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45-70 Ammo For Sale

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The .45-70 is known for its use in trapdoor rifles and is an excellent choice for hunting any North American game. It is popular among reenactors and long-range target shooters who enjoy the challenge of using black powder cartridges for their sport. Learn More
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  1. Sellier & Bellot 45-70 Government Ammo - 20 Rounds of 405 Grain SP Ammunition

    $34.99

    137 In stock now

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 +10
    Bullet type SP
    Primer Type Boxer
    Casing Type Brass
    Condition New
    Muzzle Velocity 1509 FPS
    Muzzle Energy 2044 ft lbs
  2. Fiocchi 45-70 Govt Ammo - 20 Rounds of 405 Grain LRN FP Ammunition

    $43.99

    104 In stock now

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 +10
    Bullet type LRN
    Primer Type Boxer
    Casing Type Brass
    Condition New
    Muzzle Velocity 1185 FPS
    Muzzle Energy 1263 ft lbs
    • 20 Rounds
    • $2.2 per round
    • Made by Fiocchi
  3. Hornady Subsonic 45-70 Govt Ammo - 20 Rounds of 410 Grain Sub-X Ammunition

    $45.99

    84 In stock now

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 +10
    Bullet type Polymer Tipped
    Primer Type Boxer
    Casing Type Brass
    Condition New
    Muzzle Velocity 1075 FPS
    Muzzle Energy 1052 ft lbs
    • 20 Rounds
    • $2.3 per round
    • Made by Hornady
  4. Hornady LEVERevolution 45-70 Govt Ammo - 20 Rounds of 325 Grain FTX Ammunition

    $46.99

    83 In stock now

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 +10
    Bullet type FTX
    Primer Type Boxer
    Casing Type Brass
    Condition New
    Muzzle Velocity 2050 FPS
    Muzzle Energy 3032 ft lbs
    • 20 Rounds
    • $2.35 per round
    • Made by Hornady
  5. Hornady LEVERevolution 45-70 Govt Ammo - 20 Rounds of 250 Grain FTX Ammunition

    $49.99

    91 In stock now

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 +10
    Bullet type Solid Copper
    Primer Type Boxer
    Casing Type Brass
    Condition New
    Muzzle Velocity 2025 FPS
    Muzzle Energy 2276 ft lbs
    • 20 Rounds
    • $2.5 per round
    • Made by Hornady
  6. Barnes Pioneer 45-70 Government Ammo - 20 Rounds of 400 Grain SJHP Ammunition

    $59.99

    9 In stock now

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 +10
    Bullet type SJHP
    Primer Type Boxer
    Casing Type Brass
    Condition New
    Muzzle Velocity 1715 FPS
    Muzzle Energy 2612 ft lbs
    • 20 Rounds
    • $3 per round
    • Made by Barnes
  7. Hornady LEVERevolution 45-70 Govt Ammo - 200 Rounds of 325 Grain FTX Ammunition

    $439.99

    47 In stock now

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 +10
    Bullet type FTX
    Primer Type Boxer
    Casing Type Brass
    Condition New
    Muzzle Velocity 2050 FPS
    Muzzle Energy 3032 ft lbs
    • 200 Rounds
    • $2.2 per round
    • Made by Hornady

History of 45-70 Ammo

The U.S. government developed the .45-70 (.45-70 Government, .45 Government, and .45-70-45) at the historic Springfield Armory in Massachusetts as a short-term replacement for the .50-70. In 1873, the .45-70 Govt. was adopted for use in the 1873 Springfield trapdoor action rifle, after which it was improved in several important ways. Seven years after its introduction, the cartridge was effective against point targets out to a range of 300 yards and could be used for area effect fire out to 600 yards.

The .45-70 was used in military service until being phased out soon after the Spanish-American War. This marked the real beginning for the .45-70, as civilian big-game hunters flocked to the cartridge. The heavy 405 grain FP bullet left the barrel traveling at 1,330 feet per second with a muzzle energy of nearly 1,600 -oot pounds – easily harvesting bear, moose, and bison at ranges inside 200 yards.

What are the most popular 45-70 brands you sell?

You can filter our entire selection using the left sidebar to see which brands we currently have in stock and available using the Manufacturers filter. You can also filter by attributes such as Bullet Type, Bullet Weight, Casing Type, and Primer Type to find what you need.

Best 45-70 Govt. Ammo for Specific Use Cases

Use Case Details
Best 45-70 Govt. Ammo Best Overall: Hornady LEVERevolution 250 grain FTX.
Runner-Up: HSM Cowboy Action 405 grain HCFN.

How Does The 45-70 Govt. Compare To Other Calibers?

Caliber Recoil Pros Cons
38-55 45-70 has more 45-70 has flatter trajectory and more stopping power 45-70 has heavier recoil and slightly less accurate
44-40 Winchester 45-70 has more 45-70 has flatter trajectory and more stopping power 45-70 has heavier recoil and more expensive ammo
30-30 Winchester 45-70 has more 45-70 has more stopping power 45-70 has heavier recoil and worse trajectory
45-90 Winchester Center Fire (WCF) 45-70 has less 45-70 has lighter recoil and more available ammo 45-70 has worse trajectory and less stopping power
450 Marlin Equal 45-70 has more abundant ammo and less expensive ammo 45-70 has worse trajectory
458 SOCOM 45-70 has more 45-70 has slightly flatter trajectory and better penetration 45-70 has heavier recoil

You can also check out our in-depth look at 45-70 ballistics from all of the popular ammo manufacturers if you're searching for ballistics data for your favorite factory 45-70 Govt. load.

Molly Carter
Written by
Molly Carter

Customer Reviews

  • Alphapredator322 said:

    I bought this ammo for my Marlin 1895 after purchasing a different brand of ammo initially for my first range session that I was happy with Accuracy wise for the most part but not so much with the power of the rounds. Well i can tell you that these Prvi rounds performed well across the board, accuracy, quality and big power, which is what I wanted in the rounds I'd be using for this rifle both at the range and in the woods. I try to practice with the same or similar rounds I'd be using when hunting or for self defense. train how you fight is what I was taught. buy these rounds and you wont be disappointed.

  • James said:

    Performed as it should. Great product and good price. Freight was a little pricey. I would definitely buy from them again.

  • CalvinMD said:

    I use my 300grain HP reloads to 150yds But now with this ammo, which my Marlin 1895 loves to drill sub 3/4” groups with and still holds 3.5” at 300yds and the hold over is barely 8” with my rifles zero set @ 3” high @ 100yds. This load has already allowed me to just poleaxe large hogs out at 300 and dominate my home clubs lever gun silouhette shoots, speaks of phenomenal performance out of the old warhorse. Never go hunting without this ammo and rifle coming along..!! Try some, you’ll love it!!!

  • Coonhunter said:

    Love it

  • BPM said:

    Love my 45/70 for accuracy and knockdown power.

  • Big Poppa said:

    A super accurate round. And it is a game Slayer. Great ammo for Bullseye Shooting to lots of fun