[45/70 nut]

Are any of you guys using this bullet in your 45-70 rifles and if so how is it? I'm looking to use this bullet around 1900-2000fps max. I'm currently using the 350gr hornady FP at 1900fps and have no complaints on larger critters but I don't think I need that much bullet for whitetails. The 300gr should do the trick with less recoil and a bit more expansion than the 350fp

 

[Bearcat 74]

I've used the 300 hornady from my muzzleloader at 1900ish fps and it's been excellent.


Another great 300gr bullet is the Speer 300gr.


I killed a big doe this year at 7yds with one started just over 1900fps. It broke one shoulder and came to rest in the opposite ham. It was expanded to right at 1".


I'd not fret the 300 hornady though.

 

[sandog]

You'll get less recoil and more expansion with the lighter bullet but the deer won't be any more dead.
I'd prefer to stick with that 350 grain load for everything, but that's just me.
You've heard the expression, "Beware of the man with only one gun, he probably knows how to use it".
The same could be said of "Beware the man with only one load, for he is always dialed in and deadly.
Although there's not that much weight difference between the two, I'd want to have the same sight adjustments and trajectory so I know them like the back of my hand.
No big deal to work up a new load and go test, that process is even enjoyable, just saying that the difference between the 300 and 350 would not be enough, for me anyway, to justify differing from what I'm used to.
If the day comes when I can no longer get Hornady 350's, I'll guess I'll have to try another bullet.
In the past the only 300 grainers I've used are the Sierra and Nosler, sorry, no experience with the Hornady.

 

[horseshoe]

I think the 300 gr Hornady is a excellent choice for whitetail deer in the 45-70. It will thump them.

 

[PierreNior]

What about accuracy between 300grs and 350grs ?

 

[Bearcat 74]

What about accuracy between 300grs and 350grs ?

I shoot both and accuracy from both is excellent. I shoot the 350's @ 1922fps and the 300's @ 1985fps from my 18.5" guide gun.

 

[jmfox3]

I reload the 325 gr. For my 22 in barrel gun the 325 gr squeezed out a smaller group. Don't forget to trim the gov brass. The bullet is long so you need to either get the Hornady brass or trim back. Good luck

 

[moofy07]

yeah, the 350 grainers are what use and are excellent.

 

[45/70 nut]

I've used the 300 hornady from my muzzleloader at 1900ish fps and it's been excellent.


Another great 300gr bullet is the Speer 300gr.


I killed a big doe this year at 7yds with one started just over 1900fps. It broke one shoulder and came to rest in the opposite ham. It was expanded to right at 1".


I'd not fret the 300 hornady though.

wow great report on the 300 gr bullets. I was also considering the Speer but couldn't find a report from anyone using it at speeds under 2200 fps. It has a reputation for being a tough bullet and I was thinking it may be more bullet than I needed but it sounds like it is working great for deer.

 

[Bearcat 74]

Recovered

 

[45/70 nut]

Looks like that Speer did excellent! Thanks for pointing pics. Always love to see recovered bullets but now I'm torn between the hornady and Speer. Sounds like the hornady is a decent deer bullet and that is all I'm looking for, plus it's a lot cheaper than the Speer.

 

[Charlie-NY]

I shoot both and accuracy from both is excellent. I shoot the 350's @ 1922fps and the 300's @ 1985fps from my 18.5" guide gun.

What load are you using to get the 350s up to 1,922 ft/sec?

 

[Crusty Deary Ol Coot]

45/70nut,

With some frequency, there will be a thread on one of the forums in which the Original Poster bring up the typic of "over kill."

With a 300gr bullet in your 45/70 at a velocity of 2000fps, you are rapidly approaching the point of Over Kill, if you have not already exceeded it!

Almost always, over kill is NOT a factor of the rifle being too big for the job at hand, but rather the factor of poor bullet choice.

During my early days of loading hunting ammo for my 45/70, I mistakenly used the same methods of load development that I had successfully used for years with my typical high velocity centerfire rifle.

Wrong! Poor choice! The 45/70 is a different breed of cat and therefore optimum loads have little similarity to those in the high velocity centerfire rifles.

My first year hunting load was with a 355gr Wide Flat Nose cast bullet and a velocity of 2300fps. I tested that bullet to a touch over 2500fps.

Yes, that first critter was dead, but quickly brought up the question, just what in the world had I turned loose on the game population.

HUGE wound channel. Not the minced bone and tissue I'd expect from the high velocity rifles, the bone and tissue was simply gone leaving a huge wound channel and this from what is basically a non or limited expanding bullet.

Thankfully, the bullet never gave me the accuracy or consistency I desired so I again went looking and thankfully some good council pointed out that cast bullets of 400 or more grains in weight provide better results then those of lighter weight.

So, I ended up with a 465gr WFN that I put out the tube at 1650fps. Sooooooooo much better results and NO, IT IS NOT over kill, the results a world better then with the lighter and faster bullet. The deer taken all dead where they stood with only one exception are making a growing pile along with three elk.

Recoil, MUCH LOWER then with the lighter and faster load.

So, will the 300gr jacketed bullet you speak of kill deer? Of course it will, no question! But if jacketed bullets are your choice, you'd be far and away better to go to a heavier bullet rather then the lighter bullet. No matter how fast you drive a bullet from your 45/70, you will never make it into what it isn't and never will be, a long range flat shooting hunting tool.

The 45/70 is an awesome hunting rifle, but the 300gr at nearly 2000fps will NOT kill deer any faster then my 465gr Wide Flat Nose at 1650fps. Dead where they stood is dead where they stood and you will get the critter on the ground with a lot less destruction and just as fast with a large meplat jacketed bullet of 400gr at mid 1000 - 2000fps then you will with the light bullet at 2000fps.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

 

[Bearcat 74]

Looks like that Speer did excellent! Thanks for pointing pics. Always love to see recovered bullets but now I'm torn between the hornady and Speer. Sounds like the hornady is a decent deer bullet and that is all I'm looking for, plus it's a lot cheaper than the Speer.

The Speer bullets are cheaper but they are out of stock. I shoot the Speer bullets because they are tougher and $5 less per box.

Hornady 300gr: $22.99: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/6...458-diameter-300-grain-hollow-point-box-of-50
Speer 300gr: $17.99: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/9...458-diameter-300-grain-hollow-point-box-of-50


59grs of H4895
350 Hornady FP
WW Brass
CCI 200
Lee FCD

1922fps and small groups

 

[Bearcat 74]

45/70nut,

With some frequency, there will be a thread on one of the forums in which the Original Poster bring up the typic of "over kill."

With a 300gr bullet in your 45/70 at a velocity of 2000fps, you are rapidly approaching the point of Over Kill, if you have not already exceeded it!

Almost always, over kill is NOT a factor of the rifle being too big for the job at hand, but rather the factor of poor bullet choice.

During my early days of loading hunting ammo for my 45/70, I mistakenly used the same methods of load development that I had successfully used for years with my typical high velocity centerfire rifle.

Wrong! Poor choice! The 45/70 is a different breed of cat and therefore optimum loads have little similarity to those in the high velocity centerfire rifles.

My first year hunting load was with a 355gr Wide Flat Nose cast bullet and a velocity of 2300fps. I tested that bullet to a touch over 2500fps.

Yes, that first critter was dead, but quickly brought up the question, just what in the world had I turned loose on the game population.

HUGE wound channel. Not the minced bone and tissue I'd expect from the high velocity rifles, the bone and tissue was simply gone leaving a huge wound channel and this from what is basically a non or limited expanding bullet.

Thankfully, the bullet never gave me the accuracy or consistency I desired so I again went looking and thankfully some good council pointed out that cast bullets of 400 or more grains in weight provide better results then those of lighter weight.

So, I ended up with a 465gr WFN that I put out the tube at 1650fps. Sooooooooo much better results and NO, IT IS NOT over kill, the results a world better then with the lighter and faster bullet. The deer taken all dead where they stood with only one exception are making a growing pile along with three elk.

Recoil, MUCH LOWER then with the lighter and faster load.

So, will the 300gr jacketed bullet you speak of kill deer? Of course it will, no question! But if jacketed bullets are your choice, you'd be far and away better to go to a heavier bullet rather then the lighter bullet. No matter how fast you drive a bullet from your 45/70, you will never make it into what it isn't and never will be, a long range flat shooting hunting tool.

The 45/70 is an awesome hunting rifle, but the 300gr at nearly 2000fps will NOT kill deer any faster then my 465gr Wide Flat Nose at 1650fps. Dead where they stood is dead where they stood and you will get the critter on the ground with a lot less destruction and just as fast with a large meplat jacketed bullet of 400gr at mid 1000 - 2000fps then you will with the light bullet at 2000fps.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

Since you always bring up recoil, the recoil of a 465 at 1650 is a greater than a 300gr bullet at 2000fps by around 33%.

Not everyone that shoots light and fast is trying to make it into a long range gun. I shoot 300's @ 1985fps with a 50yd zero.


How many deer have you killed with a 300gr jacketed bullet?

 

[Crusty Deary Ol Coot]

Bearcat 74,

My point is not how many deer I've taken with the 300gr or any jacketed bullet in the 45/70, as I bought the 45/70 for one reason, that being to hunt with my own cast bullets which I've done with great success. I have continued along that direction, and with the success I've seen see no reason to go with "J" bullet.

Am I saying that everyone should go with cast? Of course not, but clearly for what ever reason there are those who feel the need to use jacketed projectiles.

Admittedly I needed to approach the use of cast bullet for hunting after many years of shooting, loading and hunting with jacketed bullet with a bit of faith that the glowing reports I read could possibly be true. Well, having now been there and done that multiple times, and seeing results that equaled the positive reports I'd read, I'm also a believer. To the point where I took two deer this past Fall with cast bullets fired from a RUGER 77/44, .44mag rifle. Again using a Wide Flat Nose cast bullet and a muzzle velocity of 1750fps

Now, were the 45/70 with a 465gr to be fired at the same velocity as a 300gr, of course the heavier bullet would provide more recoil. Recoil being subject brought up in an earlier post before mine, but if you will closely read my post, you will see that I clearly state the 355gr was fired at 2300 - 2500fps and hunted with at 2300fps. And yes, the lighter bullet at the higher velocity gave a much harder recoil pulse then the heavier bullet at a much lower velocity.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

 

[Bearcat 74]

A 465 @ 165fps produces more recoil than a 300gr fired at 2000fps by around 33%. If you closely read my post you will see that I did not compare them at the same velocity.

A 355 @ 2300-2500fps will produce more recoil than the 465 @ 1650 or the 300 @ 2000fps, it's called Physics.

Now, please show me where anyone but you has ever mentioned a 355gr bullet at 2300-2500fps?


The guy asked about 300gr jacketed bullets, not 355gr WFN, not 465gr WFN, not a trip to Mars..... 300gr jacketed.

 

[mrguvna]

the rifle was designed for the 400 gr plus bullets. Dead is dead, so who cares if it was 300 or 400+ gr. If you are happy with the results with 300 gr bullets have at it. I tend to like to shoot what the gun was designed for........................I like fat bullets. don't need to be going fast to kill something with 400+ gr. the gummy points are great they are flatter shooting for the folks that like that, this is NOT a flat shooting cartridge so why try and make it that way? not trying to cause fan the flames but if you like the light gummy points go out and have some fun................me and Crusty well we will shoot fat bullets slow and have just as much fun.

I do have a ruger #1 load with the barnes tsx 250 gr going 2500 fps but it is limited to shooting watermelons

 

[Undertaker]

Can't say anything about the 45/70 , but when Hunting whitetail deer in Pa and Me using a Taurus 44 mag with a 6.5" ported barrel sporting a 2x Leopold , the only ammo I use is hornady 300 gr xtp and have never recovered a bullet but never had to chase a deer !

 

[45/70 nut]

Thanks for all the info but I'm just looking for some feedback on the bullet I asked about as I already have a load developed with the 350 hornady FP that I feel is better suited for larger animals. I'm only looking to shoot deer behind the shoulder with this one so even factory level ammunition would be plenty for that. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel or push light speed.