Is the 45-70 popular or rare

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Bill Daniel

New member
Is the 45-70 undergoing a new resurgence in popularity or is it so uncommon that components are produced only periodically? Midway and several others are out of brass (though I did find some at Cabelas) and a Honady modified case is on back order.
Bill
 
It is having to find its place in the production schedule among more modern calibers that are in tremendous demand under The Panic.
 
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FWIW, the .45-70's been undergoing a resurgence in popularity since the early 1970's, when Marlin & H&R started making .45-70's to meet the new demand. (The H&R Trapdoor's & the Marlin 336-based M-1895)

As posted, just like most ammo and/or components today, supplies are short.


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45-70 has been hanging all by it's self on the rack at Cabela's in Springfield OR. for months. They get brass in all the time, but the other stuff just flies off the shelf.


Boomer
 
45/70 is pretty popular, about as popular as any other lever action cartridge.
it's quite a versatile round.
you want to drop a buffalo? there's a 450gr bullet for that.

you want to kill a grouse? there's bird shot for that

you want to make an awesome varmint cartridge? there's a round ball for that

and if you just want to mess around there's a birdshot behind round ball load that is really fun(see state hunting regs before use).
 
VERY popular in Mississippi where a single shot break-open rifle with external hammer .35 caliber or greater is counted as a "primitive weapon".
 
I think the cowboy craze that started 20 years ago reignited interest in the old calibers. Many 45-70 guns are being made. I have two myself so they must be pretty popular.

This one kicks the bejeebers out of me due to ligh5t weight.

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This one is more pleasant and will shoot cloverleafs at 50 yards with any bullet from 250 grain lead for the 45 Colt to 500 gran round nose.

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The 45-70 is without a doubt the most popular caliber with the BPCR folks. I have one myself in a Browning BPCR 1885 High Wall...superb caliber and a zillion moulds if you cast your own, which is the only way to go. Backed up by about 60-65 gr of 2F powder and a 500 gr lead bullet and you can hunt anything that walks this continent and is superbly accurate.

Brass is easy to find. Try finding 32-40 or 40-70 Sharps Straight brass. Now, that's hard.

This one kicks the bejeebers out of me due to ligh5t weight.
Click to expand...

That skinny, steel crescent shape butt plate is murder.
 
I certainly like my Ruger No. 1 in .45/70. Seems to be most popular .40 caliber round in the No. 1 series.

Excellent brush round.
 
i had a thompson center contender--12 in pistol and 16 in rifle. loved the round--cake to reload and cheap if you cast your own. sold the t/c--no place to shoot. if i were to do it again--i'd do a ruger #1 for beauty or an h&r for practical. with this round--a hit in the vitals=dinner.:p
 
SaxonPig, that is a very nice looking Martini. 45-70 is one of my most favorite rounds to shoot but I haven't had to buy any brass in a long time. It used to be fairly inexpensive but not any more.
 
While the 45-70 has been obsolete for over a century it interests some.

I view it as "High kick, low hit" and avoid it.

I did have an old 86 for a short while that would fire 45-70's.

Nice rifle as machinery.
 
45-70 is still very popular in Alaska. The modern magnum rifle cartridges will reach further on big meat, but if a bruin comes in while you are field dressing your freezer meat, a 45-70 lever is a real nice thing to have nearby.
 
I'm beginning to take a liking to the 45-70. I haven't hunted with my 1886 Browning, but I do enjoy shooting it from time to time.
Browning_Duo_zpsd216bb3f.jpg
 
This one kicks the bejeebers out of me due to ligh5t weight.
Click to expand...
This one scares the bejeebers out of you, even before you shoot it. :D

Ruger #3

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I used to hate shooting the thing as a kid when my dad had it. He didnt reload, and heavy factory loads were brutal. It came my way about a year or so back, and I was going to get rid of it, due to those painful memories. I got to looking online for "light" loads, and found Trail Boss and a 300 grain hard cast bullet make a great combo, and changes the guns demeanor completely. Now its a FUN puddy cat. :)

Once I got to shooting the #3 a lot more, it didnt take long before a Marlin Guide Gun was on the way. Both are fun, and accurate.

I havent had any troubles getting brass or bullets for them for reloading. Trail Boss also has been readily available through the "crunch" as well.
 
I had a Remington rolling Block carbine back in the early 70's by Navy Arms with a brass crescent shaped butt plate. Weighing around 6-7 pounds at best with that short barrel it was murder on your shoulder with black or smokeless powder. However...fast forward to 2013...this one is much better at 11 pounds and will knock the knee caps off a fly at 100 yards.

 
Yes, as previously mentioned the 45-70 is one of my favorite rounds to shoot. Here is a photo of my most recent 45-70 rifle. I have two other rifles in 45-70 and one in 40-70 BN, but this is the newest one. If I do my part it will cloverleaf holes at 100 yds.

 
My Marlin 1895 SS Guide Gun is flat-out amazing! My take is that it doesn't "kick" so much as give you a stiff shove, not unlike a strong 12 gauge. At our family reunion "fun shoot" last week I enjoyed seeing the kid's eyes pop as I pulled out the ammo and started thumbing cartridges into it. ALL of them were fascinated at a gun that took that big of a bullet and I let as many 12-and-olders that wanted to give it a go a crack at it. Sure it cost me a few bucks to let 20 family members fire off a round or two, but it was worth it to see the smiles on their faces! I only wish I would have had a cart full of watermelons for targets. :)
 
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