45-70 Dead or alive????

J

Judge Blackhawk

New member
I am hearing alot about the big bore rifles and have been reading about the ressurgence of the 45-70 cartridge.

Is this cartridge viable in todays market? What is the effective range of this cartridge for lets say standard Whitetails?

Are the only rifles for this cartridge in lever guns and single shots?

Thanks for any help.

Judge Blackhawk
 
The 45/70 is a high energy cartridge that is over 100 years old and they are still building rifles for it How would you ever believe that? A lot of the reason is cowboy shooting, nostalgia , and the fact that it has the power of a 30/06 . As a brush gun I would be hard pressed to name a better and since I have praised it I will say that it shoots like a rainbow! Any thing over 100 yards takes an engineer to work out the trajectory to make a hit. In a good bolt rifle it can be loaded to near 458W ballistics if you have quality cases. A major advantage to owning one of these rifles is the ability to shoot lead and any number of powders
Gale McMillan
 
A friend of mine bought a marlin 45-70 lever gun and was enjoying hitting silohuettes (sp?) at 300 yards with it.

It's a brush buster and doesn't kick much, plenty of gun for game up to elk with cast loads, i'd want a jacketed soft point for moose.

Just a note, Perdersoli makes an exposed hammer double rifle in 45-70 for around $2000 through cabela's. (oh if i had more money than sense....)


Dr.Rob
 
I think we're seeing more interest in the old girl than at any time in the last 85 to 100 years. The round clearly does some things well, particularly when loaded the right way. Dead? No way!
 
ALIVE!
The Marlin is a nice short range rifle, but it's limited in the bullet weight department.
Find something that you can shoot a 600 grain paper patched bullet out of, (you'll have to learn to roll your own) and you're good out to 1000 yards!
(IF the whitetail will stand still long enough for the bullet to get to him!)
With deferance to Mr. McMillan, you don't need to be an engineer, you just need a REALLY good tangent sight and an eye for distances.
Wonderful cartridge, and proof that "newer" doesn't ALWAYS equal "better."

------------------
Your mind is your primary weapon.
USE IT!
 
What can you tell me about these current choices in 45-70 ?

1)Browning High Wall single shot
2)Sharps replica (who makes it?)
3)Contender carbine

Also, can anyone tell me how much they cost, approximately?

Lastly, how much is factory fodder? Can a Dillon set up for pistol ammo be made usable for 45-70 with addition of dies and holders?

How does recoil compare to .303 P14? Noise?
 
The Browning High Wall BPCR is an excellent gun. It comes with a quality tang sight and globe front sight. It also is equipped with a Badger barrel,which is one of the best out there. A lady who shoots one at a monthly long range match near me finishes at or near the top regularly.

Sharps replicas run the gamut from cheap to pretty darn expensive. Pedersoli and Armi Sport both make replicas that cost around $1000. Quality on these varies a bit,but they are generally decent shooters. On the upper end,Shilo and C. Sharps,both in Montana,produce excellent Sharps rifles that are used by top shooters. These guns go for over $2000,and,unless you buy a used one or buy your way up the waiting list,the wait for one is about 4 years. You are able to specify exactly the type and caliber,though.

Other choices in .45-70 are Rolling Blocks and High Walls made by Pedersoli and Uberti,for around $1000. Remington is now reproducing their Rolling Blocks in the Custom Shop,for well over $2000.

Additional expense on rifles such as these is caused by the sights. Quality sights go from a low of $150 to high of over $400 for soule tang sights.

Factory ammo isn't cheap. Black Hills loaded with lead bullets runs about $20 for 20 rounds. Any Dillon above an Square Deal can be set up to load .45-70.

Bill

[This message has been edited by Bill Mitchell (edited September 14, 1999).]
 
Dear Sir, Many more choices than you have mentioned..and hard to tell what you are up to by your mentions. Hunting? Targeting? Old cartridge..very old- 100 yrs. What do they make today new..that they made 100 years ago? Your powders are diff, bullets, brass..but folks still want the old calibers. Crazy. I'm 35 yrs old and own 4 rifles and 4 pistols in this approx caliber. Sold all modern stuff for the old black calibers. Thinking about loading my last modern gun with black..but my Glocksters wld kick my @!!.
 
The old-looking pioneer fellow at Guns & Ammo killed a charging cape buff with a .45-70 that he had loaded with some 350 grainer up to 1800 fps.

What with all the new releases in .45-70, it'll be around for a lonnnng time. It'll kill anything in N. America, and most of Africa, if you'll be sensible about your shots and the drop. If you buy a Ruger #1 or a good bolt action, you simply MUST reload-- there's too much potential to waste on the sadly underloaded factory offerings.

Now, if I had me a Co-Pilot, and you had you some feather underwear... We'd both be tickled.

------------------
Will you, too, be one who stands in the gap?
 
A comment was made that lead bullets would be OK for deer up to elk, but a jacketed bullet for moose? If you can stand the kick, a 500 gr. cast bullet can be loaded to about 1500 fps in a Marlin, and 1700 plus in a Ruger #1. Any moose that remains standing after being hit it the right place with either one of those ain't human, and you better run like hell. Frankly I'd prefer a 400 gr. bullet, but jacketed? Naaaahhhhhhh!
Paul B.
 
Any moose that remains standing after being hit it the right place with either one of those ain't human

Hmmm, I hope that NO moose that you hunt is human. Around here, only goblins are human, and 45-70 is more ammo than their hides are worth. :) :)
 
Hi Cornered Rat,

The Browning High Wall would be my choice. I have a friend who has one in 25'06 and it makes one hole five shot groups.

------------------
Remember: When you attempt to rationalize two inconsistent positions, you risk drowning as your own sewage backs up... Yankee Doodle
 
DEAD! Therefore, immediately please send me all of your obsolete and useless 45-70 ammo for my Marlin Guide Gun.... OOPS!!!!

Seriously, I have the GG and I plan to use it this year for Alabama whitetail and, if I am really lucky, wild boar next year. It will replace my 5 year old son's Rem Model 7 in 7mm-08; which has a real bad habit of killing everything I point it at (I'm only breaking the M7 in for my son!).

I look forward to using the 45-70 and right now don't plan to reload even though the commercial ammo is loaded for the weak actions like the Springfield trapdoor.

It'll kill anything I need killing!

Albin
 
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