Traditional sporting bullets
Flat-nose, round-nose, and soft-point designs remain important in these cartridge families. For tubular magazines, use ammunition specifically approved by the manufacturer.
THE CARTRIDGE LIBRARY · LARGE-BORE CENTERFIRE
.45-70 Government
A large, rimmed .45-caliber rifle cartridge with a long historical span and a wide range of current factory load designs. Modern tipped bullets and traditional flat-nose designs serve different roles.
2A Ledger reference desk · Sources checked October 18, 2026
Read the dimensions
- Overall · min–max
- 2.490–2.550 in
63.246–64.770 mm - Case length · max
- 2.105 in
53.467 mm - Bullet maximum
- 0.458 in
11.633 mm - Rim diameter · max
- 0.608 in
15.443 mm
Know the exact name
At a glance
- Cartridge family
- Large-bore centerfire
- Bullet specification
- 0.4580 in / 11.633 mmBullet maximum
- Factory examples
- 8 loadsSelected, sourced examples below
- Weight in cited examples
- 250–410 grGrains measure mass, not powder charge
.45-70 Government is identified by its complete cartridge designation. The resource-table alternative is 45-70 Govt. A caliber number, bullet diameter, or family resemblance on its own does not identify ammunition compatibility.
Older trapdoor-era rifles and modern actions can have very different ammunition limitations. Use the ammunition maker's firearm restrictions and the firearm's manual.
Dimensions: open the exact dimensional drawing ↗. The displayed number is bullet maximum, rather than an assertion that every manufactured projectile or barrel has this exact diameter.
Origins & evolution
Background & development
The .45-70 entered U.S. service with the Springfield Model 1873 Trapdoor rifle. Its original designation, .45-70-405, recorded the nominal caliber, black-powder charge and bullet weight in the nineteenth-century naming convention. Springfield Armory built the new .45-caliber rifles from new parts rather than continuing the earlier conversion of larger-bore muskets.
The cartridge served in infantry rifles, cavalry carbines and later improved Trapdoor models. Springfield’s museum history documents a subsequent 500-grain rifle bullet and the continuation of .45-70 arms in National Guard service during the Spanish-American War, even after adoption of the Krag-Jørgensen. Its sporting life outlasted that military era, particularly in single-shot and lever-action rifles. The Government suffix therefore preserves a real service origin. The cartridge’s unusually long life also spans very different firearms and ammunition generations, from nineteenth-century black-powder service arms to modern sporting designs.
Historical sources: Springfield Armory National Historic Site: Trapdoor rifle and .45-70 adoption ↗ · Springfield Armory: Model 1873 production history ↗
Construction changes the story
Loads, variations & specialty offerings
Purpose-built modern loads
Flexible tips, bonded bullets, monolithic expanding bullets, and solids have different functions. A similar exterior shape or shared diameter does not establish equivalent behavior.
Firearm-specific ammunition
Some older cartridge families span firearms with very different operating limits. Keep any product restrictions with the ammunition record and use only loads authorized for that firearm.
In the cited .45-70 Government examples, bullet weights are 250, 300, 325, 410 grains. These are the weights actually present in this source selection, not a claim that every possible loading is listed.
Bullet construction background: Hornady: anatomy of a bullet ↗. Exact product descriptions and velocities are cited in the factory table.
From the factory catalog
250 grains
2,025 fps
MonoFlex®
300 grains
1,850 fps
HP
325 grains
2,000 fps
FTX®
Compare all 8 cited factory load records
| Maker / product | Bullet mass | Published construction | Muzzle velocity | Test barrel | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady82741 | 250 gr 16.20 g | MonoFlex® | 2,025 fps 617 m/s | Not stated here; see source | Hornady · PDF p. 189 ↗ |
| Federal4570AS | 300 gr 19.44 g | HP | 1,850 fps 564 m/s | 24 in | Federal · PDF pp. 56–57 ↗ |
| FederalAE4570USA | 300 gr 19.44 g | HP | 1,850 fps 564 m/s | 24 in | Federal · PDF pp. 58–59 ↗ |
| FederalF4570FS1 | 300 gr 19.44 g | FUSION | 1,850 fps 564 m/s | 24 in | Federal · PDF pp. 58–59 ↗ |
| FederalLG45701 | 300 gr 19.44 g | BONDED HOLLOW POINT | 1,850 fps 564 m/s | 24 in | Federal · PDF pp. 54–55 ↗ |
| FederalP4570T4 | 300 gr 19.44 g | TROPHY BONDED BEAR CLAW | 1,850 fps 564 m/s | 24 in | Federal · PDF pp. 54–55 ↗ |
| Hornady82747 | 325 gr 21.06 g | FTX® | 2,000 fps 610 m/s | Not stated here; see source | Hornady · PDF p. 189 ↗ |
| Hornady82742 | 410 gr 26.57 g | SUB-X™ | 1,075 fps 328 m/s | Not stated here; see source | Hornady · PDF p. 189 ↗ |
Explore the published data
Ballistics you can inspect
Select a legend entry to add or remove its line. Hover or tap a plotted point, or use the position slider. With the graph focused, arrow keys move the inspector. Solid dots identify source points; dashed connectors show estimates between them. Load construction, pressure category, and test setup can differ even at the same grain weight.
Read the original values as accessible tables
.45-70 Government: factory velocity downrange
| Exact load | Source | Published points |
|---|---|---|
| 250 gr Hornady MonoFlex® | Hornady | 0: 2025; 100: 1616; 200: 1285; 300: 1068 |
| 300 gr Federal HP | Federal | 0: 1850; 100: 1612; 200: 1400; 300: 1226; 400: 1097; 500: 1010 |
| 325 gr Hornady FTX® | Hornady | 0: 2000; 100: 1685; 200: 1413; 300: 1197 |
| 410 gr Hornady SUB-X™ | Hornady | 0: 1075; 100: 992; 200: 930; 300: 879 |
| 300 gr Federal HP | Federal | 0: 1850; 100: 1612; 200: 1400; 300: 1226; 400: 1097; 500: 1010 |
| 300 gr Federal FUSION | Federal | 0: 1850; 100: 1612; 200: 1401; 300: 1227; 400: 1099; 500: 1011 |
| 300 gr Federal BONDED HOLLOW POINT | Federal | 0: 1850; 100: 1612; 200: 1401; 300: 1227; 400: 1099; 500: 1011 |
| 300 gr Federal TROPHY BONDED BEAR CLAW | Federal | 0: 1850; 100: 1612; 200: 1401; 300: 1227; 400: 1099; 500: 1011 |
How to interpret the comparison
Changing bullet weight also often changes bullet design and propellant choice. Two curves are comparisons of the listed products, not a controlled experiment proving that bullet weight alone caused the difference. Catalog downrange points are projections under the maker’s conditions; barrel-study points are recorded observations in the study firearm.
Direct answers
Common questions
What is .45-70 Government?
A large, rimmed .45-caliber rifle cartridge with a long historical span and a wide range of current factory load designs. Modern tipped bullets and traditional flat-nose designs serve different roles.
What diameter does .45-70 Government use?
The cited dimensional standard lists 0.4580 inches (11.633 mm), bullet maximum. This drawing convention is different from a casual caliber nickname.
Are similarly named cartridges interchangeable?
Older trapdoor-era rifles and modern actions can have very different ammunition limitations. Use the ammunition maker's firearm restrictions and the firearm's manual.
Are the graph values measured or estimated?
The downrange view uses the exact manufacturer catalog records shown in the source table. Dashed connectors and intermediate inspector values use linear interpolation between the displayed source points. Calculated energy uses the listed bullet mass and velocity.
Does higher energy mean the best load?
Energy is calculated from mass and velocity. It does not establish accuracy, expansion, penetration, pattern density, recoil, or suitability for a particular firearm. Use the exact product documentation and firearm manual.
Trace the facts
Sources & methodology
Compiled by 2A Ledger from the linked standards, manufacturer publications, and identified test records. Checked October 18, 2026. Historical tests and older catalogs retain their original dates; a listing here does not establish current availability.
- SAAMI: dimensional drawing · PDF p. 168 ↗
- Hornady · PDF p. 189 ↗
- Federal · PDF pp. 56–57 ↗
- Federal · PDF pp. 58–59 ↗
- Federal · PDF pp. 54–55 ↗
- Springfield Armory National Historic Site: Trapdoor rifle and .45-70 adoption ↗
- Springfield Armory: Model 1873 production history ↗
Diameter figures preserve the cited drawing convention. Inch–millimeter conversion uses exactly 25.4 mm per inch. Factory specifications describe the maker’s test setup; your firearm, ammunition lot, temperature, and measuring method can produce different results. This is an educational factory-ammunition reference, not a reloading manual.