Yeti GOBOX Collection

45/70 for elk ?

Rooster52

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Anyone shoot a 45/70 for elk ? Seems it would make an interesting hunt. I have a Marlin 1895 with a 24 inch barrel.Great shooting gun.Maybe next trip to Colorado I will try it.
 
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I Do and love it. Don't under estimate it as a elk getter...
I use a marlin CB 28" barrel ( I think ) A 300 gr hp., Hornady smoking at 2400 fps.
:hump:
Many elk have fallen to it, deer, and antelope to, AND an occasional coyote.
 
Both my great grandfather and my mom's uncle shot 45/70s back in the day. They shot some nice bulls with those rifles and I don't remember them having any trouble tipping any bulls over. Most of their hunts took place in the thick timber in central Washington so shots were inside 150 yards.
 
My hunting mentor, Gary Sloan, has killed scores of elk and the .45-70 in Marlin lever-action is his go-to rifle for timber. Definitely a cartridge that has withstood the test of time. Seems to me he has a special lever to fit a gloved hand.
 
Yep, I have friends who love that as a great brush gun for elk, no experience with it myself though!

ElkNut1
 
If you get rid of the idea of the old trapdoor antique guns and embrace the modern technology in ammo and rifles the 45/70 is not just a "Brush" gun. 200 and 300 yard shots are very doable I use a 4 X 12 Redfield on mine and shoot that far very handily . Buffalo bore make some very impressive loads and if you reload you can get some very impressive groups at 200 yards. Check it out ...:hump:
 
Oh yeah, killed my first elk in 1979 with my marlin 45/70 . Was falling timber by Ovando Mt. One of the guys on the crew invited me to hunt with him and his family . We hiked up the back side of Marcum mountain from deer park , as we found tracks each person went off on their own . a couple hours later a big cow steps out , took 1st shot, looked like a hit . Took a 2nd shot and over she goes . As I was gutting
her out , the other hunters came by . They also had a elk down , I was introduced to packing out quarters that day. Great memories. Now I use the gun mostly as a loaner for new hunters, it really doesn't have too bad of a kick and quite a few whitetails have been killed with it.
John
 
I only shoot standard loads in my Marlin. I tried some of the hotter loads but the recoil was too much for me. now shooting a Hornady 300 grain HP over 55 grains of Accurate 2015. Get great accuracy.Going to try some 350 grain round nose sometime.That should be a good elk bullet.
 
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You who handload for the 45 70, do you crimp your loads ? Thinking maybe I should for the marlin 1895.
 
My CB will not shoot 350 gr bullets for what ever reason .
If your going to use the Evolution 350's you HAVE to trim your brass shorter or that will NOT chamber...
Yes I do crimp my reloads.
:hump:
 
45/70 great gun to show people it's not necessary to shoot 800-1200 yards to kill an animal, just takes a little skill.
 
Ayup... 350gr hornady RN reloaded to around 1950fps out of my ported gg. Yes I crimp since I figure while it's not a boomer type of load it's still hot enough and I don't want it to set back and cause higher pressures and kaboom my baby :)

 
Leupold BX-4 Rangefinding Binoculars

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