.30-30 or .45-70?

D

Dr. Buchenrad

Inactive
Which one should I get?

Either way I would probably get it in a Marlin. It would fill the role of mostly a truck/woods gun for when I dont intend to shoot anything and regular range fun and maybe a hunt or two, but I already have a .30-06 for hunting and I doubt either would replace it except maybe in dense brush (but that is uncommon where I hunt in NM) I really just want a lever gun because they are awesome. For me recoil is not an issue and with either I will handload at least most of my ammunition. I am torn between the practicality of the .30-30 and the sheer awesomeness of the .45-70.
 
Marlin rifles are taking a beating on this forum, presently they aren't very good quality but in time I would expect Remington to turn them around.. With that said I would not buy a new marlin at this time!! I am considering a steel frame Henry 30/30 to add to my collection.. I believe Henry makes a 45/70 you will have to check for availability.. William
 
I own both a 45-70 and a 30-30 and as much as I love the 30-30 I would have to put my vote to the 45-70. It has become my favorite deer rifle but I do however own a Henry 45-70. My dad owns a marlin 45-70 and he loves the heck out of the that rifle. So I will put in to votes for the 45-70.
 
I also have both...

45-70 makes an awesome deer round, & actual is normally easier on meat than even a .243... I own many 45-70's that range from a Contender handgun, to my pre Remington, Marlin stainless Guide Gun... I have a side by side double, & a custom Martini as well... while all are fun to shoot, the Guide gun adds another dimension with the level of heat you can load...

but the 30-30 is much more practical, still is a great deer cartridge... I also have several, including a Contender handgun barrel, a Martini single shot, & a vintage Winchester...

if it's a gun you'll likely shoot a lot, the 30-30 is much cheaper, but if you're hand loading... the 45-70 is awesome... be aware there is a big difference in the strengths of the various gun models available, & while I've heard the new "Remlins' are getting better, I have no faith in the parent company, & I'd personally look for a pre Remington, Marlin, if you're wanting to load hotter...
 
I have both, and would go with the 45-70. Its just got a lot more of a "range" to it, when it comes to loads, especially if youre reloading. You can have very plesant and fun to shoot, 300 grain "poppers", which are still probably more than the full 30/30 offer, or you can load it up for Mack trucks and bloody lips (mind that thumb :D).

I bought a couple of "newer" Remington Marlins in past couple of years, and have had a 50/50 experience. My 1895G Guide Gun, has been great, and no problem at all, although I did see others later on, of the same era/time period, that were not, and more like my 336Y.

My 336Y was a lot of trouble right off, even after a lot of looking for one with straight sights and wood fit, which mine was good, well, at first anyway. It was a number of other things that were an issue right off. It would not feed right out of the box (extractor was never tuned), and it went downhill from there.
 
The Marlins with 'round bolts' that are being produced are pretty good from what I have seen...The pressed checkering is silly, and I wish they would stop it, but as for fit and finish otherwise, the guns seems to be much better than when Remington first started Ilion production...

The guns that had the worst problems were the 'square bolt' ie. 1894 line...

Though I have seen a couple of good examples, they are still only pumping a relative few, and they seem to be only producing .44 Mags...

Since the lines shut down in late 2012, I have only seen one provable caliber other than .44, and that was a lone .357 that surfaced this week on MarlinOwwners.com...

If I were in the market for a .30-30 or .45-70 I'd start my search by looking at Marlins...You can always move on if need be...
 
My favorite Marlin is the .45 Colt. If I lived in your area I would go with the 45-70. I load up to 525Gr bullets in mine. Good for anything you may need to shoot.
 
Well if you're reloading and want a fun gun I would go 45-70. And this is coming from a guy who has 3 Winchester 94's in 30-30. And i'm trying to talk my dad into letting me have his 444 Marlin.

Ammo price of $17 vs $40 off the shelf can be a big difference but i'm sure if you're reloading it won't be so bad depending on the projectile.
 
I own both also so I look at it this way if you are only going to hunt deer or smaller go 30-30 but if you plan on hunting anything bigger go 45-70 or just buy both and have a option if you can afford it over time.
 
I am aware of the whole Marlin quality issue. I was hoping if possible to get a quality used one from before the Remington escapade. Is there a way to tell the difference ie serial number or visual differences (other than the wood falling off)

I am leaning toward the 45-70 but the practical side of me is saying "You dont need a 45-70 when the 30-30 will do pretty much everything you need to get done in a more efficient manner" I also dont NEED to put gravy on my potatoes in order to fill my stomach.

My understanding of the advantages of the 30-30 are:
-Less bullet drop
-Lighter felt recoil
-Cheaper ammo (both store bought and reloaded)
-Cheaper to buy
-Easier to find

And the advantages of a 45-70 are:
-More damage
-Cool factor

Am I missing any advantages of either caliber?
 
I find I shoot my 45-70 a lot more than my 30-30's. Its just a lot more fun.

Even though I have a couple, 30-30's are a dime a dozen, and really dont do a whole lot for me.

Back during the last crunch, I had no troubles finding components for the 45-70, and shot it regularly all through it. 30-30 components, especially bullets, were like hens teeth.
 
Thats going to be my next one. :)

I have an old Ruger #3 in 45/70 as well. I hated that gun with a passion growing up, as my dad didnt reload at the time, and only bought elephant loads for it. Those, along with its 10-22 stock were brutal! I never made it through a box of 20, and always wanted to throw it in the creek. Did I mention I hated it? :)

Dad died a couple of years back, and it came down to me. I was going to sell it, cause I still cringed every time I looked at it, but I reload, and I figured I give it one last look before I did. Got to looking around online for some light loads, and loaded up some 300 grain LRNFP's over 14.0 grains of Trail Boss, and its a whole different critter! A big booming puddy cat! Its now the reason I have the Marlin. :)

ry%3D400
 
When the 30-30 came out it was considered much more powerful than the 45-70, and with traditional loads it is. They are comparable to 45 caliber muzzle loader loads which is the legal minimum for deer in most states.

It can be loaded hotter in modern guns, but recoil is pretty nasty especially in the lever guns.

I've owned several 45-70's over the last 40 odd years, sold the last one a few years ago and have no regrets. There is probably more misinformation about it than any other round I know of.

It was never popular as a buffalo gun. Almost all of the buffalo were dead prior to the Civil War. Mostly killed by an extended draught in the 1850's, and the rest by market hunters. The 45-70 was introduced in 1873, almost 10 years after the Civil War ended and laws banning buffalo hunting were passed in 1874 to protect the handful left.

By the 1890's it was all but dead. It had a very brief run as a military round during the indian wars of the 1870's and 1880's. Rounds such as the 30-40 Krag, 30-30, 7X57 and just a few years later the 30-06 were considered vastly superior. It was considered a deer hunting round and under powered for larger game such as elk, bear and moose in its day.

It lay dormant and all but unused until re-introduced with a lot of colorful advertisements in 1973 on it's 100th anniversary. While the 45-70 has been around 22 years longer, it doesn't really have a very colorful history. The 30-30 is the round with the real history behind it.
 
Considering you hand load, and don't necessarily need the new lever gun for hunting I say go with the 45-70. Throwing big rocks is fun!:D

I had an early Marlin new Model 1895. Around 1975 I think. Getting rid of it was one reason leading to my signature line. Even though it was a real hammer on both ends, it was a lot of fun.
My only 45-70 now is a 10" barrel for my Contender. But one of these days I'll find the right deal on a mother one.:D
 
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[New punch card.....]

30-30 or 45-70... It would fill the role of mostly a truck/woods gun for when I dont intend to
shoot anything and regular range fun and maybe a hunt or two, but I already
have a .30-06
Click to expand...

Neither.

With the `06 you have everything covered for practical killing purposes.

For fun [and deadly serious when needed], get the `94 Marlin in 44 Magnum:

2l8j138.jpg


and put a Williams sight on it:

2nv8mqf.jpg
 
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When that quip was stated years ago.> Beware of the man who only has only one rifle. Common knowledge. That rifle was indeed his >30-30 being talked about..

Can't say I ever heard a profound historical quip about the 45-70 yet.
 
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