45-70 elk bullets

[Live_weighT34]

Any lever gun elk hunting fanatics out there? I’ve killed elk with my bow, and a few cows & spikes with bolt rifles & a 340 bull with my muzzleloader. My grandpa has given me his old Winchester 1886 45-70 that was built in 1894 but had a new barrel put on in the 80s or 90s by the previous owner. My grandpa used it for his clubs cowboy action shoots and did shoot one forky with it but used a lead cast bullet, I’d like to use a copper jacketed bullet or full copper in the 325-400gr range, grandpa loves to reload and has everything I’d need. I’m not shooting an elk much past 150yds and being that the guts of the rifle are 100+ years old with a more modern barrel I’d like to keep the pressures down. Remington Corlokt and Hornady leverevolution factory options are just right on the borderline of being safe and I’m not taking chances. Thanks! And post some lever action elk kills if you guys have some!

 

[wavygravy]

I've not gotten an elk with one, but I've hit quite a few deer with the Barnes 300gr TSX and every single time I am impressed with the results. Usually pass throughs with major expansion. I can't imagine a world where a 300gr hollow point doesn't put a serious hurt on anything at 150 yards.

 

[robtattoo]

At 150 & in, it's an ideal candidate for cast lead.
A 350 or 405 cast, gas check bullet with a nice, wide meplat loaded to safe pressure in an 86 will do everything you want, probably better than 90% of jacketed bullets.
If you have to go jacketed, Hornady 325 FTX, handloaded down to around 16-1700fps would be great inside of 200yds

 

[gman82001]

Killed a nice bull about 180yards with a Hornady 350fp and dad killed a nice big cow buffalo with the same. They’re reloads I’m not sure if there’s a factory offering with it

 

[blkqi]

Barnes Original 300gr has worked well from my muzzleloader. That is basically basically a classic .45-70 load, over 70 gr (substitute).

 

[Houseminer]

I use the 405 gr, Remington soft point. It has been a standard for decades.

 

[Live_weighT34]

I've not gotten an elk with one, but I've hit quite a few deer with the Barnes 300gr TSX and every single time I am impressed with the results. Usually pass throughs with major expansion. I can't imagine a world where a 300gr hollow point doesn't put a serious hurt on anything at 150 yards.

I like the Barnes stuff, I live 20 minute up the road from their plant in Utah and have a buddy that works in their ballistics lab. I watched a different buddy shoot a spike elk with some handload 7mm08 TTSX and it pummeled that spike into the ground at 350.

 

[Live_weighT34]

Killed a nice bull about 180yards with a Hornady 350fp and dad killed a nice big cow buffalo with the same. They’re reloads I’m not sure if there’s a factory offering with it

Reloading is almost my only option cause like I said the guts of the gun are pretty old. But I’ll try to find some of those! I’ve used almost exclusively hornady on my elk kills except for two cows and use the ELDX .50 in my muzzleloader, I don’t think they make a bad bullet personally. Nice bull!

 

[Live_weighT34]

At 150 & in, it's an ideal candidate for cast lead.
A 350 or 405 cast, gas check bullet with a nice, wide meplat loaded to safe pressure in an 86 will do everything you want, probably better than 90% of jacketed bullets.
If you have to go jacketed, Hornady 325 FTX, handloaded down to around 16-1700fps would be great inside of 200yds

1600-1700 FPS is my target speed range for sure, I like the idea of jacketed bullets for expansion reasons and the FTX and Barnes are supposed to expand at low fps. Im just completely unfamiliar with lead cast on animals but I’m not opposed to them, my grandpa cast his own 350 & 405gr for cowboy action but all his are hard cast but I’m sure he could whip up some that aren’t. Thanks!!

 

[Nine Banger]

I'm working on 250 TSX load for 450 marlin for deer next year but I don't think these bullets will expand at 1600fps.

I'd think an all lead bullet would be the way to go but you're already making a .45 caliber hole with a mono bullet so maybe it will work fine.

My shots are 200 yards in and we have really tall grass and need a blood trail to make things more assured.

I'm interested to hear your results even if its at the end of next season, please update this post.

 

[BrBa]

I wouldn't worry about hunting with a 405 gr hardcast bullet in .45-70. If you want to try a mono, the 300 gr Barnes (#30630) groups very well in my 1895. I also get tiny groups with the Hornady 325 gr FTX but be aware you have to trim those cases to 2.04" to have a c.o.a.l. of 2.59". Also get excellent groups with both the jacketed 350 gr Hornady round and flat nose.

 

[Bluefish]

500g maker around 1050 will get the job done. Also super quiet. Safe in almost any 45-70. Will open down to 800 fps which is almost 500 yards.

 

[Blacksmoke]

425 grain Bear Tooth Bullets pile driver junior at 1600 fps will penetrate end to end. I keep my shots to about 100-150 yards.

 

[Live_weighT34]

I'm working on 250 TSX load for 450 marlin for deer next year but I don't think these bullets will expand at 1600fps.

I'd think an all lead bullet would be the way to go but you're already making a .45 caliber hole with a mono bullet so maybe it will work fine.

My shots are 200 yards in and we have really tall grass and need a blood trail to make things more assured.

I'm interested to hear your results even if it’s at the end of next season, please update this post.

I’ll try and remember lol I’m itching to get it going later this spring! Good luck on your load as well!

 

[Live_weighT34]

425 grain Bear Tooth Bullets pile driver junior at 1600 fps will penetrate end to end. I keep my shots to about 100-150 yards.

I’ll try them out! Thanks!

 

[Live_weighT34]

500g maker around 1050 will get the job done. Also super quiet. Safe in almost any 45-70. Will open down to 800 fps which is almost 500 yards.

A 500gr hammer lol it would be fun and probably would stop till it hit a rock or tree on the other side! but even though it’s not a fast round I like the idea of being above 1500fps

 

[jhm2023]

Not elk, but I've had great luck with the 325gr Lehigh xtreme defense on bears and moose with various Marlin 1895s. The accuracy is pretty good and the terminal performance is pretty impressive. The wound channels are a fair bit larger than wide flat point hardcast has given me in the past and the only one I've ever caught went over 3 feet through a moose hard quartering to. I'm really eyeing those 300gr shock hammers to load for bear this spring.

 

[Bluefish]

A 500gr hammer lol it would be fun and probably would stop till it hit a rock or tree on the other side! but even though it’s not a fast round I like the idea of being above 1500fps

I took two deer with the500’s this last year and neither went more than 10 yards. one at 45 yards, left parts of deer outside the deer. Enough penetration that I am going to step down to the 400g version next year. With the 400 I can spot my shots with an 8 lb rifle. Staying subsonic the high bc of the makers means they really don’t lose any velocity within 150 yards, maybe 30 fps. Only downside is drop, but within 150 yards, holding hair on an elk would work. The range I use for sighting in has 8” rounds at 150 yards, I can easily ring that with just holding a little high. Quite eye opening on what a slow heavy bullet can do.

if you want faster, the Hornady 410g sub can be pushed into the range you want and based on the podcast, they say that has the most penetration they have seen. I just don’t want that much recoil. Also the subs are like shooting an airgun when using a can. Hornady has data for sonic‘s and hodgdon has data for the sub loadings. I found the loads are gun dependent as my contender and Marlin have different speeds for the same load. If you don’t load, Hornady sells the 410g as a sub load.

 

[rayporter]

i am a relative newcomer to the 45-70. only had one 6 years.
my first shot at game dropped 2 deer. that is 2 with one 300gr Hornady HP. i have grown to like that bullet.

the 250 Hornady mono flex also works well but i don't think you would like it for elk in the old rifle because you would not get the fps it needs.

my step son tried the 325 gummy tip and gave up on it. he gave me some and i also gave up on it. the cases needed to be shortened to feed if i remember correctly.

 

[Live_weighT34]

Not elk, but I've had great luck with the 325gr Lehigh xtreme defense on bears and moose with various Marlin 1895s. The accuracy is pretty good and the terminal performance is pretty impressive. The wound channels are a fair bit larger than wide flat point hardcast has given me in the past and the only one I've ever caught went over 3 feet through a moose hard quartering to. I'm really eyeing those 300gr shock hammers to load for bear this spring.

Hey if it works on a moose it’ll work on any elk in Utah! That’s awesome