Anybody here shoot 45/70?

If not, what's your favorite caliber? If so, how punishing is it?

Re: Anybody here shoot 45/70?

Those are hard questions to answer... well, except for the first.

No I haven't shot 45/70 before.

Favorite caliber? Well that depends, in handguns I could go with both the .22 and .38 why? because with the .22 you don't have to think about what's behind your target, it's not going all the way through... but a .38 has the stopping power you want for a good personal defense weapon.

On the other hand, in riffles I like the .30-06 for hunting with

Re: Anybody here shoot 45/70?

With "long gun" shots being next to nonexistent here in Fl.

My favorite is the 12ga 3" mag all copper sabot round (1600fps I think, might be more, 1850fps is number stuck in my head too, from somewhere).

Punishing? At 50' it will "remove" a 5gal bucket full of water off a stump and leave about 6 or 7 drops of water on the stump.

Oh yeah that was out of a 20" barrel

Re: Anybody here shoot 45/70?

When your pushing a 405 gr. bullit at near 2000 fps you are going to recieve some punishment. The one I had was a Marlin lever gun, so it had some weight. I handloaded a 300gr Hp to around 2100 fps. It was a handfull. We were zeroing it on a 150Bbl. oil tank in an old gravel pit, when the hollow point expanded it made all holes about 7/8" dia. all the way through the tank. That was a1/4" of steel at 100yards. I concider it way more rifle than anyone needs for hunting anything in the lower 48. Would make a great Grizzly bear rifle I supose. After the neck surgery , you couldn`t pay me to own one.
Young fellow in good shape, It would be no problem to shoot, I figure the recoil at about the same as a 12 ga with 3 1/2" mags.
I would suggest not buying one of the lightweight single shots, I think that would be asking for a blue shoulder.

Re: Anybody here shoot 45/70?

Just shot one of Mossberg's 3 1/2 in mags with a tactical stock - that thing was PUNISHING! It reminded me of when I shot a 45/70 of a friends ... but then he reloaded hot, so it was more than the average punch.

Yep, pretty punishing and more stopping power than is needed in MOST situations that you will find in the US. Now, why are you interested, what is your prime target? That might make it just the gun for you.

Favorite calibre??? That depends on the game I am after. I do like my .220 Swift. Fast, level, reaches well, a lot of shocking power for a little calibre, but if you don't hit it right it will TEAR UP the meat! Like my .243, like my .257 Roberts (alot), like my .270 and 7mm-08, like my .30-06, like my .35 Remington, like my ... you get the picture. It depends on where I am hunting and what I am hunting that decides what I take. Probably 2 favorite "all around" calibres would be the .257 Roberts and the old reliable .30-06.

Re: Anybody here shoot 45/70?

Yeah, no way for a 3 1/2 for me either. Brothers got one, I fired once and handed it back to him.

For food I use 2 3/4 000 or 4x2 mags. Woods and brush are in pretty close in most of FL.

Re: Anybody here shoot 45/70?

I have not owned a 45-70 for a number of years, but presently shoot a 44-90, a 44-77 and a 40-65.

Punishment is not something I like so I make a point to have the stock of any rifle fit me. The 44-90 is pushing a 530 grain paper patched soft lead bullet over 100 grains of GOEX or Elephant FFG. The recoil is slow enough that there is no pain involved. The rifle is 13 pounds six ounces. The 44-77 launches a 460 grain ball over 72 grains of FFG and is a 9 pound rifle. I feel it more. The 40-65 is a pussycat as it launches a 300 grain bullet over 65 grains of FFG.

I like to do the black powder cartridge silhouette thing and the thousand yard matches so the 44-90 comes into its own at over 600 yards.

Didn't say I was good, just like to play the game!

All of them make dandy deer guns and the 44-90 or the 44-77 will take anything on the contenent. Penetration is stunning. I have used them along with the 45-70 on praire dogs but the overtravel is a big problem, limiting shots to targets with nothing in the background as far as you can see. The high vleocity 22's or 6 mm's are better for this.

I have found that black powder loads give less percieved recoil and greater accuracy than smokeless loads. Also with paper patch loads the bullet never touches the barrel so wear is almost nonexistant and cleaning is easy as there is no leading. The soft (40 to 1 or less) bullet mushrooms fantastically and retains almost all of it's weight. From personal experience I know it will punch all the way through a buffaloe bull and give a 2 1/2 times the diameter expansion.

Favorite caliber? 22 long rifle! Inexpensive. Can have stunning accuracy. Quiet. With good placement can take down almost anything. Not that I would recommend it for the application, but Barnes noted in his book that it has been known to kill an elephant! Great squirrel and rabbit rifle. I also don't have to load the cartridges!

Re: Anybody here shoot 45/70?

A 45-70 depends on the rifle it tends to come straight back at you not a lot of barrel climb. In a straight stock lighter weapon it hurts. My favorites depend on what I am doing, for varmint I like my 220 Swift and deer it don't get better than 30-06, hand gun, target .22 rimfire and 45 Auto to get her done.

Re: Anybody here shoot 45/70?

I had a Marlin 1895 (modern) and a Winchester 1886, both in .45-70. The Winchester was a much more pleasant gun to shoot. Far too much caliber for Texas whitetail, too short range for pronghorn. Great woods gun for short shots that may need to knock down a tree or two and stay on trajectory. I think it would do well on big critters like moose.

Favorite small caliber rifle and small handgun, .22 long rifle. Favorite "large" handgun caliber , .357 Mag.

Favorite deer and antelope caliber, .243 Winchester.

Re: Anybody here shoot 45/70?

I love it! I have quite a selection of them and reload.

I have 2 single shot rifles, a TC pistol (that's punishment to my hand), a Marlin lever. I hunt with them and I am comfortable out to 300 yards with them.

I have shot/reloaded everything from the mild to the wild. When you get wild it can hurt quite a bit.

The best bang for the buck today is the NEF single shot. Read this forum for more info about the 45-70 http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/index.php?board=126.0

It is my favorite caliber regardless of using black powder or smokeless. Just a word of advice.... avoid the 450 marlin, it is not as capable for relaods as the 45-70.

Re: Anybody here shoot 45/70?

New gun out 17 hmr the bullet looks like a 22-250 there so acirate they have to be put in a class on there own in tournaments . I tryed them at 200 yards and could hit within a dime each hit and sometimes in the same hole. look them up.

Re: Anybody here shoot 45/70?

Bob_VT said:

The best bang for the buck today is the NEF single shot.

Click to expand...

I've looked at that, but I sure like the looks of the Marlin 1895 octagonal w/full length magazine.

Re: Anybody here shoot 45/70?

BoatBuoy said:

I've looked at that, but I sure like the looks of the Marlin 1895 octagonal w/full length magazine.

Click to expand...

I think that is only in the "cowboy" model and I am not sure it is available in 45-70. Mine is the standard 1895 with 4 in the tube and one in the breech. The guide gun is shorter but I am very comfortable with mine.

I can shoot 300 grain or 405 grain bullets all day without any pain. As a side note the single shot allows for a wider spectrum of loads due to bullet design. The 45-70 can be loaded up to pretty amazing power but then your shoulder suffers.

Properly loaded it will drop anything in North America.

There are 1000 yard shoots too for black powder using the Sharps 45-70! At 500 yards the 45-70 bullet retains over 52% of it's energy..... a slow moving sledge hammer.

Watch the movie Quigly Down Under and that exact gun is sold by a custom riflemaker.

Re: Anybody here shoot 45/70?

aspeck said:

Now, why are you interested, what is your prime target? That might make it just the gun for you.

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Just for plinking.

Re: Anybody here shoot 45/70?

Pistol.
Freedom arms .454 casull 300 gr, Colt in .44 mag and Magnum research Desert Eagle .50 cal.
Rifle.
Lots of .308, 30/06 and a .300 Weatherby mag.

Have run some 3" 000 buckshot and slugs through my Mossberg 590 with the pistol grip. OUCH!!!

Worked at a firearms wholesaler for several years so I got to shoot lot's of interesting guns.
I Just couldn't afford them!!!

Re: Anybody here shoot 45/70?

I forgot to add my favorite is the old 22 hornet, It does all I want from a gun, I have been using it as my primary wepon since 1972. Only time I break out the big bores now is to shoot an ocasional crippled cow. Thats about the only reason for shooting a 300 ultra mag to me.
For hand guns, I have shot nearly all of them, and my deaf old ears are back to the 22.

Re: Anybody here shoot 45/70?

Never shot that one.

.22LR, cheap and fun to shoot. CCI Stingers good for "pest" control.
.243, all you really need for deer around here.
30-30 Marlin, good bang for the buck if a nice bolt action .243 is out of price range.
12 gauge 00 buck, the home defense specialist
I don't really care for handguns all that much.

Re: Anybody here shoot 45/70?

For normal shooting I use a Crossman pump BB rifle loaded with good copper plated BB's. But when I get crazy, I load it with the .177 cal lead pellets, and give it a few more pumps. I know, I know, call me crazy, but you gotta be careful. Especially if you have a cigarette in your mouth, it can shake the ash right off the end of the butt!!!

Re: Anybody here shoot 45/70?

As much as I like guns, I have gotten into archery and my Hoyt bow much more these last few years. Much more of a challenge, and not nearly as much recoil or noise!

Re: Anybody here shoot 45/70?

I have an original 1863 springfield 45-70. It hurts and its very accurate. I've shot some hogs with it but I refrain from using it now days.