45-70 for close in camp gun?

Seabass said:
I wouldn't use a 45/70 as a camp/moose gun, the bullets may be big but they are probally to slow to really work well on game.... Probablly a 50 yard gun max anyway..
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Obviously you've never seen one of these hand cannon in action, I mean, like through 5 feet of buffalo flesh, and through 14 feet of Crown Victoria and into the engine block, and through a 24 inch tree trunk & into the ground farther than a guy could dig, and FMJs through 1.5 inch steel plate... Oh yes, the big bang theory...
 
Seabass said:
I wouldn't use a 45/70 as a camp/moose gun, the bullets may be big but they are probally to slow to really work well on game.... Probablly a 50 yard gun max anyway..
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Of course the range is dependant on the shooter, and the lower velocity bullets have a shorter trajectory, meaning they drop faster. This is a good thing in a camp rifle, your 45/70 bullets are not likely to still be flying 500 yards away, but you really need to shoot a moose with one, then come back and explain what "slow to work well" means. I would bet lunch money that you could shoot a good big bear in the chest with one and break his hip. Bears are known to find this sort of thing very discouraging.

We were trying our rifles once shooting into dry pine end on, and splitting the bullets out to compare penatration.

A 200 gr Nosler partition from a 308 Norma Mag went just over 11 inches.

A 500 grain Cast Bullet from the 45/70 went 18 inches, and still weighed 240 gr after that.

I would not choose a single shot for a camp gun, and maybe not a 45/70 because mine is too much rifle for some(it is a mauser and I load it hot). A No 4 or No 5 Lee Enfield is probably the best choice with 10 rounds in the mag. But the 45/70 would be very effective. A friend shot a moose with one, and at the exit wound a rib tore through the hide for a few inches. Needless to say he did not have to track that wounded moose.

Just my 2 cents worth.
 
How would a M14 do as a camp gun? I know its a bit long but I,m thinking if you had to drop a moose wouldn't the 762 nato round do the job?

Ive been out in bear country riding alot lately and ran into a big black one. Scared the crap out of me so I started packing my Dom Arms Grizzly. Now I give that to the wife and need something else to protect us against the next one that we'll see.

What do you think of the 762 round against bear and Moose if need be, and sorry about the thread hijack.
 
For me the ideal camp gun is a 12 gauge short barrelled pump gun.
With birdshot it's great for partridge or bunnies.
Great as a backup deer gun in the thick stuff.
Fill it full of slugs out where you western guys hunt and it would probably ruin
old ursus horriblus' day.
Mr. Dorito, come now, a 1 1/2 steel plate.
They should install .45/70's on the Leopard tank as main armament.
 
Same here Mike. I'd also advise to have hi-viz rifle sights and zero it in with something available in every store such as cheapest Win slugs.
 
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That's good point, too. And no need for fancy setup: Mossberg's dual clamp-like thingy from combo package for holding two barrels from rattling on each other while cased does the job well combined with inexpensive 16-led flashlight.
 
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I love 45/70's and 450's,..have both...now I'm usually just using the 450, but no so much here in Sask, so I sent it up with my buddy who was doing some work by GC,

I shot a buffalo at 100 yrds (farm buffalo that got out) with a 45/70 and handloaded bullets a guy did for me.

you could see the devestating impact of the hit, and the animal just fell.

Saw pretty much the exact same thing happen on a a large elk, but I was not the shooter that time,...

If you can shoot one, they are great camp guns.

I sold one of my 45/70's on here about a year ago
 
I have used for years and still occasionally use my T/C Contender carbine in 45-70 as a hunting/camp/defense rifle I load it with hard cast 430gr WLNGC's @ 1650fps.

My progression for camp/defense rifles shotguns goes like this...

18.5" Lee Enfield 303 British stock cut down to a pistol grip
18.5" Rem 870 12 gauge
T/C Contender carbine 45-70
Marlin 1895GS 45-70
Dlask 8.5" Rem 870 12 gauge
Dlask 14" 12 gauge barrel replaced 18.5"
Switched back to the Marlin 1895GS 45-70
Now putting together Rem 700 LSS 21" barreled 375RUM and will most likely switch to it exclusely for this task

I would recommend a T/C Encore over the Browning but the Browning will work fine for your needs.

I just got back yesterday from a trip with my 2 1/2 year old son only rifles I took were a T/C Contender carbine with a 22LR 16.5" barrel installed for grouse and for hunting/camp gun another T/C Contender carbine with a 21" barreled 375JDJ loaded with 260gr Accubonds @ 2300fps.


:canadaFlag:
 
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V1 said:
That's good point, too. And no need for fancy setup: Mossberg's dual clamp-like thingy from combo package for holding two barrels from rattling on each other while cased does the job well combined with inexpensive 16-led flashlight.
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I bought a set of small black water proof Rayovac led flashlights at Walmart for the kids Cadet camping this summer and they turned out to be really good flashlights.

Something like $20 and came with two small ones and one slightly larger which has pretty much replaced my cumbersome not so bright Maglight.
 
LOL.

I saw a 300 lb bear on Tuesday take a 325gr Hornady Leverrevolution .45-70. Went straight through both lungs and exited at about 25 yds leaving about a .60 cal exit hole.


Seabass said:
I wouldn't use a 45/70 as a camp/moose gun, the bullets may be big but they are probally to slow to really work well on game.... Probablly a 50 yard gun max anyway..
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Marlin guide gun. 45/70 Is a "back up gun" We carry them as guides in case the hunter screws up on a grizzly hunt. Its a nice feeling and they work. I would recomend anything .30 cal with open sights as a spare rifle for hunting.
 
Marlin 1895GS in 45-70, it can shoot 2.5" .410 shells for grouse and rabbits around camp.

The light is for remote exploration camps only.

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MRCLARK said:
How would a M14 do as a camp gun? I know its a bit long but I,m thinking if you had to drop a moose wouldn't the 762 nato round do the job?

Ive been out in bear country riding alot lately and ran into a big black one. Scared the crap out of me so I started packing my Dom Arms Grizzly. Now I give that to the wife and need something else to protect us against the next one that we'll see.

What do you think of the 762 round against bear and Moose if need be, and sorry about the thread hijack.
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Use a soft point and it will kill moose and bear at reasonable ranges with good shot placement. Lots of bear attacks have ben thwarted by a 30-30, no reason a .308 won't work...
 
Sounds like a good excuse to pick up an 1895 SBL......Short and handy, all stainless, ghost ring sights, and six rounds of 45-70 to convert the ungodly makes a pretty sweet package......
 
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