Thank goodness for youtube video testing of bullets like 300g vs 350g vs 400g and penetration. I am new to the 45-70, so seeing the penetration and mushrooms for hard-cast vs jacketed and hollow point vs flat point is very telling.

Hard cast lead bullets are made from a mixture of lead, antimony, and tin, resulting in a harder bullet that offers deeper penetration and less deformation upon impact.

I typically like bullets to mushroom for thin skinned game like deer but in the case of bears, I like penetration and less mushrooming. Why is that?

Primarily I want penetration on bears for an exit wound/blood trail shooting them end to end.  

I like Hornady 250, 300 for deer size game and 350g and 400g flat points for bears. You never know when a 300 pound black bear or even larger shows up at a bait. I believe the 45-70 is great wild hog medicine up close as well. Having the ability to lever fast shots is essential around ornery game is a real plus.

For longer range elk and moose, I will stick to bolt rifles like my 7mm Rem Mag or my .375 Ruger. I did take a small bear with the 7mm at 30 yards but felt it better utilized at longer range.

Good Hunting!

What does Strong Action mean when it comes to Lever Rifles such as the new Ruger made Marlin 1895?

Strong action means 40,000 c.u.p.  (copper unit of pressure). Some reloading manuals such as Barnes® et al, use 43,000 psi as a marker for pressure. To check your rifle cartridge for either psi or cup pressure see below. 

CUP ↔ PSI Calculator

How big are big bullets and why use them?

In 1873 the standard 45-70 Government cartridge used a 45 caliber 405g bullet with 70 grains of black powder…hence the name 45-70. I consider the 400g bullet as big, however these vintage rifle barrels and actions like the trap door or Sharps were no where near capable of todays modern 45-70 pressures.

Many of todays 45-70 lever rifles can handle bullets over 500 grains as long as they don’t exceed COL cartridge overall length and have a cannelure for a roll crimp to fit the 45-70 lever rifles. As an example, see

https://garrettcartridges.com/45-70-540gr-P-Hammerhead-20-CTGS_p_29.html#mz-expanded-view-1476217159669

And because of strong actions, these big bullets can achieve velocities approaching and in some cases exceed 2000 fps. Like getting hit by a fast train. 

These heavy bullets provide a key ingredient. Penetration! Alaskan guides sometimes use the 45-70 lever actions as back-up for close dangerous game encounters such as brown and grizzly bears. 

It is momentum, a product of mass (bullet weight) and velocity which creates unparalleled penetration.  And it is the damage done by the bullet as it passes through tissue.  Bullet speed aids greatly in radial damage as well.

Some use the Marlin on African safari with great success.

I prefer a controlled feed bolt action with my M77 .375 Ruger like I did with my recent American buffalo hunt, or larger like the 416 Rigby or 416 Ruger for really big dangerous game such as cape buffalo.

I use a recoil taming shoulder harness when practicing on the bench.

Standing free hand, these big rifles rock your whole body thus absorbing the more tolerable heavy recoil.

It is a wild ride that keeps me coming back for more adventure.

Good Hunting!

Since purchasing my new Marlin 1895 45-70 SBL lever rifle a month or so ago, I searched on line for cost effective 300g bullets to practice with.  Below are images of these ACME Hi-Tek coated bullets I tested at moderate velocities using Viht. N- 130 powder at 50  yards.  

What surprised me was my Garmin chrono data from my first 6 shots I took with 40 grains of Vihtavuori N-130 powder. Shot Avg  1577.9 fps but the Standard Deviation was an unbelievable 4.0 fps. Wow! 

Cost is $26 for a box of 100.  Very inexpensive. Shipping will vary. For me shipping was 12 dollars. Cost works out to 38 cents a shot. And they load well and my brass crimp holds them secure. Very nice indeed.

I called ACME to shared my exciting experience above. Further, that I was unsure how fast/slow to shoot them. They are designed to be a hard cast and will not mushroom and are used in cowboy shoots and target at moderate speeds. They don’t have a gas check, thus speeds need to be moderate.

I asked ACME to send me some heavier bullets to test. We shall see. 

See www.acmebullet.com for more details or place an order…

Shoot Often and Have Fun.

As I have stated in other articles, my Marlin 45-70 SBL is my brush rifle for deer, black bear and moose inside of 100 yards. For black bear over bait, it is well respected by black and brown bear guides at close range. Not for longer range like my upcoming buffalo hunt. For that, I will use my .375 Ruger.

As a 45-70 handloader, you can independently work up loads or work them down. I have several loading manuals to cross reference. 

At issue by some hunters is; who made it, when it was made and its chamber pressure. Weak trap door models having very low chamber pressures and muddying up the power of the 45-70 in hunting circles.

Todays 45-70 Lever rifle is not yester years 45-70. 

My Marlin 45-70 SBL (Stainless Big Loop) has a very strong modern action and is made in the USA by Ruger.

In Ruger, I Trust!

Good Hunting!

Today, I happily tested a few of my handloads of 300g Hornady Hollow Points and 350g Flat Points at 50 yards.

Both good short range black bear loads.

The 300g was trucking out of the muzzle at 1820 fps and the 350 FP at 1620 fps. See the JBM Ballistics report below.

The slower 350g speed and lower 44g N130 load likely contributed to the wider spread. I will shoot again with a bit more powder to see if groups improve. 

Below 300g HP 50g N130 Powder at 50 yds =5/8 inch 3 shot group.

Below 350g FP 44g N130 Powder at 50 yds = 1 1/8 inch group at 50 yards

More Soon…