Am I too big of a wimp for 45-70?

[BigRed]

They are not bad at all.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

Someone here suggested I buy one and if I hate sell it. So I'm kinda keeping an ear to the ground for one.

 

[sheepdog697]

......if you have to ask

 

[Brad69]

What are you shooting ?

 

[rosejm]

Villians on horseback, duh!

 

[cosermann]

Here's a useful table for comparing recoil - https://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm

And, if you want to compare to shotgun recoil with which you might be familiar - https://www.chuckhawks.com/shotgun_recoil_table.htm

 

[MikeD]

I have a couple of 45-70's Love shooting them, to me, a 12 ga is a more unpleasant assault on my shoulder. Factory loads are predictable, cowboy action loads, ( I have an old trapdoor) are pretty smooth going. Lots of fun.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

What are you shooting ?

Deer,elk,bear,bison,moose what ever I can afford to shoot at the time.

 

[Leadeye]

A 45-70 will kill anything on the continent, you just have to load or pick the ammo. That said I can load 45 Colt so that it will go through a whitetail lengthwise.

 

[2in1evtime]

45-120 and 50-140 are fun to shoot too

 

[Brad69]

FMJ,

Yeah I agree with Leadeye you can take down anything with the old 45-70. Plus you look cool doing it everyone else will have modern stuff.

I helped a neighbor set up a new stainless Henry for a Alaska trip. It shot smooth recoil was manageable. He took a nice moose with it and was the only guy with a lever action.

I bet you could even take a Sasquatch with it!

 

[NKBJ]

It's not for everybody but there is a liable alternative.

So once upon a time long, long ago I had a lovely trapdoor with 1889 inspector stamps that just never had been used. When I got it (one hundred dollars in a south Louisiana pool room) it still had machine shop shavings behind the lock plate and all threads still had all their bluing. As was typical of that years production the groove diameter ran about .463" and I had to use soft bullets that would expand to fill the rifling. Worked great. And a buddy borrowed it, I got shipped out and he punched his insufferable wife in the nose... my 45-70 disappeared with all his stuff. Oh well, long story short there I was with molds and no 45-70.

So, years later... Instead of buying another 45-70 now I shoot a peep sighted sidelock Thompson Center muzzleloader with a barrel lined to .458" bore diameter and rifling geometry and twist to suit 350 to 500 grain .45 caliber rifle molds. It's either a caseless 45-50 or a caseless 45-120 depending upon how frisky I get loading it that day. I can shoot most bullets as they drop out of the mold but usually use a .457 push through sizer.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

It's not for everybody but there is a liable alternative.

So once upon a time long, long ago I had a lovely trapdoor with 1889 inspector stamps that just never had been used. When I got it (one hundred dollars in a south Louisiana pool room) it still had machine shop shavings behind the lock plate and all threads still had all their bluing. As was typical of that years production the groove diameter ran about .463" and I had to use soft bullets that would expand to fill the rifling. Worked great. And a buddy borrowed it, I got shipped out and he punched his insufferable wife in the nose... my 45-70 disappeared with all his stuff. Oh well, long story short there I was with molds and no 45-70.

So, years later... Instead of buying another 45-70 now I shoot a peep sighted sidelock Thompson Center muzzleloader with a barrel lined to .458" bore diameter and rifling geometry and twist to suit 350 to 500 grain .45 caliber rifle molds. It's either a caseless 45-50 or a caseless 45-120 depending upon how frisky I get loading it that day. I can shoot most bullets as they drop out of the mold but usually use a .457 push through sizer.

That's a heart breaking story. A unicorn was stolen from you.

When I find the one .looking for I'll probs get the dies to start loading my own. That way I can manage the kill to recoil ratio.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

That's a heart breaking story. A unicorn was stolen from you.

When I find the one .looking for I'll probs get the dies to start loading my own. That way I can manage the kill to recoil ratio.

It's really easy to load for too, being a straight walled cartridge.

 

[jax1463]

It is all in what you shoot.

If you load your own it can be anything from tame or regrettable.

You can use a modest amount of slow burn powder like 5744 and a .458 projectile and shoot all day without issue.

Or, you can use a hotter, faster expanding powder in aggressive amounts and a paper patched 500 gr .459 projectile and whimper every time you get behind the gun.

I use a mere 28.5gr of 5744 with a 405gr projectile in a darn heavy rifle you can come shoot and not even flinch.

Don't be afraid of the caliber, learn how to use it and enjoy the process.

Absolutely! I love reloading for my 45-70!

 

[Michigan Slim]

I keep several hundred rounds loaded most of the time. I just picked up a 1895 Cowboy and it came with a bunch of factory ammo and reloads. Another hundred to load up!

 

[jax1463]

Here's a pic of me 1895. Manu. 1974.

Hope this will get you stoked on buying one.

 

[Michigan Slim]

My new JM Marlin and Ol Reliable.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

My new Marlin and Ol Reliable.

Incredible.

With all these pics I'm feeling a little bit of jealousy building up

 

[Michigan Slim]

Incredible.

With all these pics I'm feeling a little bit of jealousy building up

That sir is how I ended up with the Marlin......