45-70 vs??

[syoungs]

Hi all,
 I have wanted a 45-70 for a few years now, mostly for when im pushing the nasty thick crap, want a gun with good knockdown power, open sights, and ive always had a thing for lever actions.

 Im not sure if the 45-70 is to antiquated of round compared to some of the newer stuff I hear about, but I think it would work just fine, and the cartridge will still outshoot my abilities with iron sights.

Does anyone have any commentary towards like a 444 or similar rounds to the 45-70? im not looking for anything fancy when I do buy, held a marlin the other day that seemed to fit the bill pretty good for.

most of its use will be for bear and elk hunting, but when in the real thick stuff when a scope might be a hinderance I guess it would be pulled out for deer as well.

thanks

[Knocker of rocks]

There is a whole new generation of .45-70's out there.  The .444 Marlin is almost the antiquated round, not the other way around.

[syoungs]

hmm... opposite of what the clown trying to sell me a gun at a little shop said, but then again, he didnt have a 45-70 on hand, only a 444.

is it true that to get the best performance from a 45-70 that you have to hand load? or can you get decent performance from factory loads? I know having all the old trapdoor style guns out there could spell disaster with the wrong load it in.

[CedarPants]

Love my Marlin 45-70 with iron sights.  It's tipped over deer for both my wife and I in the NE corner 

[snowpack]

companies like Buffalo Bore make some really powerful stuff for the 45-70, for use with the modern/newer rifles.  Think Hornady Leverevolution stuff is pretty good performance too.

[jrebel]

I love my 45/70....Marling XLR....I shoot 325 grain leverevolution and it is a 300 yard gun all day long.  I do have a scope on it though.  I have shot a deer and a bear with mine and the performance was amazing.  Lots of ammo available for the 45/70 too. 

[bear hunter]

I love levers and hunting with open sight. I have them in .375 ,35Rem ,30-30 ,44mag  ,45-70 ,32 spl ,7mm mag ,and 300mag. I love them all 

[Fl0und3rz]

Here's some gun porn to get you going.



http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,60755.msg752595.html#msg752595

That is good with hot 300 JHP to about 200 yards with open sights.

You don't need to handload to get hot 45-70s, but it would certainly save you a ton of cash, compared to some of the hotter 45-70 loads.

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=35

[hillbilli]

been mostly bowhunting since I got to WA, so i havent shot anything with it here, but I load 350gr interlok@1750 (published velocity) as a pretty much general purpose load.. I also sometimes get remington 405gr JSP which is probably the least expensive jacketed bullet available, (there's an inexpensive 300gr rem HP too) i load these 405's to what the book says is 1650fps. the loads that the book says are 1950fps are bordering on abusive. Its a straight wall case and easy to load. Its also pretty common, old cartridge or not- lot more likely to find 45-70 at a random gun store or walmart than any of the other big bore lever gun rounds. (except maybe .44 magnum) i have yet to find an innacurate load, and its pretty easy to load fairly light kicking loads that are still deer capable, or long heavy cast or fmj loads that will go lengthwise through a grizzly..depending on your needs. I've even see folks load a multi-ball .45 round ball -though why I dont really know-home defense?

[yorketransport]

It's hard to beat the 45-70 in a lever gun. The 444 is no slouch, but you need to handload it with heavy bullets to really see the upper end. The 45-70 has lots of factory options covering any application you can think of.

Personally, I think the 45-70 makes a better handgun round.

Andrew

[CAMPMEAT]

450 Marlin has more horsepower than a 45-70. Check the ballistics.

[Knocker of rocks]

450 Marlin has more horsepower than a 45-70. Check the ballistics.

Buffalo bore is showing them as almost a tie

[CAMPMEAT]

450 Marlin has more horsepower than a 45-70. Check the ballistics.

Buffalo bore is showing them as almost a tie

Both good medicine......

[Jonathan_S]

450 Marlin has more horsepower than a 45-70. Check the ballistics.

I don't know if he needs more horsepower though.  A factory loaded .45-70 is more than enough for elk and bear, even moose.  It's got insane penetration capability.  You've got to be a sadistic b@$t@rd to shoot a .45-70 loaded up to the max.

The .45-70 is a freakin beast.  I know the .450 Marlin is flatter and faster but with iron sights who cares, like he said it'll out-shoot him.  Not to mention if he reloads the brass is always going to be affordable and available.

[syoungs]

handloading is no issue, although im just learning how, I now have the presses all set up at my house, and my dad is passing along his knowledge.

I think I will stick with the 45-70, as it is what I have wanted for about 10 years now, after hunting with an old timer that had one, and it will serve its purpose wonderfully.

probably going to just pick up a new marlin, dont know the model numbers off the top of my head, but it was right at 550$, which is about 200 less then I was hoping to spend, figure that will go a ways into getting some loads developed and on the shelf. I dont need nothing to fancy for a brush gun.