.45-70 Government Ballistics

Ballistics and Drop for the .45-70 Government

.45-70-government

Cartridge Type: Rifle
Height: 2.105"
Width: 0.608"
Average FPS: 1680
Average Energy: 2274
Average Gr: 363
Recoil: 2.43
Power Rank: 6.1 of 20

The .45-70 was designed in 1873 by the U.S. Government at the Army's Springfield Armory for use with the Springfield Model 1873. The .45-70 has no parent case and is a rimmed tapered design that fits a .458 inch bullet with a large rifle primer. The original weight of the bullet was 405 gr and in 1879 added a new version with a 500 grain bullet.

The ballistic data for the .45-70 for four grain types of bullets muzzle velocity are 2,275 ft/s (300 gr JHP Strong), 2,069 ft/s (300 gr JHP Standard), 1,597 ft/s (300 gr lead), and 1,394 ft/s (405 gr). The bullet trajectory is accurate up to 300 yards with a rainbow effect that lasts up to 100 yards depending on the rifle barrel. The typical range on targets is about 165 yards before noticeable drop-off in trajectory occurs.

Hand loading brass is available for 300, 350, 400, and 500 along with other grain bullets available on the commercial market. A 300 grain hand loaded Hornady bullet with 40.9 grains of IMR-3031 powder has a muzzle velocity of 1,300 ft/s and 52 grains of hand loaded powder of IMR-3031has up to 1,800 ft/s velocity. The 500 grain bullets can be used to hunt large game which can have a muzzle velocity up to 1,800 ft/s with a 53.1 grain load of IMR-3031 powder.

*Casing image above is an artist rendering and not a real photo of .45-70 Government Ballistics cartridge. While we have went to great lengths to make sure that it's as accurate as possible this rendering should not be used to generate specs for casings.

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Known Rounds

.45-70 Government-CorBon HC, .45-70 Government-Federal Speer Hot-Cor SP, .45-70 Government-Winchester Partition Gold, .45-70 Government-Cor-Bon Lead FP, .45-70 Government-Remington Soft Point, .45-70 Government-Cor-Bon BondedCore SP, .45-70 Government-Cor-Bon FP Penetrator, .45-70 Government-Winchester Jacketed Hollow Point, .45-70 Government-PMC LFP, .45-70 Government-Remington Semi-Jacketed Hollow Point,

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Other Cartridges with Similar Widths (cartridges not bullets)

.475 Nitro Express Number 2, .25-35 Winchester, .577 Tyrannosaur, .45-70 Government, .356 Winchester, .500 Nitro Express 3-Inch, .500 Smith & Wesson Special Magnum, .470 Nitro Express, .375 Winchester, .500 Smith & Wesson Special, .505 Rimless Magnum (Gibbs), .35 Remington, .38-55 Winchester, .30-30 Winchester, .500-465 Nitro Express,

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Other Cartridges with Similar Length

7mm Winchester Short Magnum (WSM), .325 Winchester Short Magnum, .350 Remington Magnum, 6.5mm Remington Magnum, .45-70 Government, .284 Winchester, .450 Marlin, .300 Winchester Short Magnum, 6.5x54 MS (6.5 Mannlicher-Schoenauer), .270 Winchester Short Magnum, 6.5x55mm Swedish Mauser,

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Bullet Database

Image Cartridge Type FPS Energy Power Recoil Length
.17 Aguila rifle 1850 152 0.37 0.16 0.618
.17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire rifle 2483 246 0.45 0.19 1.06
.17 Mach 2 rifle 2078 163 0.35 0.17 0.714
.17 Remington rifle 4145 877 0.95 0.45 1.796
.204 Ruger rifle 3935 1272 1.46 0.6 1.84
.218 Bee rifle 2760 778 1.27 0.56 1.345
.22 Hornet rifle 2719 706 1.17 0.54 1.017
.22 Long rifle 898 52 0.26 0.14 0.613
.22 Long Rifle High Veloci rifle 1341 152 0.51 0.22 0.613
.22 LR rifle 1061 99 0.42 0.19 0.613
.22 Short rifle 896 52 0.26 0.13 0.421
.22 Winchester Magnum Rimf rifle 2000 342 0.54 0.34 1.055
.22-250 Remington rifle 3787 1624 1.93 0.9 1.912
.220 Swift rifle 3845 1674 1.96 0.9 2.205
.221 Remington Fireball rifle 3097 958 1.39 0.67 1.4
.222 Remington rifle 3167 1091 1.55 0.74 1.7
.222 Remington Magnum rifle 3525 1241 1.59 0.79 1.85
.223 Remington (5.56x45mm rifle 3148 1254 1.79 0.8 1.76
.223 Winchester Super Shor rifle 3766 1826 2.18 0.95 1.67
.224 Weatherby Magnum rifle 3650 1627 2.01 0.9 1.92
.225 Winchester rifle 3570 1556 1.96 0.9 1.927
.240 Weatherby Magnum rifle 3396 2432 3.23 1.46 2.5
.243 Winchester rifle 3179 1952 2.77 1.25 2.045
.243 Winchester Super Shor rifle 3198 2228 2.55 1.37 1.67
.25 Auto (ACP) handgun 814 68 0.74 0.17 0.615
.25 Winchester Super Short rifle 3155 2387 3.41 1.57 1.67
.25-06 Remington rifle 3123 2360 3.4 1.57 2.494
.25-20 Winchester rifle 1460 407 1.26 0.57 1.33
.25-35 Winchester rifle 2230 1292 2.61 1.18 2.043
.250 Savage rifle 2820 1765 2.82 1.27 1.912
.257 Roberts rifle 2790 2039 3.29 1.47 2.233
.257 Weatherby Magnum rifle 3408 2836 3.75 1.76 2.549
.260 Remington rifle 2856 2282 3.6 1.73 2.035
.264 Winchester Magnum rifle 3170 2766 3.93 1.91 2.5
.270 Weatherby Magnum rifle 3335 3333 4.5 2.05 2.549
.270 Winchester rifle 3536 3775 4.81 1.82 2.54
.270 Winchester Short Magn rifle 3238 3166 4.4 2 2.1
.280 Remington rifle 2896 2793 4.34 1.95 2.54
.284 Winchester rifle 2880 2762 4.32 1.93 2.17
.30 Luger (7.65mm) handgun 1210 296 2.2 0.52 0.85
.30 M1 Carbine rifle 1987 964 2.19 0.99 1.29
.30-06 Springfield rifle 2815 2920 4.67 2.19 2.494
.30-30 Winchester rifle 2373 1888 3.58 1.6 2.04
.30-378 Weatherby rifle 3382 4520 6.02 2.55 2.908
.300 Dakota rifle 3183 4206 5.95 2.6 2.55
.300 H&H Magnum rifle 2880 3314 5.18 2.34 2.85
.300 Remington Short Actio rifle 3034 3494 5.19 2.36 2.015
.300 Remington Ultra Magnu rifle 3066 3610 5.3 2.64 2.85
.300 Savage rifle 2518 2280 4.08 1.78 1.871
.300 Weatherby Magnum rifle 3229 4074 5.68 2.63 2.811
.300 Winchester Magnum rifle 3026 3517 5.23 2.39 2.62
.300 Winchester Short Magn rifle 3078 3576 5.23 2.36 2.1
.303 British rifle 2540 2406 4.27 1.98 2.222
.307 Winchester rifle 2510 2518 4.52 1.93 2.015
.308 Winchester (7.62mm NA rifle 2681 2617 4.4 1.95 2.015
.32 Auto (7.65mm Browning) handgun 957 136 1.28 0.29 0.68
.32 H&R Magnum handgun 998 197 1.78 0.42 1.075
.32 Short Colt handgun 745 99 1.2 0.27 0.65
.32 Smith & Wesson handgun 680 88 1.16 0.27 0.605
.32 Smith & Wesson Long handgun 758 124 1.48 0.35 0.92
.32 Winchester Special rifle 2250 1911 3.83 1.95 2.04
.32-20 Winchester rifle 1210 325 1.21 0.55 1.315
.325 Winchester Short Magn rifle 2213 2174 4.43 2.78 2.1
.327 Federal Magnum handgun 1427 452 2.86 0.67 1.2
.330 Dakota rifle 2925 4369 6.73 3.11 2.74
.338 Lapua Magnum rifle 2927 4831 7.43 3.33 2.774
.338 Winchester Magnum rifle 2819 3916 6.26 2.93 2.5
.340 Weatherby Magnum rifle 3033 4615 6.85 3.3 2.825
.35 Remington rifle 2120 1876 3.99 1.87 1.92
.35 Whelen rifle 2638 3538 6.04 2.64 2.494
.356 Winchester rifle 2460 2687 4.92 2.22 2.015
.357 Magnum handgun 1294 528 3.68 0.89 1.29
.357 SIG handgun 1379 515 3.36 0.76 0.865
.38 Special (.38 Smith & W handgun 876 235 2.42 0.53 1.155
.38-55 Winchester rifle 1320 986 3.37 1.51 2.085
.380 Auto (9mm Browning Sh handgun 980 194 1.78 0.41 0.68
.40 Smith & Wesson handgun 1074 423 3.54 0.74 0.85
.41 Remington Magnum handgun 1276 763 5.38 1.23 1.29
.44 Remington Magnum (Pist handgun 1317 897 6.14 1.45 1.285
.44 Smith & Wesson Special handgun 911 361 3.58 0.81 1.16
.44-40 Winchester rifle 1060 499 2.12 1.07 1.305
.45 Auto (.45 ACP) handgun 937 403 3.88 0.93 0.898
.45 GAP (Glock Automatic P handgun 959 414 3.9 0.92 0.76
.45-70 Government rifle 1680 2274 6.1 2.43 2.105
.470 Nitro Express rifle 2134 5055 10.67 4.84 3.25
10mm Auto handgun 1199 546 4.1 0.96 0.992
6.17mm (.243) Lazzeroni Sp rifle 3618 2470 3.08 1.37 2.05
6.53mm (.257) Lazzeroni Sc rifle 3750 3122 3.75 1.69 2.8
6.5mm Remington Magnum rifle 3118 2655 3.84 1.72 2.17
6.5x55mm Swedish Mauser rifle 2673 2078 3.5 1.72 2.165
6.5x57 Mauser rifle 2543 1881 3.33 1.62 2.232
6.8mm Remington SPC rifle 2600 1696 2.94 1.41 1.686
6mm Remington rifle 3156 2145 3.06 1.4 2.233
7-30 Waters rifle 2700 1942 3.24 1.46 2.04
7.62x39mm Russian rifle 2363 1587 3.02 1.29 1.528
7mm Remington Magnum rifle 3024 3106 4.63 2.06 2.5
7mm Remington Ultra Magnum rifle 3121 3330 4.81 2.13 2.85
7mm STW (Shooting Times We rifle 3239 3494 4.86 2.31 2.85
7mm Weatherby Magnum rifle 3199 3476 4.89 2.2 2.549
7mm Winchester Short Magnu rifle 3134 3314 4.76 2.06 2.1
7mm-08 Remington rifle 2827 2448 3.9 1.8 2.035
7x57mm Mauser rifle 2602 2255 3.9 1.68 2.235
7x64mm Brenneke rifle 2818 2662 4.26 1.85 2.51
8mm Remington Magnum rifle 2900 3734 5.8 2.77 2.85
8x57mm Mauser JS rifle 2466 2511 4.59 1.81 2.24
9mm Luger (9mm Parabellum) handgun 1138 357 2.82 0.65 0.754
Cartridge Image Type FPS Energy Power Recoil Length

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Power Rank

The PowerRank is an estimation of the cartridge power. The first number is the value of this cartridge, and the last number is the value of the most powerful round in our bullet database.

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