Good morning' all, don't mean to hijack a thread here but i was going to ask the same question as the op, just a little more specific. I'll be going for black bear as well with a Marlin 1895 45-70. last night i picked up some 430gr fp gas check hard cast to use. I'm not new to handloading just new to the 45-70and cast bullets, I have many reloading books but was hopefull someone could direct me to a "go to" powder or load to minimize load development time. the season just opened here, but the bear I'm after is frequenting my local gun club! convenient for me, bad for him! thanks in advance.
Bear loads 45/70
- Thread starter Sherman Brownlee
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Sherman Brownlee
Member
I like the imr4198 or h4198. Run them at 1600fps it will hammer a bear not bad recoil.
Varmint Hunter
Well-Known Member
Very good advice ^^^^^^^^above.
Paparock
Previously Rocky W.Latham
They ain't cheap cuz but then what is your life worth when you are hunting BEAR!
There are none made better! I started using Randy's loads in my Ruger .44 mag when I lived in grizzly country when he still owned the company. I called and got to talk to him. That was the best decision I ever made in my life!
Randy Garrett - http://www.garrettcartridges.com/4570.html
I started with a 6" Ruger Redhawk but now I carry a 7 1/2" Ruger Super- Redhawk loaded with Randy Garrett 330 gr. HammerHeads on my hip for personal protection.
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COBrad
Well-Known Member
For a while I was shooting 405 grain Cast Performance hard cast with a gas check. H4198 moving about 2000 fps. It was a powerhouse load, but in the 1886 Browning I shoot, with the steel crescent butt plate, they kicked so hard I would come home bruised and unable to shoot again for several days after a moderate range session. Now I'm shooting 325 grain Hornady FTX's at 2190 fps and 1.3 MOA accuracy. Still kicks, but much more manageable.
Bulseyetom
Well-Known Member
After witnessing three mule deer killed with the 300 grain barnes in a Sharps I would look long and hard at them. All three never moved! Tom
LoneTraveler
Well-Known Member
My friend Tom shot a black bear in Maine with Win. 45-70 300 Gr. HP. Factory Load. He shot this 200 lb. bear in the shoulder, about 3 inches apart. It got away from him. The next morning the guide and I tracked the bear about 2 miles and found it still alive. He had to shoot it again, This time with a Rem. 7mm Mag. I field dressed the bear and when I opened its chest, The heart and lungs were perfect. Just slight blood shot on inside chest wall. Both bullets came apart on the bone in the shoulder and just stopped.
I told him if He had used Rem 405 Gr. Core-lock the bear would have been laying where he shot it. For a factory load they put big holes in a black bear.
As a wildlife officer I had to collect a tooth from every bear killed in my work area, For Bear harvest aging. I have inspected a lot of bear, And heard a lot of stories, Good and bad about many cartridges and bullets and seen the bullets performance.
You want a entry hole and exit hole in Fall Hunt Bear, Their fat will move and plug up hole quick and the blood trail disappears.
I told him if He had used Rem 405 Gr. Core-lock the bear would have been laying where he shot it. For a factory load they put big holes in a black bear.
As a wildlife officer I had to collect a tooth from every bear killed in my work area, For Bear harvest aging. I have inspected a lot of bear, And heard a lot of stories, Good and bad about many cartridges and bullets and seen the bullets performance.
You want a entry hole and exit hole in Fall Hunt Bear, Their fat will move and plug up hole quick and the blood trail disappears.
HARPERC
Well-Known Member
Amen!
COBrad
Well-Known Member
If I'm not mistaken those factory loads only do around 1300 FPS. I had a box and they were definitely pretty low recoil. The 45-70 is a powerful round in modern rifles with the right ammo.
Bernie Crump
Member
Low recoil?
Varmint Hunter
Well-Known Member
Another great bullet to consider is the Swift 350gr A-Frame bullet. It's a little pricey but well worth the money considering the overall cost of a big game hunt.
You can practice with the 350gr Hornady bullet which shoots to the same point of aim in my 1895.
You can practice with the 350gr Hornady bullet which shoots to the same point of aim in my 1895.
Waynzee
Well-Known Member
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- Jan 21, 2016
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A couple of things ya might want to do before ya buy any cast lead bullets is 1 slug your barrel you might want a .459 or larger diameter bullet for the best fit and accuracy and 2 whatever bullet you choose you might want a gas check. For a good all round bullet it's hard to beat a 405 gr. cast lead bullet with a wide meplat.
