45-70 for Elk?
Question:
I’m looking at picking up a reasonably priced 45-70 which I intend to use on elk. What’s the effective range of this rifle. Accuracy at 100-150 yards? Where shoud I zero it? Any advise/ experiences appreciated. -T.
Response:
> I’m looking at picking up a reasonably priced 45-70 which I intend to > use on elk. What’s the effective range of this rifle. Accuracy at > 100-150 yards? Where shoud I zero it? Any advise/ experiences > appreciated.
You haven’t told us WHICH .45-70 rifle you’re buying. Accuracy could go from near 1" at 150 yards with a perfectly tuned top end gun and the right load, to 5-6". Either way, that is "minute of elk" and adequate for 150 yards. I suggest the Marlin 1895 or Ruger #1. I recommend scoping all hunting rifles. For the .45-70, I suggest 2 to 2.5X on the bottom end, not more than 8x at the top, and nothing is wrong with a fixed 2.5X or 4X scope by Leupold, Burris, or Redfield. Or the Weaver K2.5 .. I haven’t used it but it’s a classic. Zero depends on the velocity of the ammo you’re using. For 150 yard shots I’d zero at 125 – 150 yards … or simply sight 1.5" high at 100. Oh .. there is VERY little factory ammo in .45-70 really suitable for elk. Almost all of it is deer ammo. Look at Garrett’s 405 grain hard cast load. The factory JHP and JSP stuff from Win, Rem, Fed will expand too fast and not penetrate enough. … at least, not reliably. Tom
Response:
>I’m looking at picking up a reasonably priced 45-70 which I intend to >use on elk. What’s the effective range of this rifle. Accuracy at >100-150 yards? Where shoud I zero it? Any advise/ experiences >appreciated. >-T.
Rick Jamison wrote a good article in the last Shooting Times about .45-70 loads in a Marlin 1895SS for elk. Very good information about this very topic. Dale Anderson Boulder, Colorado
Response:
>I’m looking at picking up a reasonably priced 45-70 which I intend to >use on elk. What’s the effective range of this rifle. Accuracy at >100-150 yards? Where shoud I zero it? Any advise/ experiences >appreciated.
I shoot a New Model Marlin 1895SS 45/70GOVT. It is fitted with a fixed 2.5X Leupold scope. My hunting loads use the Speer 400gn FN bullet backed by 57.7gn AR2208 in winchester cases and WLR primers. This is a Maximum load in my rifle and it generates velocities just over 1900 f.p.s. Accuracy is around 2 to 2.5" at 100mt which is plenty good enough for the Up to 100yd shots I take with this gun. This load should be able to handle your elk. As it is used here with good success on our Sambar deer. Ruger #1’s are good if you like single shots but *I* favor the extra 4 rounds at "call" of the Marlin and Browning L/A’s. The Ruger #3’s are really great "Fun" to shoot with stout loads with bullets in the 350 + gn range. (Owing to their light weight) Get a Copy of "Ken Waters PET LOADS" for the 45/70 it features much useful information about loads and rifles in this caliber. Regards, Mark.. — –Mark Przybylowski
