GUN STUFF

[WarrenJ]

I was out on a couple leases down by Campbellton, South of San Antonio with a guy we did some oil and gas stuff with.  They had two large deer operations down there.  He'd put me out somewhere where he thought I could get pigs and he went and sat where he hoped to get pictures of his high dollar deer.  I saw his high dollar deer and he saw the pigs.  I did manage to spank a javalina though.  Did some culling on a couple other leases down there.  Sorta like shooting holsteins in the barnyard.  I really would like to get after those hogs.  There were some feral hogs loose in SW Wisconsin a few years ago and my wife and I spent a couple days unsuccessfully trying to make contact.  You probably don't need snowshoes to chase them down there though.  I knew a guy in Florida that used to run them with dogs and hand catch the smaller ones to take home and feed out. 

[Ducatamount]

Short work week for me. This AM I went to pick up my friend for work and a nice buck has been feeding at his apple tree and... 6-point, 11" spread and est. 140lbs. Very nice for around here.
He had just shot it (30-30 lever w/scope) and I helped drag, gut and hang him.
Oh and it was his first! 

[WarrenJ]

Oh and it was his first! 

Awesome!  I just got back in the house.  Saw one small doe at the back end of the cornfield - about the size of the coyote I shot Saturday.  Pretty slim deer herd the last few years here.  Didn't see anything last night or this morning.  Had about a 25 mph wind tonight and temps in the low 20's - brisk out there. 

[rgramjet]

When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail!

Actually, I was shooting a 500 grain flat nose, hard cast bullet.  That poor little canine didn't have enough resistance to make that big bullet even take notice.  Very little damage.  Where you really get lots of damage is with high velocity, expanding bullets.  This one is just loping along at about 1700 fps.  It'll still shoot lengthwise through a deer.  Never underestimate the power of big, slow bullets.  

Warren, do you ever shoot the 300 grain, jhp's?  I am not happy with their performance out of my 1895g.  Last three deer I shot had an exit hole the same size as the entrance.

Got any 300 grain "hot" load recipes for the .45/70?

[WarrenJ]

I am real partial to IMR 4198 in the Marlins.  http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp

I have tried other powders and have gotten good velocities but not near the accuracy.  A friend of mine with similar rifles has had similar results. 

My favorite bullets for deer in the 45-70 are the lead paper patch bullets I swage, or heavy,flat nose cast bullets. 
If you are using factory 300 grain hollowpoints, they are typically loaded down pretty far to not blow up older Trapdoor Springfields and other weaker guns. (just about all factory ammo is downloaded to protect the old guns)

With my 350 paper patch, I run 44 grains of IMR-4198.  Its not max, but is plenty darn powerful.  We are running 40 grains with the 495 grain flatnose cast bullets.  It gives 1700 fps out of the guide gun and kills on both ends. 

I swage a big round nose 480 grain bullet that I paper patch for the 577-450 Martini Henry, but I haven't tried it in the Marlin yet.  That will probably be my next 45-70 reloading project. 

I've heard good things about the 325 grain Leverlution ammo from Hornady on deer. 

[WarrenJ]

From Left to Right:

495 grain NEI 458 Cast Bullet with gas check
300 Grain Barnes 45-70 Copper Hollowpoint Expanded
350 Grain Paper Patch bullet recovered from 11 Point buck
480 Grain swaged lead bullet before paper patching - for Martini Henry
45-70 loaded with 350 grain paper patch bullet
350 grain swaged paper patch hollow point bullet
400 grain swaged paper patch bullet
30 caliber swaged 205 grain flatbase lowdrag bullet

[rgramjet]

My problem; well one of them, is that I bought 25 boxes of the Winchester when Galyans closed it out at $9.99/box.  I'm about 1/2 way through and have a good amount of once fired. .45/70 brass waiting  to reload.

I've heard the Hornady bullets open up nicely.

Thanks for the info.

[WarrenJ]

At the current price of winchester 45-70 brass,  you did good!  The Hornady 350 grain bullet has a good reputation on deer also - its a bit fragile for larger game.  Be aware, once you run your loads up to full Marlin pressures, recoil is going to become more of a factor.  Our loads with the 495's are about 85% of a 458 Win Mag in a 7 lb rifle.  They hit hard on both ends. 

[rgramjet]

At the current price of winchester 45-70 brass,  you did good!  The Hornady 350 grain bullet has a good reputation on deer also - its a bit fragile for larger game.  Be aware, once you run your loads up to full Marlin pressures, recoil is going to become more of a factor.  Our loads with the 495's are about 85% of a 458 Win Mag in a 7 lb rifle.  They hit hard on both ends. 

Good to know.  My barrel is ported so hopefully that will help offset the thump.

[ducatiz]

45/70 is for wimps

.700 T-Rex is for real men.

[rgramjet]

I'd feel good with either when this sucker came up next to me on stand last Saturday.  This is about a minute of a 7 minute video.

I was about 15' up, carrying a Marlin 1895G.  Bear season opened on Monday......of course.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D28mBrS-2q8

[WarrenJ]

Great video - they are neat animals.  If I could only hunt one thing for the rest of my life, it would be bears.  I've only shot one, but it was well earned and very memorable.  It is a great memory because it was one of the last hunts with my best friend before he died at 42 of pneumonia.  I'm really glad we got to share that. 

Its hard to think of a better gun for bears in those conditions than a handy 45-70 lever gun.  I shot mine with a 35 Whelen before I had the 45-70's.  The Whelen is a great game caliber also - (30-06 necked up to 35 cal.) 

[rgramjet]

This is the second bear I've seen in these woods.  The previous sighting occurred a week before bear season opened. 

Maybe next sighting will occur when I'm actually allowed to take one!

[WarrenJ]

The deal I have found out about bear meat is that you need to remove every last speck of fat from it.  When I shot mine, I deboned most of it and removed all the fat and it was great meat.  We made the scraps and fatty parts into burger and it was terrible. (at least to my taste - and I'm not a picky eater)   

The deboned and defatted steaks were very good eats. 

[DW]

Black Friday rocks when you couple your local gun shop and online shopping. Picked up two Spikes Tactical stripped lowers for $60 each. Two Full lower build kits (magpul stocks, buffers, lpk) from Palmetto state for $100 each. Also, picked out a lightweight BCM upper to build my wife her first rifle.  Best deals I've seen in quite a while.