Me and my 45-70

Croker Island · April 28, 2006, 01:04 AM

I recently purchased a GS 1895great for Buff and Bantang, I also do a fair bit of pig shooting. I reload my own ammo and enjoy tinkering with loads and projectiles to match what I intend to hunt. I have to say I am a fan of the heavier load as I believe its better to have it and not need it than the other way around. But even 300 grain JHP's go straight through the pigs and while most of the time it stops them I have done a couple of long shots and ended up chasing pigs down into the swamp to finish them off and a long walk with the legs (dog meat) follows. Basically I want a bigger hole that will stop pigs straight away. Sometimes I might stumble across 10-15 pigs at once and shoot pretty quickly so I want a pig thats shot, not to move any further. Can anyone tell me if there is any lighter? more expanding 0.458 cal projectiles I could use?

big jon · April 28, 2006, 02:37 AM

here is a pix of my browning 1886

i purty much shoot everything out of it but when it comes to hunting i only use the 300gr jhp mostly because it shoots flater than the rest, taken more game than i can rember with it,in fact its the only gun i have that made the first hog i shot with it roll all the way over,i think there just asum

Croker Island · April 28, 2006, 03:39 AM

Hell yeah Big Jon.
I nearly bought a 308 but the 45-70 shoots so true (even with a 18.5" barrel), once you get the elevation right, its great. And when it comes to cleaning up a mob of pigs at night or in the scrub, by the time the scope boys have found something to shoot at - its all over! And if a decent Bull Buff gets your wind there is no substitute for cubic inches. I'm a nice bloke and let 'em have a go every now and then.
Still looking for some high expansion projectiles for the pigs tho. Can't find anything at Hornady or Sierra. I might drill a couple of JHP's out and see what happens!?!

big jon · April 28, 2006, 05:12 AM

good luck i have never recovered any bullets from any of the game ive shot. are you loading them hot? i learned a long time to load everything to the max keeps you sharp for when it realy matters..... happy hunting big

Croker Island · April 28, 2006, 08:33 PM

Aye Big Jon,
Drilled a bigger hole in the end of some 300 grain Jacketed Hollow Points and it works a treat. I got 5 good size boars last night and there wasn't one exit wound. I send you a photo this arvo when I work out how to send attachements. It was a typical night here, where you come into a clearing and there is about 15-20 pigs so I took three boars there and two others on their own later in the evening. The 45-70 was in its element and once again, in the end, I had to stand back and let me mate have a shot with his 308 otherwise I will have no one to hunt with.

Croker Island · April 28, 2006, 08:45 PM

I think I have attachements sussed. Heres my 45-70, pig phots will follow this arvo

greenmtnguy · April 28, 2006, 09:37 PM

How big are the pigs that you're hunting, and how fast are you pushing the 300 grain JHPs ? I've found that the
Hornady (#4500) 300 grain JHPs are very accurate in my 1895, and they will expand nicely on 150-200 pound whitetail deer when pushed at 1900-2100 fps. Remington has some
300 grn JHPs that look similar, but are more lightly constructed. Several reloaders have found that they can actually get a bit explosive when pushed above 2000 fps so you'll definitely be getting expansion, unless these are some very small animals. Do you have a chronograph ?

April 28, 2006, 01:04 AM	#1
Croker Island Junior Member Join Date: January 14, 2006 Location: 150 miles ENE of Darwin, Northern territory, Australia Posts: 12	Me and my 45-70 I recently purchased a GS 1895great for Buff and Bantang, I also do a fair bit of pig shooting. I reload my own ammo and enjoy tinkering with loads and projectiles to match what I intend to hunt. I have to say I am a fan of the heavier load as I believe its better to have it and not need it than the other way around. But even 300 grain JHP's go straight through the pigs and while most of the time it stops them I have done a couple of long shots and ended up chasing pigs down into the swamp to finish them off and a long walk with the legs (dog meat) follows. Basically I want a bigger hole that will stop pigs straight away. Sometimes I might stumble across 10-15 pigs at once and shoot pretty quickly so I want a pig thats shot, not to move any further. Can anyone tell me if there is any lighter? more expanding 0.458 cal projectiles I could use?

April 28, 2006, 02:37 AM	#2
big jon Member Join Date: April 9, 2006 Posts: 65	45-70 here is a pix of my browning 1886 i purty much shoot everything out of it but when it comes to hunting i only use the 300gr jhp mostly because it shoots flater than the rest, taken more game than i can rember with it,in fact its the only gun i have that made the first hog i shot with it roll all the way over,i think there just asum

April 28, 2006, 03:39 AM	#3
Croker Island Junior Member Join Date: January 14, 2006 Location: 150 miles ENE of Darwin, Northern territory, Australia Posts: 12	Hell yeah Big Jon. I nearly bought a 308 but the 45-70 shoots so true (even with a 18.5" barrel), once you get the elevation right, its great. And when it comes to cleaning up a mob of pigs at night or in the scrub, by the time the scope boys have found something to shoot at - its all over! And if a decent Bull Buff gets your wind there is no substitute for cubic inches. I'm a nice bloke and let 'em have a go every now and then. Still looking for some high expansion projectiles for the pigs tho. Can't find anything at Hornady or Sierra. I might drill a couple of JHP's out and see what happens!?!

April 28, 2006, 05:12 AM	#4
big jon Member Join Date: April 9, 2006 Posts: 65	jhp? good luck i have never recovered any bullets from any of the game ive shot. are you loading them hot? i learned a long time to load everything to the max keeps you sharp for when it realy matters..... happy hunting big

April 28, 2006, 08:33 PM	#5
Croker Island Junior Member Join Date: January 14, 2006 Location: 150 miles ENE of Darwin, Northern territory, Australia Posts: 12	Aye Big Jon, Drilled a bigger hole in the end of some 300 grain Jacketed Hollow Points and it works a treat. I got 5 good size boars last night and there wasn't one exit wound. I send you a photo this arvo when I work out how to send attachements. It was a typical night here, where you come into a clearing and there is about 15-20 pigs so I took three boars there and two others on their own later in the evening. The 45-70 was in its element and once again, in the end, I had to stand back and let me mate have a shot with his 308 otherwise I will have no one to hunt with.

April 28, 2006, 09:37 PM	#7
greenmtnguy Member Join Date: October 25, 2004 Posts: 37	How big are the pigs that you're hunting, and how fast are you pushing the 300 grain JHPs ? I've found that the Hornady (#4500) 300 grain JHPs are very accurate in my 1895, and they will expand nicely on 150-200 pound whitetail deer when pushed at 1900-2100 fps. Remington has some 300 grn JHPs that look similar, but are more lightly constructed. Several reloaders have found that they can actually get a bit explosive when pushed above 2000 fps so you'll definitely be getting expansion, unless these are some very small animals. Do you have a chronograph ?