The 350 grain Lasercast from Oregon Trail Bullets will do most anything that a Hornady hollow point will do.......at half the cost. They also have a 300 grain if you like the lighter weight bullets.

 

Well I thought the Laser Cast would be a bit to hard for any expansion and have a good supply of their 405 gr. bullets and just finished up loading a batch.
Have another 50-70 cases left to load and thought I might try a lighter hollow point type bullet for something different.
I see Widners has those for 20 bucks for 50.

 

Depends how "soft" you're looking for. Speer make a 400gr flat point that's relatively soft when compared to Barnes originals. Hornady make a 350 flap point designed specifically for the 450 Marlin and 45-70 that's relatively soft when compared to a 350gr Swift A-frame. And of course there's lots of cast bullets that would fit your bill, in varying degrees of Brinell hardness.

 

I load the 300gr hp's at around 1800... Have used 4198 and 3031 and got good results with both... Got great expansion with the on hogs ... My 3 main loads for 45/70 are 405gr laser cast @1100 fps w/trailboss for suppressed/subsonic and light plinking, 405gr laser cast @1800fps in case I need some penetration on somthing, and 300gr hornady hp @ around 1800fps

 

I load the 300gr hp's at around 1800... Have used 4198 and 3031 and got good results with both... Got great expansion with the on hogs ... My 3 main loads for 45/70 are 405gr laser cast @1100 fps w/trailboss for suppressed/subsonic and light plinking, 405gr laser cast @1800fps in case I need some penetration on somthing, and 300gr hornady hp @ around 1800fps

That is an excellent velocity for that bullet. Too much over 1900 fps and the expansion is rather abrupt and bullet integrity is compromised.

I use this bullet in my .458 Socom with velocity near 1800 fps.

 

you want variety get he barnes tsx 250 gr HP for the 4570. It blows watermelons sky high.

 

Wow that thing must be really moving!

 

Yesterday, I picked up another box of Hornady 300 gr., thanks to the success of the first 50. Using 47.3g of Alliant Powder Reloader 7, I'm getting a rather flat trajectory between 50 and 100 yrds. with my 1895 18.5" CBA. Shot 20 of these today.

LaserCast 350s with 46.0g of IMR 3031 worked excellent, when shot in the Henry 22" 45-70. Haven't had the chance to check them with the 1895 yet.

Another load that worked very well in the 1895 today, is 405g hard casts loaded with 39g of IMR 4198. All three of these loads were hitting consistently on paper targets and a 10" gong at 100 yrds. using Skinner peep sights and the semi buckhorn on the Henry. I'm not using scopes on my 1895, the 336, as well as the Henry. Probably never will.

At this point, I'm just trying different powder and bullet combinations to see what's hitting the 100 yrd. target most accurately. All these load combinations have been published by others. I took the Chrono out today, but haven't yet got around to checking velocities. None of these three, are too tough recoil wise, at least with the Kick Killer recoil pad. I do have a nice 2" bruise on my shoulder area from last week's special loads with more kick, and the fact that the Henry has no pad.It does absorb a bit more kick than the 1895, due to it's being a little heavier.

 

I like and use Hornady's 350grFP.

 

They're on my "so far" good list also. Flatter trajectory and good groups. I find myself comparing to Hornady FTX/Leverevolutions for different calibers. I put 42.7g of IMR 4198 in these, and listed them as "strong" recoil wise. At least a lot stronger than the 18g Trail Boss plinkers.

 

I have body slammed 15+ whitetails with the Hornady 300gr HP moving at 2000fps MV. It is the Hammer of Thor under 100 yards. There seems to be a significant difference between 1800 and 2000fps. Both kill deer dead - but the 2000mv almost always puts them down DRT. On a good day I can also shoot sub M.O.A. with the Hornady (guide gun); but almost always get under 1 1/2" at 100 yards. Surprisingly, meat loss is not that much of an issue. (I have "tested" results with double lung, shoulder, and neck shots). I believe that the 45 cal HP moving at that velocity can induce hydrostatic shock. They often drop, try to rise, and bleed out before they can get up. Its a little bit of a shoulder thumper at that loading level, but results are dramatic to say the least.

 

I have that bullet loaded to almost 2200 fps. It will damage too much meat in shoulder hits but hits hard.

 

I wish the 300's weren't hollow points.

 

My 2 cents worth....

Apparently the Speer 300 gr Hollow Point is a bonded bullet, and won't, or doesn't have the same problems as the Hornady or Sierra 300 gr HP's having jacket and core failures.
There have been a few people that have used the Speer 300gr and it stays together well, even on bigger critters, with shoulder shots, and hitting shoulder blades etc...

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Some I know, say that Speer 300 grn. HP is too hard for white tail deer and have had issues with bullet pass thru which resulted in some tracking. I have not personally used them, just saying what I've heard. I like the 300 grn. Sierra, haven't had anything run away when hit with one of them.

 

I have used Hornady 300gr. hP for years in my 1895 for deer hunting ammo for a least 40yrs. I did experiment with Speer and Sierra
both. I found Speer the hardest bullet, maybe the best for Elk or Moose ect. Sierra came in second , a little better expansion but held
together well. The Hornady is softest and most expansive, just what I want for deer. Not a bullet for shoulder shoots, they will ruin a
lot of meat. I am running them about 1950fps with IMR-3031 out of a early 70s 1895.

I also found the same thing to be true of 240gr JHPs in 44mg. I've been shooting Horndary's since the 60s in Ruger SBH for Deer. I
still have a few boxes of the old style Hornady 240jhp. I forget FPS, but running 22.5 gr of 2400. I do have the new 240XTPs loaded
with H-110 for 1894 Marlin. Gun has only been sighted in and have not took deer with this load yet.

 

Is the recoil more of a push, or a slap like the .300 Mags?
I used to own a .375 H&H, and that was a push compared to the .300 Win Mag I used to own.
I would shoot my .375 all day long compared to the .300.

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The loads I ran that went 2200 fps were pretty lively, but at 1800 to 2000 it is a little heavier than a .30-06, but doesn't seen to be as sharp.

I guess you could say a "push".

 

That's good to know.
Probably a lot like the .375 I had.

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I've shot a half dozen or so deer with the Speer 300 gr plinker loaded over 50 gr of R7. It is a killer and not to hard on meat. I have only retrieved one from a quartering shot at 140 yards and it was a picture prefect mushroom. The hollow point is more of a dimple.

 

Finally somebody shows up with experience with shooting the 300 grain Speer thank you

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When I unload one of my 1750fps 430gr flat nosed dino killers, stuff just lays down. Dont need no stinking hollow points

 

This is true! LOL

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I haven't hunted with any 300 grain bullets, but they sure shoot great out of my Ruger #1. My loads run 1800 fps in the 22" barrel.

 

What load are you using, if I may ask?
That's awesome that they shoot great in your Ruger #1.

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I use the Speer 300's for two reasons.
1. They are easy on my repaired shoulder.
2. They penetrate plenty for white tail deer and in CT I worry that if a 405 sails through it will still be dangerous for a long way.
If you want to cast look at the 315 gr NOE mold based on Ranchdogs's design. It kills well also, but the two deer I've shot with it traveled farther than ones I shot with the Speer offering.
When my lead pot gets empty I am going to mix some 20/1 and powder coat them to see if I can get a flat point that expands but will not lead my bore.

 

Hornady 300gr JHP are really good, with H335 you're good to go

 

I heard the Hornady 300 gr bullets were only meant for deer size game. Have you used it for anything bigger, and if so, was there any sort of bullet failure?

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I used a Speer 300gr .458" from my muzzleloader today @ 1920fps on a 120lbs doe @ 9yds. I hit her on the point of the right shoulder and recovered the bullet in the left ham. I didn't measure penetration but it was almost the length of her diagonally. At the widest point the bullet is 1.040" wide. As for meat loss and massive destruction, there really wasn't any. I lost about a fist size cut off the right shoulder and the rest of the way it looked like a 1" wood bit was ran through her. The recovered bullet weighed 269grs.


First one I've ever recovered.

 

That's a really good report!
Thank you!


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I like H322 to push the Hornady 300 HP up to about 2100 FPS from my 1895 (not GuideGun). It is kinda 'thumpy' but groups well and gives me decent accuracy/point blank range.

 

That's great to hear.
I as well have a non Guide Gun.

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H322 is my go to powder for all of my 45-70 loads from 250gr Monoflex to 550gr Jae-Bok Young Craters.

 

It's interesting to note the pressure difference in the array of powders for the 300HP listed on Hodgdon website.
Take Aim at Rifle Reloading Data | Hodgdon Reloading

 

So, you would recommend H322 and H335 for the .45-70? With H335 over H322 just by a little?
How does the Hornady 300 gr stand up to bigger game animals?

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