Custom scope bullet drop info

[ShootingPirate]

I have been rocking the east with my SBL and have decided to put a scout scope on it. Jeff Quinn from GunBlast has an article about a scope he had set up for a guide gun.

Leupold Custom Shop Scout Scope on the Marlin .45-70 Guide Gun

He had it set up for a 405 grain brick of lead going 1800 fps. I would eventually like to use this on some big game (Black Bear, Moose, Brown Bear....) and am not sure about the 1800 fps. That seems fast to me. Would the same 405 grain bullet be effective at 1500 or 1700 fps. Would the trajectory be significantly better if I stayed at the 1800 fps and how stout will this load be? Most of my plinking is at around 1200 - 1400 fps.

[ShootingPirate]

I feel like I have either asked a stupid question or I have done something to offend the masses....If you have any thouhgts, please let me know r just make something up and I am likely to believe it.

[M700]

Shot a mulie doe at about 70 yards with the 405 gr Remington bullet, handloaded to 1650 fps from my 18.5" Marlin Guide Gun. It put a hole high through her shoulders, broke her spine and dropped her instantly. There was a hole through her that I could pretty much look through, and interestingly, not much bloodshot meat.

I'd love to tell you about the moose I shot with a .45/70, but here in Washington that's a once-in-a-lifetime tag, and apparently I haven't been putting in for enough years to get drawn for that tag... Bear and elk, I shot with something else, so those stories aren't applicable.

A 400 grain bullet at 1800 fps is a fairly stout load in a Marlin, and you'll know it when you touch one off. If you set up so you can give with the shot instead of just having to set there all hunched over at the bench, the recoil isn't so bad. I've shot them loaded that stout, and higher. Am still here...

Not a real fan of the ballistic type reticles - they're okay though and can be useful. How well they match the trajectory of your particular rifle & load is a good question.

Regards, Guy

[1 big hole]

Why have a scope built on the premice of using just one round at a particular speed? It's a good idea but, your limited and that bullet at that speed is quite STIFF, and it will get old (read that painful) after awhile. I would (and did) buy a leupold, but instead of one scope for one round at a set speed shoot it at differant ranges to determin the drop yourself.

[ShootingPirate]

1 Big Hole - I like what you are saying there. The premise was that he also had another round with a smaller bullet at a higher speed that had the same trajectory. I appreciate your comments and you may well have helped me keep from screwing up something early on. I need to do some more thinking and perhaps consider a mil-dot reticle or something similar.

[1 big hole]

check out the VXR line from Leupold. I have the patrol version on mine.