I am deer hunting in Ohio next week with my dads 45-70. Neither of us have hunted with it much. I have shot some deer with it inside 50 yards. Which i know it is primarily a short distance gun. I am shooting 300 grain Winchester hollow points. I was shooting it on a rest last week and driving tacks at 100 yards. One farm i am hunting is primarily timber, but the other farm is a cut corn field which could present a further shot. Assuming a steady rest and a dead on rifle (which it is) what distance will i be good out to?
Welcome Guest!
45-70 range
- Thread starter bnew17
- Start date
wareagle700
Senior Member
Thats totally dependent on your ability to hit the target. I wouldn't recommend taking a long shot with the 45-70 unless you have spent a good bit of time practicing at those ranges. That big bullet starts to drop pretty quick after 100 yards.
Bam Bam
Senior Member
fishtail
Senior Member
And it don't matter what bullet you use or what the velocity is.
Best I could achieve with a 300gr bullet at 2000fps zeroed at 100 yards was a 14" drop at 200 yards.
Most of the factory ammo has enough energy to kill a Wisconsin sized deer at over 400 yards.
This includes the 300gr Winchester round.
If you get the rainbow arch figured out.
Best I could achieve with a 300gr bullet at 2000fps zeroed at 100 yards was a 14" drop at 200 yards.
Most of the factory ammo has enough energy to kill a Wisconsin sized deer at over 400 yards.
This includes the 300gr Winchester round.
If you get the rainbow arch figured out.
fishtail
Senior Member
According to Winchester, if you zero it at 100 yards:
at 200 yards there is a 12.2" drop
at 300 yards there is a 42.0" drop
at 400 yards there is a 94.6" drop.
Zeroing at 200 yards creates a 5.8" rise at 100 yards.
I generally try to keep anything at no more than a 1 1/2" rise.
And the term "rise" is a misnomer. The bullet don't actually rise.
at 200 yards there is a 12.2" drop
at 300 yards there is a 42.0" drop
at 400 yards there is a 94.6" drop.
Zeroing at 200 yards creates a 5.8" rise at 100 yards.
I generally try to keep anything at no more than a 1 1/2" rise.
And the term "rise" is a misnomer. The bullet don't actually rise.
lonewolf247
Senior Member
Unfortunately, it's just not a very flat shooting round. As mentioned, the energy is there to make lethal kills at further ranges, but the trajectory is the problem.
Unless, you get into optics that compensate for the trajectory, along with a rangefinder, your pretty limited.
I'd probably sight in for ~1.5" high, as your 100 yard zero, and you'd still be pushing it at 175 yards, without any holdover.
It is, what it is. If that doesn't work for you, honestly, your best bet is to get another caliber, that shoots flatter.
Unless, you get into optics that compensate for the trajectory, along with a rangefinder, your pretty limited.
I'd probably sight in for ~1.5" high, as your 100 yard zero, and you'd still be pushing it at 175 yards, without any holdover.
It is, what it is. If that doesn't work for you, honestly, your best bet is to get another caliber, that shoots flatter.
Dub
Senior Member
Pretty well sums it up right there ^^^^
I love my .45/70, but I'm not trying for anything more than 125yds or less (which is most of the distance I tend to hunt).
The thing is accurate as all get out in terms of shot-to-shot consistency....but, yes, it drops like a brick.
jmoser
Senior Member
Load 350 gr TSX in my #1; printing good groups at 218 yards but still drops fast past 100.
My guide gun is a 100 yard rifle with 400 flat points.
My guide gun is a 100 yard rifle with 400 flat points.
I would prefer my 7 mag but that caliber is not allowed. Below is what is allowed during their 1 week gun season.
“Straight-walled cartridge rifles in the following calibers: New this year! All straight-walled cartridge calibers from a minimum of .357 to a maximum of .50. Shotguns and straight-walled cartridge rifles can be loaded with no more than three shells in the chamber and magazine combined.”
lonewolf247
Senior Member
Ok, I didn't realize that. Our primitive season, is limited to calibers between .35-.50 as well, but not specified as "straight-walled" so the .35 whelen is approved, and that's what I use. Essentially, it's a necked up 30-06, so it's not so primitive after all, and if sighted in correctly, can be near a 300 yard gun.
In your case, a .444 Marlin, might have been a little flatter, but you should be ok. I'd limit my distance, and with a little holdover, you could stretch to 175 yards, or just beyond....
GunnSmokeer
Senior Member
I consider the .45-70 a good 200-yard round due primarily to the difficulty of estimating range and accurately hitting the animal that far out, NOT due to the kinetic energy or penetration of the bullet.
The bullet will kill deer at 500 yards-- but are you going to reliably hit them that far out, aiming several feet over their backs?
If you want to stretch a .45-70 out to 300 yards or so, you'd better test your gun at every 25-yard increment past 100 yards and create your own "drop table." Tape it to the stock or have it handy when you hunt. Or memorize it. It would only be 8 lines to memorize.
Then, take a laser range finder to the woods where you hunt and measure some distances to various trees and other landmarks.
Pound a few sections of 2 x 4 into the ground if you have to and tie different color ribbons around the tops of those. Measure the range to them from your stand.
The bullet will kill deer at 500 yards-- but are you going to reliably hit them that far out, aiming several feet over their backs?
If you want to stretch a .45-70 out to 300 yards or so, you'd better test your gun at every 25-yard increment past 100 yards and create your own "drop table." Tape it to the stock or have it handy when you hunt. Or memorize it. It would only be 8 lines to memorize.
Then, take a laser range finder to the woods where you hunt and measure some distances to various trees and other landmarks.
Pound a few sections of 2 x 4 into the ground if you have to and tie different color ribbons around the tops of those. Measure the range to them from your stand.
rosewood
Senior Member
A typical 45-70 load will drop 20'+ at 500 yards depending on the load. That is a lot of hold over. Not sure if there is a scope you could put on it to get you in that ballpark. A ladder or creedmoor type site works well, but I wouldn't dare try to hit a deer with irons at that distance. It is fun plinking the steel though.
Rosewood
PappyHoel
Senior Member
Before the shot make sure you call the combat control center so you're clear for indirect fire. Also make sure your forward observer has eyes on target so you can fire for effect
pdsniper
Senior Member
Yep thats why my Sharps has such a huge graduated rear sight almost like shooting a mortar lol
Lilly001
Senior Member
The Hornady Web site shows their 325 gr gummie at 3" at 100 for a 200 yrd zero.
That seems awful optimistic. Has anyone looked at these?
I'm shooting them but I'm zeroed at 100 due to a scope issue.
That seems awful optimistic. Has anyone looked at these?
I'm shooting them but I'm zeroed at 100 due to a scope issue.
rosewood
Senior Member
Before the shot make sure you call the combat control center so you're clear for indirect fire. Also make sure your forward observer has eyes on target so you can fire for effect
Now, that is funny right there. I haven't ran the numbers for 1000 yards, but I bet it would apply for it definitely and there are folks that shoot it at that range.
Would you mind telling me where you found this information? My hunting partner will be using a Marlin 44Mag with 180 Hornady ballistic tips. Curious to see what it does at various distances. Thanks
rosewood
Senior Member
U can go to hornady.com and plug in the ammunition data on the ballistic chart and it will graph it for you
rosewood
Senior Member
Now, that is funny right there. I haven't ran the numbers for 1000 yards, but I bet it would apply for it definitely and there are folks that shoot it at that range.
Forgot I had it in the On Point Ballistic app in my phone. My 419 grain cast 45-70 load in my Buffalo Classic says it will drop 22ft at 500 yards, 137 ft (157 MOA) at 1000 yards. My boolit will still be traveling 670 fps with 418 ft lbs of energy at 1000 yds. I think those shooting 1000 yards shoot a higher BC boolit in the 500 grain range. Not sure what the drop would be on one of those.
Rosewood
Similar threads
Latest posts
-
-
-
-
Late frost - got my “watch for it” going on….- Latest: northgeorgiasportsman