45/70 Govt
Quoted from Chuck Hawks www.chuckhawks.com/45-70Govt.htm
Handloaders with modern Marlin lever action rifles have pioneered the use of high pressure (+P) .45-70 loads, as the modern Marlin 1895 action is much stronger than the Trapdoor Springfield action or reproductions there of. Lever action rifles are limited to bullets weighing about 400 grains, as heavier (and thus longer) bullets will not feed through their actions.
The owners of modern single shot rifles, such as the Ruger No. 1 and Browning 1885 High Wall, can safely take the pressure limit even higher, and can use 500 grain bullets. The result is loads that tread on the heels of some African safari cartridges.
The handloader will normally load bullets of 300, 350, 400 and 500 grains, although other bullet weights in the same general ballpark are available. I have had some experience reloading the .45-70 with all of the above bullets, and I have found that IMR 3031, a traditional powder choice for the cartridge, gives excellent performance with all bullet weights.
According to the sixth edition of the Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading, 40.9 grains of IMR 3031 powder can drive a Hornady 300 grain JHP bullet to a MV of 1300 fps, and 52.0 grains of IMR 3031 can drive the same bullet to a MV of 1800 fps. This essentially duplicates the factory loads, and does not exceed the SAAMI specified MAP. These and the Hornady loads to follow used Winchester brass and Federal 210 primers.
The second level of loads are for modern Marlin 1895 lever action rifles. In these loads pressures can run up to 40,000 cup. These reloads can drive a Hornady 350 grain bullet to a MV of 1400 fps with 45.2 grains of IMR 3031 powder, and a MV of 1900 fps in front of 56.1 grains of IMR 3031. These velocities were taken in the 22" barrel of a Marlin 1895 rifle. According to the Hornady Handbook, Sixth Edition, these loads are adequate for ". . . any North American game at moderate range."
The final selection of .45-70 reloads are for strong bolt action or single shot rifles that can take pressures running up to 50,000 cup. In such rifles 55.4 grains of IMR 3031 can give the Hornady 350 grain bullets a MV of 2000 fps, and 59.6 grains a MV of 2200 fps. These loads were chronographed in the 22" barrel of a Ruger No.1 rifle.
For the utmost in penetration on very large animals, the 500 grain Hornady RN or FMJ-RN bullets on top of 44.1 grains of IMR 3031 results in a MV of 1500 fps, and a maximum load of 53.1 grains of IMR 3031 can drive these 500 grain bullets to a MV of 1800 fps. Again, these high pressure loads were tested from the 22" barrel of a Ruger No. 1 rifle.
I can tell you from experience that these heavy loads kick like the devil, but they make the .45-70 a serious "stopping" caliber.
End quote.
My personal experience with my 45/70 Govt Marlin has been one of many years of joy. In fact, if I have to keep only one rifle, that will be my choice. Without hesitation.
It is short and points like my shotgun. Even with the Kahles scope, it is a matter of shouldering it, and everything just falls into place. No hesitation. Works so well in the bush that I'll very seldom use any of my other rifles. And I own quite a diverse range of calibers.
I've written in another article: My favourite eland rifle is my 45/70 Marlin lever action loaded with a 350gr Rhino (Rhino changed it to 360gr, but fortunately I still have a batch of the 350's left) at a sedate pace of 1850ft/sec. If you're quick of the mark, you might get to the eland before the bullet does, but out of the countless eland that that little rifle shot, not a single one moved from where it was shot. With no meat damage.
In the context of this post however, I need to mention that this specific 45/70 has been successfully used in hunting everything that the bushveld can throw at it. With the exception of the big five. I've been tempted to use it even on Buffalo, but that would've defied the reason why I bought my 416 Rigby. In the end, I used the 416, because Buffalo can bite, after all. And I'm a sissy.
If you like hunting at close range, up to 120 meters, I dare say you need nothing else than a 45/70. From Warthog to Eland, you'll want for nothing more, or less.
Then the most important aspect my 45/70: It shoots straight. It has proven itself at the range, during competitions, that it is up there with the big guys. It shoots a group at 100 meters that will make the average rifle blush. For what good is a pretty rifle, if it can't shoot straight?
I've also acquired the 450 Marlin, in a Marlin Guide (Model), which is simply the 45/70 case, with a magnum ring, allowing for even higher pressures. I'm still testing it, and it does look very promising. I might want to keep 2 rifles after all. Well, make that 3 because my 416 Rigby is truly a fine piece of straight shooting, perfectly built workmanship. No, make that 4....
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