Effective range of the 45-70?

Answer 1

It depends on the use and the ammunition.

With a traditional 405 gr. bullet at around 1400 fps, shooting at game, I'd say 150 yards would be about the maximum practical range.

Using a 350 gr. bullet at around 1800 fps, would stretch things to 200 or maybe even 250 yards for hunting.

If you use some of the modern +P and +P+ ammo from Garrett Cartridge Company, Buffalo Bore, or Cor-Bon, you might even be able to stretch the hunting range as far as 300 yards.

If you are talking about paper punching, use a 500 + grain bullet, and 65 grains of FFg blackpowder and shoot at paper targets out to 1000, or even 1200 yards.

Doc

Answer 2

That depends on what you're doing with it. There are people who like to prove its long-range accuracy, but that's for paper-punching. For hunting deer here in the southern US, the longest shot I've taken in the past decade was less than 250 yards, and it's certainly capable of that range if the hunter does his part.

Answer 3

hornady makes a new load called the Lever revolution. it basically does away with flat tipped bullets, and puts polymer tips on them. now it can reach out to 300 yards.

Answer 4

That's only a 100 yard gun, IMO. Lots of knock down, but short on distance, that is, for hunting.

Answer 5

200 yards