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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. Hornady Subsonic 45-70 Govt Ammo - 20 Rounds of 410 Grain Sub-X Ammunition

    Image of Hornady Subsonic 45-70 Govt Ammo - 20 Rounds of 410 Grain Sub-X Ammunition
    $41.99
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    131 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
    • $2.1 per round
    • Made by Hornady

Overview 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
454 Casull 454 Casull has less 454 Casull has lower recoil and works better in revolvers 454 Casull has less stopping power and shorter effective range

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