Too much for home defense?

[dsffsll]

Hello

Would these rounds be too much for home defense against people trying to break into my house?

http://www.midwayusa.com/mediasvr.dll/highresimage?saleitemid=660911

 

[High Planes Drifter]

I dont know about that; 45-70 has a reputation for penetration. Check out Old Painless' "Box O' Truth" and check out what .45-70 is capable of:

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot4_2.htm

I know the bullet in that test is a hardcast, but I wonder if a hollowpoint load would be a whole lot safer in terms of over penetration.

 

[El Tejon]

What kind of house do you live in and where is it?

Castle in the desert? May be O.K.

A brownstone in a large urban area? No.

Remember the Four Rules (especially #4).

 

[Javelin]

Is this a funny "haha" thread or are you seriously contemplating a .45-70 as HD?

If you live in the woods I would say no. But if you look out your door and see a neighbors porch light then yes.

 

[Diggers]

It would be fine if Bison are trying to break in!

People often tend to protect their home with a .38 special.......so a 45/70 @ 2405 foot/lbs of energy seems a bit excessive.

 

[takhtakaal]

It would be fine if Bison are trying to break in!

Hey, with as many players who are on all sorts of suspension these days, you never know.

GO NDSU!

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I haven't seen the penetration for 300gr Corbon DPX; but I am thinking that a 300gr all copper hollowpoint travelling at rifle velocities is going to exit anything you shoot and continue to penetrate several interior (and possibly exterior walls) with enough force to be lethal to someone else.

 

[benEzra]

I think you'd be much better served with some .223 JHP's out of a lightweight carbine, unless your potential home invaders have 4 legs and/or weigh 1000 lbs.

A .45-70 is less handy than a .223, slower for followup shots, has a comparatively minuscule magazine capacity, and will shoot through your home's exterior wall, your neighbor's exterior wall, and potentially your neighbor.

 

[mgregg85]

I guess at least is a 300 gr DPX bullet and not a 500 grain hardcast bullet. Buffalo bore also loads the 45-70 with gold dots.

 

[Bazooka Joe71]

Would these rounds be too much for home defense against people trying to break into my house?

HECK YEAH, absolutely....If your defending your home against this guy:



Otherwise, 45-70 may be a little too much gun.

 

[Cosmoline]

In spite of the silly responses, it's not a bad idea. An expanding .45-70 is a far cry from a b-bore penetrator and will work well as a man stopper. 300 grain is actually pretty light for that cartridge and has a comparatively low sectional density.

I'd use it to save myself. That said, you'd be better off with a nice lead SP or standard HP rather than a DPX penetrator. Soft lead HP would be perfect, but I don't know if anyone makes one.

 

[browningguy]

I shoot a 45-70 and personally think the DPX would give too much penetration, they are a hunting round. Personally I owuld go with a 300-350 gr, hollow point, still plenty of knowckdown and probably not as much penetration. I keep a magazine of 325 gr. HP's for my AR in 50 Beowulf (very similar ballistics to a 45-70) just in case one of those Sumo wrestlers tries to get in.

 

[Diggers]

Hey, I've become curious........why do you want to use such a powerful hunting rifle cal. for HD?

I mean it has 3 times the energy of a .44 magnum, It is going to pass though a person an keep on going with out a doubt, no matter what load you use.

Just for an interesting comparison, here is a what a Colt .45 -255 grain SWC at 900 fps can do. It has only about 460 ft/lbs of energy.

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot28_2.htm

 

[chris in va]

If it's all you have, not much more to be said really except maybe look for something less penetrating?

 

[takhtakaal]

If every problem you have looks like a buffalo, quite naturally, every solution would seem to be in .45-70.

 

[dodge]

Just think you might not have to shoot. When the BG sees the end of the barrel I think he would have second or third thoughts about doing his deed.

 

[Cosmoline]

It is going to pass though a person an keep on going with out a doubt, no matter what load you use.

Two holes are better than one. That's why you want hunting bullets to go through. So long as the round has fully expanded and lost its stability the potential for mass mahem afterwards is minimal. The first order of business is to stop the attack, and if the bullet will stop a hog it will stop a man just as well.

 

[TexasRifleman]

So long as the round has fully expanded and lost its stability the potential for mass mahem afterwards is minimal.

Problem with the .45-70 is that probably doesn't happen until the 5th or 6th person it passes through.....

 

[MCgunner]

Why, I don't know why it'd be too much. I keep a .460 Weatherby handy, myself.

It's the Dirty Harry thing. History channel needs to quit showing that movie over and over.

 

[TexasRifleman]

MCGunner, you need to get one of these.....

I keep one aimed at the back door, you just never know.

(20mm Lahti, no I don't own one)

 

[Cosmoline]

So where are you guys that five girl scouts are lining up right behind the intruder? You're way too worried about overpenetration.

 

[El Tejon]

My neighbors disagree with you, Cos.

Depends on where you live. I live in a residential neighborhood close to downtown. A .45-70 will get my neighbors even the ones in the brick homes.

 

[Cosmoline]

Well what's worse--a single rifle round that blows him in half and sends a mangled bullet bouncing around down range or a dozen handgun rounds most of which clean miss and blast into the neighbor's house fulling intact and operational?

 

[Bazooka Joe71]

I keep one aimed at the back door, you just never know.

LOL, that's good stuff.



You can never be too prepared can you?

 

[Diggers]

Cos, you have a point. AND I really do believe that OP is over stated, its probably the bullets that miss are the real threat. But then again anyone can miss with anything.