How to Reload the .45-70 Government: Best .45-70 Gov. Handloads

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The .45-70 Government cartridge didn’t just come into existence by happenstance. Instead, it was the result of extensive testing of experimental blackpowder cartridges by the U.S. Army. In 1872, the Army’s testing board evaluated .40-, .42-, and .45-caliber rounds in both straight-wall and bottleneck cases for each bullet diameter. The straight cases delivered the best results, and the .45-caliber on a straight 2.1-inch case became the .45-70 Government in 1873. I would be remiss if I did not refer readers of this article to two superb books by my late friend Mike Venturino. Shooting Buffalo Rifles of the Old West and Shooting Lever Guns of the Old West are treasure troves full of fascinating information on the .45-70 and a host of other old-time cartridges and rifles. The .45-70 round was chambered in the then-new Springfield Model 1873 rifle that became known as the “Trapdoor.” The Model 1873 was made in rifle and carbine form. The initial government load featured a 400-grain bullet with more than 70 grains of blackpowder at a listed velocity of 1,350 fps. Cavalry troops soon found that the lightweight carbines gave too much recoil to be effective, so the Army lowered the charge to 55 grains for a velocity of 1,150 fps. The .45-70 is sometimes referred to as the .45-70-500, indicating a .45-caliber, 500-grain bullet over a charge of 70 grains (by volume) of blackpowder. However, as stated earlier, the .45-70 wasn’t initially loaded with 500-grain bullets. That did not happen until 1881. The velocity was 1,179 fps, and this load featured brass cases, which made the .45-70 reloadable.

Strength Levels for .45-70 Rifles

The .45-70 Government cartridge was introduced in 1873 when firearms were not nearly as strong as modern rifles. Today, we recognize three categories of .45-70s. Weak actions include the Trapdoor Springfield and Sharps Model 1874 replicas. Moderate strength actions include Marlin Model 1895s made after 1972, the Winchester Model 1886 (and modern replicas), Remington and Navy Arms Rolling blocks, replica High Wall falling-block actions (like the Uberti), and Thompson/Center Katahdin single shots. Strong actions include the Ruger No. 1 single shot and converted Siamese Mauser bolt actions. Caution is warranted, since some handbooks lump the Marlin 1895 and Ruger No. 1 in the same category, and the pressure ratings for the various strength categories vary considerably between sources. For example, the pressure level recommended for the “weak” guns varies from 21,000 CUP to 25,000 CUP; and for the “strong” category, it varies from 35,000 to 50,000 CUP, depending on the source.

Thus, for this report, I have elected to be conservative and stick to loads that approximate the pressure levels listed in the Speer Handloading Manual Number 15. These are 21,000 CUP for weak actions, 28,000 CUP for moderate strength actions, and 35,000 CUP for strong actions. Thus, the .45-70 is best thought of as three entirely different cartridges, and separate load data is identified as to strength level for each rifle listed. It is extremely important that the shooter who has representatives of .45-70 rifles in more than one strength level use caution to keep from using the wrong combination of ammo and rifle. For example, a load for a strong rifle in a Trapdoor Springfield surely would be a dangerous overload. Another completely separate category of .45-70 loads is with blackpowder, or as the purists say, “the only true way.” Blackpowder requires different enough techniques and mindset that I will leave it to those purists, and here I employ only smokeless powders. I have included a sprinkling of cast lead-alloy bullets, for which the round was first designed. This is no handicap, however, as loads for the grand old .45-70 can be as nostalgic or modern as the reloader wants to make them, depending on the firearm. Even though the round was introduced more than 150 years ago, interest in it and appreciation for the .45-70 continues unabated, and all sorts of rifles (and even handguns) chambered for it have been made.

The Test Guns

Over the years, I have had the pleasurable task of testing many fine guns in .45-70, and these rifles were representatives of all the strength levels, so I gathered together representative loads that I have fired in them. Plus, thanks to the generosity of friends, gun companies, and fellow lovers of the .45-70, I was able to borrow some prime specimens for some categories at both ends of the power spectrum. Here’s a brief rundown on the specifics of the guns used for testing the handloads. The TriStar Sharps Model 1874 replica is a relatively faithful rendition of the original. It sports a 34-inch barrel but has a slightly faster 1:18 rifling twist rate. I installed a Davide Pedersoli Long Creedmoor Vernier tang sight and a Lyman No. 17A Globe front sight with Lee Shaver interchangeable inserts. It is capable of hitting steel targets at extended ranges with cast-bullet loads.

My Marlin Model 1895XLR has a 24-inch barrel and a 1:20 twist, and it wears a Cabella’s Pine Ridge Lever Action Rifle 3-9X 40mm scope with the .45-70 reticle designed for Hornady’s 325-grain FTX LEVERevolution ammo and 250-grain MonoFlex bullets. I call it my “dedicated hog gun” because it slew a slew of Texas feral hogs on its first safari some years back. The Uberti Model 1885 High Wall Big Game Rifle mimics the Winchester single shot of 1885. I mounted a Leupold VX-2 3-9X 40mm scope on it, and its 22-inch barrel has a 1:20 twist. The unique T/C Encore single shot wears a Leupold VX-1 3-9X 40mm scope, and it has a 20-inch barrel with a 1:20 twist. A perennial favorite lever-action rifle is the famous Winchester Model 1886. Original specimens are both rare and very expensive, but I was able to borrow a fine replica made by Miroku for Browning. It has a 22-inch barrel with the standard 1:20 twist and a Lyman No. 2 Tang peep sight. Rounding out the test guns is a pristine Ruger No. 1-S single shot with a 22-inch barrel and a twist of 1:20. As expected, it proved to be accurate and reliable. I won’t relate how many rounds were expended in these guns, but I confess that I had about all the “fun” I could handle when the smoke cleared!

Tools, Components & Techniques

Components and dies for the .45-70 were fairly abundant at the time I wrote this article, and all loads were assembled on a Redding T-7 Turret press. Just about all makers of reloading tools cover the .45-70. I used Hornady Series II dies for the jacketed-bullet loads and a set of RCBS Cowboy dies especially dimensioned for cast-bullet loads. Note that the longer ogives of the Hornady 250-grain MonoFlex and 325-grain FTX bullets require that cartridge cases be trimmed to 2.040 inches. Crimping in these shorter cases was done with the Hornady seating/crimping die. The alloy bullets were Laser Cast from Oregan Trail and a local firm no longer in business. The Laser Casts were pretty hard with a BHN (Brinell Hardness Number) of 24. The home-cast 415-grain bullets were softer, with a BHN of 15, but neither brand left a speck of leading in the rifles’ bores. All cast bullets were sized 0.459 inch.

Due to the .45-70’s undying popularity and of other .45-caliber guns, there is a pretty good selection of .45-caliber jacketed bullets. However, many are designed for much more velocity than the .45-70 can provide, so the reloader must sift through their specs to pick one that’s right for the job. All the .45-caliber jacketed bullets I used were 0.458 inch in diameter. I used Starline cases for the jacketed-bullet loads and Winchester brass for the cast-bullet recipes. The Starline cases are a little thicker and harder than the Winchesters, but I didn’t notice any difference in accuracy or ballistics between them. The Winchester cases have a little more internal volume than the Starline cases. I used Hornady cases for the MonoFlex and FTX loads. I tend to favor Federal No. 215 Large Rifle Magnum primers for most loads, and especially for loads with Accurate 5744 powder and cast bullets. However, I must confess that I found little, if any, differences in velocity standard deviations or group sizes between primer types. Cases were primed with a Hornady hand tool.

There are so many good powders that work well in the .45-70 that the possible combinations are almost endless. While the loading manuals show dozens of loads at all power levels, the .45-70 is happiest with fast-burning rifle powders. Powders like IMR 4198, Reloder 7 and 10X, and VihtaVuori N120 and N130 are winners. There are others, but these five will certainly suffice for most shooting purposes. And if I may say so, I dote on Varget from Hodgdon in the .45-70. It just seems to like about any cast bullet, and it burns cleanly with little fouling. It’s not thought of as a “blackpowder substitute” powder, but it works great in the medium and strong rifle action levels. I weighed all charges on an RCBS electronic scale. A perfect propellant for reduced loads that duplicates original blackpowder velocities with all cast bullets is Accurate 5744. Pressures are very low, and accuracy is right up to snuff.

The .45-70 really caught on with shooters, and several loads were later developed for various shooting purposes and guns. A review of them is handy as a comparison to our handloads. In 1899 Winchester listed a load identified as “.45 Sharps” with a 420-grain bullet over 75 grains of blackpowder. Several other loads were also offered, including bullet weights of 330, 350, 405, and 500 grains. The velocities of these bullets, in the same order, were listed as 1,338, 1,307, 1,271, and 1,179 fps. Modern-day shooters may scoff at these rather sedate speeds but consider this: A 500-grain lead-alloy bullet launched at 1,200 fps will penetrate a full-grown bison end to end. In addition, Black Powder Cartridge Rifle (BPCR) shooters regularly hit steel rams at 500 meters—using open sights.

Some Results

Stuffing .45-70 cases is pure delight. The fat cases and big bullets are easy to handle. Due to the surface area involved, a good dose of case lube eases cases into the sizer. An excellent all-around hunting bullet for the round is the Speer 400-grain Flat Nose Soft Point. And as an example, in the Uberti High Wall Big Game rifle, a charge of 56.0 grains of Hodgdon H335 produced a velocity of 1,915 fps, a muzzle energy of 3,258 ft-lbs, and an average accuracy at 100 yards of 1.10 inches. The Kodiak Heavy Jacked Bonded bullets are intended for higher velocities (like in the Ruger No. 1), so expansion at less than 1,900 fps will probably be minimal. Hornady and Speer also make 350-grain bullets, and all of these can be pushed to high velocities for the round. They are suitable only for lever-action and stronger rifles. As with most bullets, IMR 4198 was almost perfect, as was IMR 8208 XBR and Benchmark. In the T/C Encore Katahdin’s 20-inch barrel, a dose of 56.0 grains of Benchmark gave the Kodiak 350-grain bullet a velocity of 1,888 fps and produced a muzzle energy of 2,771 ft-lbs. It grouped under an inch at 50 yards.

The Model 1886 I used also is a modern replica, and I tried a variety of commercial cast bullets in it. It liked some loads but spurned others. By far its favorite load was the Oregon Trail 405-grain RNFP bullet over 28.0 grains of Accurate 5744. This fine load averaged a delightful 0.73 inch at a velocity of 1,246 fps. Another good load was the Oregon Trail 430-grain gas check bullet with 27.0 grains of the same propellant at 1,261 fps. Muzzle energy of the 405-grain bullet was 1,397 ft-lbs, and the 430-grain gas check bullet produced 1,519 ft-lbs. These loads would make good hunting loads for the Model 1886; their power is not to be sneezed at. Of course, if you’re looking for a “Tim Taylor” load (more power), the Ruger No. 1 is the name of that tune. The No. 1 is the strongest rifle I used for my .45-70 loads, and it performed well. This rifle wears a Weaver K-1.5 scope, and that made shooting good groups easy. I used jacketed bullets that would be suitable for deer and larger game and a variety of powders not usually associated with the .45-70. They turned in excellent accuracy and delivered plenty of power. The Hornady 250-grain MonoFlex and 300-grain HP had velocities over 2,000 fps and averaged slightly over an inch at 50 yards. Muzzle energies were 2,646 and 2,784 ft-lbs, respectively.

Moving to the 350- and 400-grain projectiles, the power levels would make Tim smile. IMR 4198, VV N120, and Accurate 2015 all produced high velocities and excellent accuracy. Of course, a couple of low-powered cast-bullet loads suitable for defense against recalcitrant tin cans round out the selection. So, when the smoke has cleared, it’s obvious that the .45-70 gives up little on the range or in the game fields at any power level, what with the wide range of cast bullets that are available. I especially like the Oregon Trail Laser Cast bullets, as they are precisely made in a vast array of shapes and weights, and they don’t lead. Loads with Accurate 5744 and Varget with 300-, 350-, 405-, 415-, and 500-grain cast bullets were accurate and plenty powerful within all power levels. Jacketed bullets can be used for moderate power as well as loads that approach the .458 Winchester Magnum—in appropriate guns, of course. The .45-70 may be old, but it’s not obsolete, by any standard. Handloading it offers extreme ballistic flexibility and accuracy that can be tailored to the task at hand. This legendary cartridge is a solid foundation on which to build a shooting system. It helped shooters make the transition from blackpowder to smokeless powders at the start of the 20th century. Plus, handloading and shooting the grand old .45-70 in original rifles allows us to vicariously experience a unique facet of a bygone era, whereas with modern guns, powders, and bullets, shooters can achieve an unmatched spectrum of versatility.

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