45/70 lever action with a Hornady Interlock for Cape Buffalo

[Brian]

I agree entirely, the whole concept of what he’s trying doesn’t make sense and worse may put someone’s life at risk

SRvet,
Man you are a voice in the wilderness! I completely agree with you.
Thanks for the post.

 

[Spacebogan]

Is it not better,he uses a marginal Caliber he shoots well. Rather than a well suited Caliber he shoots marginally?

As for the 223 debate.

You wouldn't believe the hundreds of thousands of deer/pigs/goats that caliber has taken in NZ.

* space reserved for someone inserting scenario of wounded game putting ph and staff at risk*

 

[Frederik]

Just an update after hunting after the buffalo for 2 days he got fed up and went and shot some cull impala with his 22 Creedmore all headshots.
So chapter 2 is on its way.
I suppose when he tries again hopefully with beter bullets next time.
He might have realized buffalo hunting is not that easy.

 

[HankBuck]

I'm one of those that has (used a .45-70 on buffalo). Two hunts, two buffalo. I have no knowledge of this factory load. After consultation with my PH, I went with a solid (Cutting Edge 325 grain brass solids). I was told the range would be 75 or less, and my load development and practice reflected that. Both were shot at approximately 40ish yards and both were dead very, very fast from a single shot. I was getting a hair over 1800 fps from my Marlin GBL (18.5" barrel). I would absolutely use this on buffalo again, and very likely will.

They do not show a load on their website with a 450 grain bullet.

By the way, in my opinion, that's an ugly .45-70...

@Tundra Tiger - AGREE and “UGLY” is an understatement for that .45-70….the soup can on the end of the barrel is like Lip Stick on a PIG

 

[HankBuck]

I knew the son of a man that used a .22 Hornet yo kill elk. He sat in a blind that overlooked a water hole. When the elk looked toward him, he shot through the eye to the brain. Worked every time. Worked every time, but that does not make a .22 Hornet a good elk rifle. Same logic applies to using a .45-70 on a buffalo hunt.

@Doug Hamilton - I don’t believe that Wild Bill Hickok or Annie Oakley could consistently shoot an Elk “thru the Eye”…..but I get your point that a .22 Hornet will kill Elk with headshots, nothing surprising about that

 

[Bandera]

He wants to use a marginal caliber with a very marginal bullet. Sounds like he has a recipe for disaster.
At the very least get some Buffalo Bore ammo and see if he can even handle the recoil. Use the right combination of fps and bullet design.
Buffalo Bore 45-70
45-70 Magnum - Lever Gun Ammo - 430 gr. L.B.T.-L.F.N.(1,925fps/M.E.3,537 ft.lbs.)
Or
45-70 Magnum - Lever Gun Ammo - 405 gr. J.F.N.(2,000fps/M.E.3,597 ft.lbs.)

 

[Leadwood]

He would be better off trying to carry and use his 375 Cheytac than his current combination.
Seems to be mostly about attention and content for his channel.

 

[bimbo]

A Hornady Interlock would be the last thing you would want to use on a Cape Buffalo
*** If*** you feel compelled to shoot take a Buffalo with a 45-70 at least use the best Bullet possible.... Swift, Northfork, CEB and others that have been proven

One of my friend have shoot buffalo with 45-70 and 230 grs monometal .Shoulder shot and buffalo has gone down after 50 meters.So I agree which a norfork ,swift or CEB premium bullet coukd be much more efficient all times

 

[375Fox]

Just an update after hunting after the buffalo for 2 days he got fed up and went and shot some cull impala with his 22 Creedmore all headshots.
So chapter 2 is on its way.
I suppose when he tries again hopefully with beter bullets next time.
He might have realized buffalo hunting is not that easy.

Some real dedication shown there! I expect nothing less from the tactical hunting rifle crowd.

 

[BFaucett]

I looked at the YouTube channel. A few things I found to be of interest. It turns out he was using 350 gr bullets and not 450 gr so he must have misspoken in the video. It also looks like he's South African. I hope he gets or got some advice from some of the resident hunters in South Africa.

I've never hunted Cape Buff but I wouldn't choose a lever gun in .45-70 if I ever got the opportunity. (Of the rifles I currently own, I'd choose my Ruger M77 RSM in .375 H&H Mag.)

Just my two cents. Cheers! Bob F.


Some screenshots:

From the comments section:

 

[1dirthawker]

Hornady bullet of any kind in any calibre would be the last choice for me, on cape buffalo.

i agree and disagree.

the interlock bullet is for the most part too soft/fragile for cape buffalo.

a DGX bonded bullet would likely do a good job. (i would want a 400gr bullet)

a 45/70 is a little light for cape buffalo, but so is the 9.3x62 or 9.3x74.

if i WAS going to use a 45/70, i think @Tundra Tiger choice of bullet was a good one, @sgt_zim also had a proper thought re: bullet choice.

the proper bullet for cape buffalo needs to be a pretty tough bullet.

 

[BFaucett]

Just an update after hunting after the buffalo for 2 days he got fed up and went and shot some cull impala with his 22 Creedmore all headshots.
So chapter 2 is on its way.
I suppose when he tries again hopefully with beter bullets next time.
He might have realized buffalo hunting is not that easy.

Thanks for posting that. I hadn't watched his newest video before I posted above. I see that there's a brief discussion in this video about his Buff hunt starting at about 4:23.

Cheers! Bob F.

Headshot Harvest Returns: Season 3 Impala Cull
video posted to YouTube on Aug 10, 2025
YouTube channel: IMPACT SHOOTING

 

[Brian]

i agree and disagree.

the interlock bullet is for the most part too soft/fragile for cape buffalo.

a DGX bonded bullet would likely do a good job. (i would want a 400gr bullet)

a 45/70 is a little light for cape buffalo, but so is the 9.3x62 or 9.3x74.

if i WAS going to use a 45/70, i think @Tundra Tiger choice of bullet was a good one, @sgt_zim also had a proper thought re: bullet choice.

the proper bullet for cape buffalo needs to be a pretty tough bullet.

Your statements about the 45-70 are popular with most cape buffalo hunters.
When the subject comes up I usually drag out my point of view that is not so popular and tends to rub some hunters the wrong way. I offer it with the best intensions but it doesn't always go over so well.

Here goes,
When we discuss these old traditional cartridges from the black powder days there is a tendency to think of them in traditional terms. However, much has changed in the last 20 years.
When I think of an old time cartridge just in terms of case powder capacity, modern powders and the latest high tech bullets and compare them with other modern cartridges I get a realistic picture of their terminal performance potential.

For example. The 45-70 will shoot a 290 -310 grain bullet at 2,330-2,500 fps. Same as the 375. but the 375 is much smaller diameter. With buffalo that I have killed I found that the bigger calibers kill significantly quicker than smaller calibers. ( more tissue damage, bigger wound channel and maybe more trauma.) Most first shots on cape buffalo are about 50 yds so BC is not much of a factor.

The 45-70 with modern powders and bullets like the CEB Raptor and Solid or North Fork Soft and Cup Point Solid and some other excellent bullets kill cape buffalo much better than many people realize.
So, Why is the 375 universally popular in the DG hunting world for cape buffalo and the 45-70 is not? I am not trying to find fault with anyone else. I am just offering something that is from a different thought path.

Also, this is just my academic question, Why do hunters consider taking Hornady Dangerous Game bullets to the other side of the world to hunt the mighty cape buffalo when there are there are other much better bullets. Sorry if I come across as being obtuse or argumentative, I don't mean to be. JMO. Brian

 

[Brian]

I'm one of those that has (used a .45-70 on buffalo). Two hunts, two buffalo. I have no knowledge of this factory load. After consultation with my PH, I went with a solid (Cutting Edge 325 grain brass solids). I was told the range would be 75 or less, and my load development and practice reflected that. Both were shot at approximately 40ish yards and both were dead very, very fast from a single shot. I was getting a hair over 1800 fps from my Marlin GBL (18.5" barrel). I would absolutely use this on buffalo again, and very likely will.

They do not show a load on their website with a 450 grain bullet.

By the way, in my opinion, that's an ugly .45-70...

YES ! That is an example of an "old" 45-70 loaded with "new" age bullets. Thanks for the post. It says a lot about the 45-70 and the concepts about it.
"both were dead very, very fast from a single shot". Well said!

Also, just for general knowledge for all, that bullet can probably be run at 2,100 fps plus, with that barrel but it is obviously not needed.

So much for old concepts about the "old" 45-70.

 

[1dirthawker]

When the subject comes up I usually drag out my point of view that is not so popular and tends to rub some hunters the wrong way. I offer it with the best intensions but it doesn't always go over so well.

@Brian,

no offense taken at all. i also have relatively firm opinions regarding bullets. the interlock bullets are too soft for buffalo (my opinion ), the DGX BONDED are a decent bullet. are there better, yep. can you actually find them and buy them.....maybe.

A frames are great bullets, good luck finding them. the north forks are great bullets and you can actually buy them. same with CEB and Hammer bullets.

 

[Brian]

I load that bullet in my Marlin 1895 Cowboy .45-70 with 26" octagon barrel. I get about 1850 ft/s with it. Completely devastated a white tail deer with it. But even that load is so hot it will sometimes kick the lever open, so it's probably too hot.

How does a .45-70 loaded up hot like this compare to a .405 Winchester? Teddy Roosevelt shot about everything with a .405 and never got eaten. I would think this hot loaded .45-70 would be on par with it. OK a quick search shows the .405 does a 300gr at 2200ft/s. That probably is a bit hotter than a 350 at 1850 ft/s. Looks like I need an 1895 Winchester

I built a .375 Weatherby to take to Africa. Also have a .460 Weatherby in the works. Both are Model 1917 Enfield actions with A-Square Coil-Chek stocks. Gotta get over there before I expire of old age....

Compare a modern 45-70 load with TR's .405. or the .375HH

1. When I am comparing cartridges, I always think in terms of the "best" modern bullets. for example the NF SS and PP and CPS or the CEB Raptor and Solid. They probably are much better that anything TR had, although I have no idea what he had exactly, in those days.

2. Ammo Guide shows loads for the 300 gr. 45-70 bullet at 2,400fps to 2,500 fps. How does that compare with the smaller 300 grain, .405 at 2,200fps and the much smaller .300 grain, 375 at 2,400-2,500 fps.? The 45-70 definitely comes out on top, right?

I am also assuming that this is about terminal performance on 40-70 yard shots at cape buffalo.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

@Doug Hamilton - I don’t believe that Wild Bill Hickok or Annie Oakley could consistently shoot an Elk “thru the Eye”…..but I get your point that a .22 Hornet will kill Elk with headshots, nothing surprising about that

If you actually got it, you would understand that my point was that using a marginal caliber to shoot you an animal is a piss poor idea. I have no idea how many elk were shot and not killed. Just because something can be done foes not mean it should be done, and that was.my.point.

 

[HankBuck]

If you actually got it, you would understand that my point was that using a marginal caliber to shoot you an animal is a piss poor idea. I have no idea how many elk were shot and not killed. Just because something can be done foes not mean it should be done, and that was.my.point.

@Doug Hamilton - so I missed your point? (Wasn’t exactly written like Hemingway)…but NOW I get it. You think a .45-70 for buff is like a .22 Hornet for Elk….Oh, Eye see now!!. Plenty of opinions on this caliber debate and Eye have nothing of value to add.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

@Doug Hamilton - so I missed your point? (Wasn’t exactly written like Hemingway)…but NOW I get it. You think a .45-70 for buff is like a .22 Hornet for Elk….Oh, Eye see now!!. Plenty of opinions on this caliber debate and Eye have nothing of value to add.

Obviously.

 

[Brian]

Is it not better,he uses a marginal Caliber he shoots well. Rather than a well suited Caliber he shoots marginally?

As for the 223 debate.

You wouldn't believe the hundreds of thousands of deer/pigs/goats that caliber has taken in NZ.

* space reserved for someone inserting scenario of wounded game putting ph and staff at risk*

I like the idea of shooting a suitable caliber well. ( Have my big bore and eat it too. )