Posted: 11/8/2025 6:49:19 PM EDT
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Was looking for those that have used the 45/70 on deer, what factory round do you like and have had success with? Firearm and Barrel length? Max distance to dead deer? Thanks |
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| I went looking for that chambering in Hornady's American Whitetail line. I figured since 450 BM and 300 Win Mag were there, surely 45-70 wouldn't be left out. But it was. |
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I use the Federal Fusion 300gr. Every deer I have hit, doesn’t make it more than 50yds. Most stay within 25yds. |
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Originally Posted By Ersatz_Naugahyde: DOG, 45/70 is kinda overkill for a deer. 30.06 of 300 Winchester is the high end I would think. I don’t disagree with you, but a lot of Midwest states are only allowing straight wall cartridges. .45-70 .44 mag .357 mag .350 Legend .450 BM Out of all of those, I chose a traditional lever action, .45-70. It’s been a good gun and a great round for harvesting big Midwest deer. |
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It's been a long time but my deer kill with a 45-70 was unimpressive. I was using SP ammo and shot a mule buck not more that 100 yards away and he just took off. Turns out I hit him in the heart and he ran about 150 yards or so and found himself a dense undergrowth to hide and die. Took me a while to find him all the while thinking I heard the hit. That was the last time I used 45-70 on deer. |
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Handi-Rifle with Hornady 325gr LeverRevolution Took a couple of steps and dropped. Thinking about trying it on Aoudad. 
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| I reload the Barnes 300 gr TSX but if I had to buy factory ammo the Barnes 300 TSX would still be my first choice. I have killed deer with 45-70 300 gr Horniday bullets also. The 325 gr Horniday FTX only seems to expand if you hit bone. Iowa requires: .350 or larger so you can not use a .243 or 308 or. 6.5C etc. the 45-70 is about the same projectile at about the same velocity as a 50 cal musket. If I were to buy another 45-70 it would be CVA Scout Stainless takedown or a Marlin. The Henry is not accurate. |
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Hornaday Leverloution in a Marlin Guid Gun. It will do out to 250. Just memorize your drops. Honestly anything but cowboy loads will do. They are deer not Cape buffalo. BTW the 325 Lehigh Extreme Penetrator will exit on a Cape buffalo. I have two buddies that have taken a total of 7 Buff and a couple of lions with this load. |
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Originally Posted By MARINE-ORDIE: People really over think killing deer.  This exactly. I got one when it was all the rage when my state added rifles. Marlin SBL. Real pretty gun, an absolute pig to carry around on an all day hunt. Then people get the idea to suppress it and now it’s neutered to 44 mag or 45 Colt levels in a 15 pound gun. A 44 mag is a solid 150 yard gun. Much lighter and trimmer. Much less recoil as well. Much more economical to practice with which is very important if you want to ethically hunt, and is pretty cheap to reload for. I’ve killed big deer with both and they were equally dead. If you already have the gun, honestly any factory load that shoots well and constantly is fine. The big chunk of lead will work on a deer. The problem is that unless you hit something solid like a bone or shoulder it just pokes 2 holes and allows for running after the shot. |
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I've shot two with my T/C. First was a tiny doe running straight at me. Hit her with a 405gr. LFP Cowboy factory load at about 10 yards. Shot almost the whole way through her, and she dropped immediately. Attached File Second was a nice size doe with a 320gr. LHP handload at about 1400fps from about 50 yards. She ran maybe 75 yards, pumping blood the whole time. Attached File Wife bought me the bullets for my birthday a couple years ago. The TC really likes em and at 1400fps, they recoil like a 223. Attached File |
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Originally Posted By RogueSpear2023: I use 450BM so similar to 45/70. Used it today with 250gr Hornady FTX Black hit a 7pt Buck at 100yds. He walked about 10rds and dropped. When cleaned him his heart was like pulverized jello. Shot went straight through the ribs both sides. .450 Bushmaster Hornday 250 gr black neck shot on a smaller doe.  Needless to say it dropped in it's tracks. |
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It's not going to matter much what round you choose. That's plenty of power for deer. About like a 12ga slug and I've killed lots of them with that before WI allowed rifles state wide. You'll be just fine putting any factory loaded expanding bullet through a deer chest. They won't go far. |
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Originally Posted By DOG556: Oooooooh! Those are nice. Whats the mfg??? https://www.gtbullets.com/The guy isn't doing much due to health problems and almost everything is out of stock. I really hope he gets better! I wanna get some loike that to load in my 44 magnum. 
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Originally Posted By FoxValleyTacDriver: I wouldnt want to waste that much meat. Shoot a steel plate with 45/70 once and watch how it completely paints the bottom of the target stand silver with lead. Big bores are slow, "eat right up to the hole" Fast rounds make a disgusting mess from the shock. No experience with 45-70 but I shot a buck in the white patch under his chin with my 444, it flipped him over backwards and drove his horns into the dirt  big difference hitting steel plate vs meat, I would not expect lead splatter |
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My Dad did, he had what I considered much more suitable chambered rifles for N AZ mule deer,,, but he loved the 45-70. 405 gr softpoints driven as hard as possible out of a Ruger No. 1 is what he used. If he was alive today I know he would be driving 300 gr Barnes TSX as fast as possible. The old trapdoor loads will clock deer, but come with more trajectory  I have that Ruger No. 1, I also have an 18" 44 mag carbine. The 44 mag does equal work up to a point, if bigger bodied animals were on the menu (say bull elk, bison, etc) the top end 45-70's drive away. If longer ranges matter, other chamberings will bring much happiness. I consider 44 mag carbine a 200 yard gun but I've explored the drop and know my holdover, using a cheap Burris Duplex reticle. If I wanted to, I'd have a mediocre chance at longer ranges but rather just pull out a different rifle. Doping drop out of a 44 mag (or 45-70) at long ranges can be entertaining. My FFL brother has several customers that shoot loooong range 45-70, 45-90, 45-110 way out for fun/competition. Some using black powder. |
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Originally Posted By eclark53520: It's not going to matter much what round you choose. That's plenty of power for deer. About like a 12ga slug and I've killed lots of them with that before WI allowed rifles state wide. You'll be just fine putting any factory loaded expanding bullet through a deer chest. They won't go far. My thoughts exactly. Big pieces of lead make big holes. Deer aren't that hard to kill, even large ones. |
| Back in the 80's my father hunted with a Marlin 1895 in 45/70 shooting 405 soft points. He spent most of his time in the thickest crap he could find. I saw many a whitetail that fell over from that rifle and they usually didn't run very far, most fell on the spot. His shots were never more than 35-40 yards and the 405's tore up very little meat, nowhere near as bad as the 30-06 that I was using. |
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| The 45/70 will get it done for sure. I this year used a Thompson center contender carbine in 45/70 to put a whitetail doe down. Hornady 325 grains factory load, pocked a hole straight thru her leaving a blood train about 15 yards. She fell over sideways from there. Straight through the boiler room. |
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Got a Marlin 1895 back in 1978. Used either Winchester 405 gr or Federal 300 gr. To date, only one deer wasn’t a one shot drop in place. |
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Not 45/70 but 444 marlin isn't to far off. 300 gr xtp handload deer was 160 yards went 5 yards it didn't know it was dead. Never seen a blood trail like it in 45 years of hunting it would have been impossible to not find it. If i hunted "close" range it's the only thing i would use. Marlin 444p some call it the outfitter it was 18.5" ported version made from 1999-02 |
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Originally Posted By migradog: Handi-Rifle with Hornady 325gr LeverRevolution Took a couple of steps and dropped. Thinking about trying it on Aoudad. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/47594/IMG_1532-3654474.jpg That looks light handy and with 45/70 the recoils must really be something. Bigger_Hammer 
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Buddy uses Marlin Guide Gun with a old box of Remington factory which is huge overkill even on bigger South Texas deer. I think he carried it in case of Chupracobres🐺. They're scary!  Bigger_Hammer |
LIFE'S JOURNEY IS NOT TO ARRIVE AT THE GRAVE SAFELY IN A WELL PRESERVED BODY,
BUT RATHER TO SKID IN SIDEWAYS, TOTALLY WORN OUT SHOUTING "HOLY $H!T...WHAT A RIDE"!!
BUT RATHER TO SKID IN SIDEWAYS, TOTALLY WORN OUT SHOUTING "HOLY $H!T...WHAT A RIDE"!!
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Yep Attached File |
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