Is a 45-70 A good bear gun? (2023)

What is the best rifle caliber for grizzly bear?

270 or . 30-06 rifle they can shoot well rather than a shiny new magnum that has been fired just enough to get sighted-in. If you are going to hunt brown bear on the Alaska Peninsula or Kodiak Island, a . 30-06 loaded with 200- or 220-grain Nosler® or similar premium bullet will do the job with good shot placement.

Paired with a good lever gun, the . 45/70 is a consummate hunting rig for thick brush or timber. The rifles are short and handy, can be run very fast, and pack a wallop. Lever-actions, being scabbard-friendly, are great for horseback hunts, but they are also ideal for hunting from a blind.

The . 45-70 Govt is very effective out to around 150 yards with minimal bullet drop, but it's capable of great accuracy and longer range shooting as well. Using modern, smokeless powder, most of the ammunition manufacturers currently produce a wide variety of loads of varying power for the . 45-70.

45-70 Magnum ammo performs exactly like you'd expect: this is hard hitting ammunition specifically designed for hunting the biggest bears and moose. Their 300 grain JHP and 405 grain JFN loads in particular are also excellent .

It is a common misconception that shotgun ammunition is a good way to chase away a bear. In reality, target or bird-hunting shot is an ineffective solution that often leads to unnecessary outcomes. Bears have relatively thin skin and shotgun ammunition can be extremely harmful and even lethal.

The . 45-70, now almost 150 years old, is a pretty good bear cartridge.

308 Winchester. If you're looking for a one-cartridge answer for all methods of black-bear hunting, it boils down to the . 308 Winchester, as it does for just about every other type of big-game hunting in North America.

For a bear cartridge anything equal to or more powerful than a . 41 Magnum or . 44 Magnum will be fine. Oldtime black bear hunters say that any load that throws at least a 200-grain or bigger solid bullet at 1000 fps or more will take any bear in the woods.

45-70 is a very accurate round, it is difficult to shoot at longer ranges because the slow velocity and low ballistic coefficient of the bullet combine to produce a pretty steep trajectory. At ranges past about 200 yards, precise range estimation and applying the proper hold over become extremely important.

Lupo successfully took all of the African Big 6 (Cape Buffalo, Elephant, White Rhinoceros, Leopard, Lion, and Hippopotamus) with a lever-action Marlin chambered in . 45-70 shooting Garret Hammerhead bullets during the course of a couple of hunts in South Africa during 2001 and 2002.

What is the most powerful lever action rifle?

The . 50-110 WCF (also known as the . 50-100-450 WCF , with different loadings) in modern 1886 Winchesters with modern steel barrels is the most powerful lever-action cartridge, with up to 6,000 foot-pounds (8.1 kJ) of energy.

The rifle was generally considered as being effective out to about 300 yards, but was also used in volley fire out to 600 yards. Some expert marksmen could extend the range significantly farther.

While big bore lever-actions have long been a favorite of deep woods whitetail hunters, 21st Century reloading components and ammunition have made the . 45-70 much more versatile and easily capable of taking moose and elk out to 250 yards.

The 45-70 and the 45-70 Govt are the same cartridge no difference at all. Any time you come up with a question you just ask away, that is the whole purpose in this board.

Despite what you might have seen in the movies, the . 308 Winchester round can take down a grizzly bear. In fact, it's even been used by hunters in Alaska to take down this big, brown bear for years.

45-70 does its best work when loaded with 400 grain bullets.

Yes, the . 308 Winchester is A GOOD CHOICE for black bear hunting, under average conditions, from a mid-range distance, with a medium grain expanding bullet, and with correct shot placement.

The 9mm can kill bears but is considered underpowered by many. The 9mm has 350 to 450 ft/lbs. of energy, while 1,000 ft/lbs is considered the minimum for a bear hunting gun. Proper 9mm bullets yield sufficient penetration in soft tissue, but it may not stop a bear quickly enough to avoid being mauled.

For ammunition, a fullbore slug like a Foster-style or a Brenneke is the best choice. Sabot accuracy doesn't matter, because you will only be shooting at a bear at range of a few steps.

45-70 is a more powerful cartridge. While this isn't an issue for medium game, it can give you better performance when you're hunting big game. If you're hunting elk, brown bear, or moose, stick with the . 45-70.

What's the best handgun for bear protection?

Smith & Wesson Model 29/629

Big-bore revolvers are the classic backup gun in bear country, and one of the most popular options is Smith & Wesson's six-shot . 44 Magnums. The Model 29 and Model 629 are built on S&W's vaunted N-frame and pack enough punch that, with the right bullets, they'll stop even the largest bear.

44 Magnum is the minimum for charging bears, many others have opted for a Glock 20 in 10mm Auto and, interestingly enough, passed right by the . 357 S&W Magnum. Several folks have even successfully killed bears with a 9mm.

But with a close, fast-incoming bear, don't waste time with a warning shot. Aim for the deadliest point you can find. On a close-in, charging bear, this will probably be the face or upper chest. Often full-attack grizzlies lower their heads as they come in, so that's about all you have to aim at.

Aiming towards the center-mass of the body cavity is important, I like to shoot about 4 to 5 inches back from the shoulder on a broadside bear. Bears have soft skins and the rib bones are fairly light. The biggest threat to penetration is the front shoulder—stay away from it.

In general, the . 45 acp is a poor choice for bear defense. The round is slow, fat, and has fairly poor penetration on tough-skinned animals; however, some people carry . 45 acp with modern +P ammo and hardened bullets for bear defense.

Shooting a bear with a hollow point is not going to be effective. What we need to stop an animal this size and strong is deep penetration. We need to cause remote damage or hydrostatic shock.

380 fired with the muzzle pressed into a bear's chest as it is mauling you is going to do a hell of a lot of damage, even more if you can press it into any area of the head and get a shot off.

The 10mm Alternative

These pistols hold two or three times the shots of a big-bore revolver, and most hunters find them relatively easy to shoot accurately and quickly. It's better, the thinking goes, to put two or three—or six or eight—well-placed smaller bullets into a bear than one or two poorly placed big bullets.

Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) is seen carrying a stainless steel Marlin Model 1895SBL lever-action rifle with a gray laminated wood stock as his personal rifle of choice in the film.

Its name is derived from the bullet diameter (. 45 in), the weight of the black powder used when it was created (70 grains), and the fact that it was designed and used by the U.S. ARMY in 1873.

Does Marlin still make 45-70?

The 45/70 government was invented to hunt buffalo. And, after the innovation of smokeless powder and better steel, it's gotten ridiculously more effective. This is the most popular option seen on bison hunts.

CAPE BUFFALO

The . 375 H&H is the minimum caliber that is allowed for buffalo hunting. A better choice is the . 416 or larger.

Bottom line: the . 450 Marlin has almost identical ballistics to magnum . 45-70 ammo and both are quite a bit more powerful than the lower end .

444 Marlin load has a muzzle velocity that is almost 300 fps faster than the 325-grain . 45-70 load, it generates more energy out to 300 yards and, when sighted in three inches high at 100 yards, drops three inches less at 200 yards than the . 45-70.

405 Winchester model 1895 lever action rifle the “Big Stick!” With the . 405's he and Kermit shot the continent's most dangerous game. The 1895 was never as popular as Winchester's model 94 or model 1886 (which had been a favorite of T.R.).

For a bear cartridge anything equal to or more powerful than a . 41 Magnum or . 44 Magnum will be fine. Oldtime black bear hunters say that any load that throws at least a 200-grain or bigger solid bullet at 1000 fps or more will take any bear in the woods.

The . 45-70, now almost 150 years old, is a pretty good bear cartridge.

300 Win Mag loads use 150-300 grain bullets. When using quality bullets and with good shot placement, both the 7mm Rem Mag and . 300 Win Mag are excellent for hunting black, brown, and grizzly bear at all practical hunting ranges.

Is 7mm Rem Mag good for grizzly bear?

Yes, the 7mm Remington Magnum is A GOOD CHOICE for grizzly or brown bear hunting, under average conditions, from a mid-range distance, with a medium grain expanding bullet, and with correct shot placement.

For big bear defense handguns, the Smith & Wesson 629 is hard to beat. Many laud the . 44 Magnum as real bear medicine, and it's got plenty of power for a bear defense handgun—as long as you remember that it's still not a rifle.

Aim for the deadliest point you can find. On a close-in, charging bear, this will probably be the face or upper chest. Often full-attack grizzlies lower their heads as they come in, so that's about all you have to aim at.

45-70 is a more powerful cartridge. While this isn't an issue for medium game, it can give you better performance when you're hunting big game. If you're hunting elk, brown bear, or moose, stick with the . 45-70.

45-70 is a very accurate round, it is difficult to shoot at longer ranges because the slow velocity and low ballistic coefficient of the bullet combine to produce a pretty steep trajectory. At ranges past about 200 yards, precise range estimation and applying the proper hold over become extremely important.

30-30 Win., or even a 12-gauge slug will all do the trick. But if you're looking for a cartridge that can operate in virtually any hunting scenario, look no further than the 6.5 Creedmoor, the . 308 Winchester, the . 30-06 Springfield, 7mm Remington Magnum, and the .

300 Win Mag are slightly longer than the 7mm RM, and its overall case capacity has a larger volume. While the . 300 Win Mag has a higher case capacity and can take higher pressures, it also must send heavier grain bullets down range while maintaining necessary terminal ballistics.

The 6.5 Creedmoor is an adequate cartridge for hunting black bear as long as shots are taken within 500 yards. Black Bear have heavy shoulder bones, so use a heavy bullet of at least 140 grains and a controlled-expansion bullet, but most hunters report the 6.5 Creedmoor performs well on black bear.

Much like Alaska hunting, non-resident hunters must use a licensed outfitter when hunting the Yukon. Grizzly bears can be hunted with rifles, muzzleloaders, shotguns with slugs, or archery equipment and hunters don't have to salvage the meat.

Is 7mm good for moose?

Again, larger calibers really aren't going to alter the moose's opinion, but a little wider bullet and a little more oomph never hurt. The 7mms from 7x57mm Mauser, 7mm-08 Rem. and 280 Rem. through the 7mm magnums are excellent choices with 150 to 175-grain slugs.

The 7mm-08 case is just slightly longer than the parent . 308—2.035 inches vs. 2.015 inches—but maintains the same 20-degree shoulder of the . 308 Winchester.

The 6.5 Creedmoor fires smaller diameter and more aerodynamic bullets than the 7mm-08 Remington. Both cartridges have a similar trajectory, but the 7mm-08 retains more kinetic energy than the 6.5 Creedmoor at typical hunting ranges while the 6.5 Creedmoor has less recoil.