Is the hornady leverevolution 45-70 325gr FTX a good bear bullet?

Answer 1

The 45-70 is most adequate for hunting all species of bear (brown, black, polar), but bullet selection is key.

Hornady factory loads the 325gr FTX at a relativity low power for the 45-70 on account of safety issues with given guns. If you re-load your own ammunition you can achieve far more power from the 45-70 than this factory loading.

Now for the FTX itself; it is not a very tough bullet. Reports of early expansion are not good news for those who hunt large dangerous game. The FTX is also a ballistic tipped bullet, that tip will break off inside the animal at some point giving an immediate loss of weight and thus loss of penetration. Not to mention the faster you "push" this bullet the quicker it will expand making things even worse.

So, for black bear it should be adequate. Brown and grizzly... you should look elsewhere.