through the deer and beyond, since he mentions he is hunting on a small place and is worried about where the bullet may end up.
 
Have you considered a slug gun?
 
I regress since you say you have a 45-70 so I would use heavy lead bullets loaded to trapdoor levels and be aware of what is beyond your target before you shoot in a certain direction, along with the all important shot placement.
 
Forget the double lung shot since a 405 grain lead bullet shot into the broadside shoulder of a deer should leave little to no tracking, and a dead right there deer, and since striking major bones you shouldn't have to worry about the bullet hitting the sheriffs door 2 1/2 miles away.
 
That said, I would ditch the LE's in favor of a box of over the counter Remington 405 grains instead traveling at 1300 fps should be plenty for what you are looking for.
 
Good luck!

[Swampman]

Good advise....

[Jimbo47]

Thanks, Been there, done that!
 
Can you tell? 

[quickdtoo]

The 405 Rem factory ammo chronos just over 1200fps from a 22" Handi, LE ammo runs ~1938fps. 

Tim

[moolfson]

Thanks everybody!


Assuming I get a deer in the next two weeks, I'll throw up a picture! And maybe some data.

[Jimbo47]

Looking forward to it! 
 
Good luck!

[Swampman]

The 405 Rem factory ammo chronos just over 1200fps from a 22" Handi, LE ammo runs ~1938fps. 

Tim

That's why I shoot the Remington 405s.

[JMcDonald]

I'd go with lighter bullets if you want more limited bullet travel after hitting the deer. Even a 200gr bullet like the XTP will usually through-penetrate a broadside deer (well, Southern Deer at least). However, it will lose more of its velocity and thus be less potent beyond that.
 
*edit*
 
Don't listen to anything I just said. I thinking .44Mag the whole time...

[BBF]

There are only two choices IMO on limiting bullet travel after it strikes an animal.
 1. Something slow with a big exposed leadnose. a large meplat cast will do similar that tumbles out of the game and flops to the ground. 1200 fps or less MV.
 
2. Something that expands violently inside the body and doesn't exit.
 
 
If you push those various 300 gr HP's  fast enough the second choice will be the one you get. If they get out, they will be so deformed or fractured they are no longer a danger.

[surehuntsalot]

I have lost some deer to the Hornady LE ammo because of the fragile/poor preforming bullet
all I use now is the Winchester 300gr HP's and no more problems

[captpaul]

So far five deer have fallen to the 325 LE in five shots from my BC.  Three does, a nice 8 point and a six point.  Shots ranged from 50 yds to 105 yds and were all broadside shots.  Four dropped in their tracks; the LE penetrated shoulders, spines, ribs and everything else and continued out the other side of the deer leaving a trail of bone fragments.  The six point ran about 80 yds with the bottom of his heart shot off, no major bones being hit.  Meat loss is very low, but the hole through the deer is wicked.
I can't imagine that a 325 grain 45 cal bullet at 2000 fps is not enough for any deer.

[giddens1972]

I havn't shot anything with them, but I do know that the first load I tried with them running about 1850fps didn't group worth a crap.  If I take it hunting this weekend I'll be shooting factory 300's.  Got a 1and1/2" group at 100 yards with those.

[BBF]

A body has got to be puzzled why some folks report good results with the LE ammo and other consider them a big failure.
Shooting a Handi eliminates the need for pointy bullets.

[Jimbo47]

In fairness I've never used them, and have considered using them, but I've read most of the reviews from several different sites noticing more than just a few who gave negative reviews.
 
I know reviews can be bogus, but what I look for is anything that can point toward consistancy between reviews on different sites.
 
There are people who love the LE's and those who say they've lost deer using them, poor expansion, lack of blood trail, etc. and what I determined for myself is that there is just enough of the negatives where I decided to just stay away from them.

[handirandy]

I shoot the LE's primarily because they group 5/8"@100 yds out of my BC.  The three deer that I have shot, all small to medium does, ran less than 20 yrds. with a massive blood trail.  Very little lost meat. All broadside at around 40 yrds. All heart/lung.  All pass thru's.  Bullet travel after impact ??  Did see one hit the mud on the far side with little authority.