Rifle choices: 44 Mag. or 45-70 Govt.?

stubbicat said:
Get whatever speaks to you. Clearly there are better choices for the shooting OP has in mind, but his tastes are legitimate for him. Either one of these two cartridges will kill old Wile E. Coyote just as dead, dare I say, even with marginal shots.

OP do you intend to use an optic of some sort?
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stubbicat,
I prefer the lever-action and Ohio requires a straight walled cartridge to meet their criteria of PCR (Pistol Cartridge Rifle).

Any modern optics would ruin the traditional lines of the lever-action rifle. I will be using open sights...perhaps a Skinner peep sight. However, I'll spend a good amount of range time with the current buckhorn sights to see how well, my sight picture develops with quick target acquisition.

As for the coyotes...I can't kill them dead enough to suit me. :mad: They're killing our fawn population and then I don't have any deer to hunt in the fall or the following years. I'll be showing them the same mercy they're showing the fawns...NONE! :p

Bowhunter57
 
44 vs 45-70

my pick 45-70 all the way.I reload for both and I have the very rifle you speak of in 45-70.Since you did not mention where you are hunting I am assuming somewhere near your home.I know that area well running across the turnpike alot.Flat open country up there.
The 45-70 will shoot flatter with a heavier bullet though neither are that flat.The 44 mag from a rifle will launch a 240 gr 1800-1900 fps and a 300 gr at about 1500 fps from a 20" barrel.The 45-70 in most reloading manuals has 3 different load levels,trap door,lever action,and Ruger #1.Even in trap door power levels you can drive a 400 gr Speer to 1799 fps.Move up to lever action power and you will get 2000 fps.300 gr bullets in a 45-70will go 2200-2250 fps in trap door levels and better than 2400 fps in lever action load levels.These are all jacketed bullets,I shoot mostly cast myself.Don't use the Ruger data!!!!!!
A 340 gr at 2000 fps or a 405 gr at 1800 fps will do anything I need to do and don't kick like a Georgia mule.
The guy posting that the 45-70 was marginal for deer is nuts.It will handle anything in North America,that is, unless you intend to go down to the local zoo and cull their elephant hurd.
 
The guy posting that the 45-70 was marginal for deer is nuts.It will handle anything in North America,that is, unless you intend to go down to the local zoo and cull their elephant hurd.
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At which point you might want to move from a Marlin to an 1886. Maybe even get the chamber reamed for .45-90 :D
 
IMHO: Of the two. 44 you can down load for much improved accuracy use on those little fellers and up-load for those 50-75 yrd deer. 45-70 on the other hand if you were to miss any animal altogether it sure would know he was just molested and He ain't sticking around for a look see over his shoulder. Yup!! lickety split is the usual under that circumstance. But honestly of the two cartridges for use on palatable game. 45-70 (is) the better caliber of the two for you're deep freezer filling.
 
I would get the 45-70, plus that 1895 Cowboy is one sexy beast;). My expirence with the 45-70 with the factory 405 SP's is the recoil is very mild, especially out of a heavy 1895 Marlin. The 300Gr HP's kick quite a bit more. Another thing is you can turn it into a pretty stout big bore if you chose to, depending on the ammo you pick.
 
First of all I admit I am bias. I love the 45-70!

I have shot every thing from 250 grain bullets at 2350 fps to 550 grain bullets at 1200 FPS. I think you would be hard pressed to get that from a 44 mag or a 454 Casull.

My 2 favorite loads is the Hornady 325 grain bullet at about 2100 FPS and the 550 grain bullet at about 1050fps shot threw a suppressor.
 
Last deer season was first limited rifle season in Ohio. I only had one legal Ohio
rifle I my rack, Marlin 1895/ 45/70. I put a 3x9 scope on it and tuned it up with
300 gr HPs/ max load of 3031. Shoots very good. Gun is kind of big and heavy.
Got me an old JM Marlin 1894/44 mag. Just scoped it tonight. Planning to site
it in at 75 yds with 240 Jhps/ 22.5 gr of 2400, same as my Ruger load for SAs.
The 1894 is a lot nicer to carry than the 1895. 45/70 is over kill for deer, 44 mg
will get job done, no problem.
 

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With recoil and noise the .44 mag wins hands down. Really though if the gun is up to the task you can load the .44 pretty hot. I'd prefer the .45-70. With no scope you won't be shooting past 200 yards probably, especially with these rounds. Either will kill a deer. Dead is dead. Not like we're comparing a .22 LR to a .30-06.
 
I thought I would prefer the 45/70 myself. I messed up and took the Lyman
reciever sight, that had been on it for years,and mounted a 3x9 scope. The rifle
is the old model 95 on the 336 action. Now rifle feels awkward to me. Might be
perfect for stand gun, but not as fluid in use as the peeps. I live in Ohio so my
choices are limited. I have since picked up a Marlin 1894/44mag. Haven't
decided on irons or scope yet. I can tell you it is a lot easier to carry. In this area
100yds is long shot. That's getting close to practical range limits of the 44mag.
With the 45/70 I wouldn't hesitate on a 200 yarder. People watch to much TV
and think these lo-vel guns are long range wonders.
 
It's all subjective..I love my H&R 45-70. My shots are limited to 100 yds but the 45-70 is just what I like. I have a friend that shot a Winchester 94ae 44 mag rifle, and she put deer on the ground with it last year.
I will say, I didn't find the blood trails with her 44 mag that great....but not sure what bullet she was using...perhaps she didn't have a good load.
 
4570 hands down! I have a marlin 1894 and a magnum research bfr with a10in barrel I can hit a plate at 100 yards with the bfr. I have yet to shoot the rifle any farther.
 
Thank you, TimW77, for the clarifications. They were in order. When comparing the .44 Magnum and the 45-70 ballistically, the clear "winner" is the .45-70 (and it would be hard to find a cartridge with more American historical "significance" than the .45-70). If the recoil of the 45-70 proves too much for some, then step down to the .44 Magnum and enjoy it for what it is. But what it isn't, as opposed to the .45-70, is a "buffalo" gun...
 
Ground Hogs, Coyotes and Deer would be obliterated with a 45-70 Goverment! It was used in the late 1870's into the 1900's. It was responsible for the diminishing of the Buffalo herds back then. It is a "Big Game" round. Use a .223 or .270, or if you want impact and variety, a 30-06. Compare the cartridges and note the power and grain weights of the bullet. The 45-70 in overpowered for the smaller game....but perfect for African big game.
 
If you reload 45-70, then you can go anywhere from a 130gr round ball on up. The light load has limited range. The 45-70 sure is a fun round to play around with.
 
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