.45-70 Government
Army rifle round that took bison. Today a lever-gun choice for bear, moose and elk up close.
Good for: Deer/hog, Elk/moose, Big/dangerous, Straight-wall
A typical factory load is a 300 gr hollow point bullet at about 1,880 ft/s, with roughly 2,354 ft-lbs of energy at the muzzle.
Typical load
300 grhollow pointMuzzle speed
1,880 ft/sMuzzle energy
2,354 ft-lbsTypical BC (G1)
≈ 0.20typical, varies by brandTwist rate
1:201:18 to 1:22Practical range
150–200 ydPoint-blank range
171 yd6" vital zoneRecommended platform
Lever or single-shot, 7½ lb+Heavy with full-power loads; mild with standard onesOn the Hunting Rifle Cartridges chart
Made to hunt
Army rifle round that took bison. Today a lever-gun choice for bear, moose and elk up close.
Typical load
300 grhollow point
Typical muzzle fps
1,880ft/s
Typical muzzle energy
2,354ft-lbs
Typical BC (G1)
≈ 0.20typical, varies by brand
Twist rate for typical load
1:201:18 to 1:22
Effective ethical range
150–200 yd
MPBR
171 yd6" vital zone · Near zero 16 yd · Far zero 147 yd · Min PBR 0 yd · Max PBR 171 yd · Sight-in @100 2.83" high
Recommended platform
Lever or single-shot, 7½ lb+Heavy with full-power loads; mild with standard ones
Open the full Hunting Rifle Cartridges chart →
On the Military Surplus chart
Service history
U.S. Army round of the Indian Wars and buffalo hunting era.
Service rifles
Springfield Trapdoor
Military load
405 grlead round nose
Typical muzzle fps
1,350ft/s
Typical muzzle energy
1,639ft-lbs
Typical BC (G1)
≈ 0.28typical, varies by brand
Twist rate for typical load
1:20
MPBR (iron sights)
127 yd6" vital zone · Near zero 8 yd · Far zero 108 yd · Min PBR 0 yd · Max PBR 127 yd · Sight-in @100 0.92" high
Hunting today
Yes: deer, bear, moose close in; huge lever-gun following.
Open the full Military Surplus chart →
Head-to-head comparisons
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Speed, energy and BC are typical figures for the listed load; real numbers vary by brand, lot and barrel length. Always check the ammo maker's data for your exact load.