Sell 45-70 and buy a 30-30

ben hunchak said:
I think some may be downplaying the 45/70 with proper handloads, with the 480 gr. WFN or the 420lfn cast bullets, Taylor knockout values easily surpass the .375 H&H and even the 416 Rem. mag....yet can be loaded down to be a pussy cat or you can use Rem. factory ammo. Don't get me wrong, I like the 30/30, but it's a popgun beside a properly loaded 45/70.
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x2 .45-70 is a hand loaders dream. If you can live with the ballistics this gun can do just about anything.
 
everything I've hit with my .450m (=.45-70) has dropped on the spot with "eat right to the hole" meat damage. it's my go-to rifle if i'm hunting alone and don't want to track anything. amazing rifle for moose, no chance of them running into a swamp after a 350gr hits the boiler room. I swear you can see see the entire animal ripple at the impact.

I wouldn't hesitate to use a .45-70 for deer, especially with the anemic store bought ammo.
 
no brainer,...the 30/30 is your deer rifle...

I didn't hear you mention elk, moose, multi purpose, knockdown, yadda yadda yadda yadda...

Deer Rifle,...30/30.

A pleasure to carry a pleasure to shoot and minimal damage compared to some larger cartridges...

I have owned 6 45/70's and three 30/30's....

You can drive a nail with a sledge hammer or hammer...depends on what you're into...

The mere fact that you are considering selling it tells me something already....

get the 30/30...
 
sealhunter said:
no brainer,...the 30/30 is your deer rifle...

I didn't hear you mention elk, moose, multi purpose, knockdown, yadda yadda yadda yadda...

Deer Rifle,...30/30.

A pleasure to carry a pleasure to shoot and minimal damage compared to some larger cartridges...

get the 30/30...
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Exactly!

30/30 is the perfect lever for Deer, and I would say that the 45/70 is slightly overkill, and may cost you some meat.
 
If cost is purely your concern, in the long run the 30-30 will cost less both to buy a used gun and to feed factory loads.

But for the long run, with an eye to that getting set up to reload is quite inexpensive in its own right, I'd have to say I'm even intrigued to buy a 45-70.

I just got to try one on the weekend and it was fun! Highly recommended opportunity if you get it.
 
philthygeezer said:
.45-70 doesn't kick too badly, even with the leverevolution loads...
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Unless your getting into the hard hitting handloads recoil is not an issue with the 45-70. The leverevolution kicks a little but at 40 bucks a box not too many people are going to sit there an bang all day off the bench. Learn to reload for the 45-70, its very easy, safe and inexpensive. You can make your light loads for the range and the big boomers for hunting.

Since the trajectory of a heavy hunting bullet in 45-70 is very similar too a 30-30 there is really no need for a rifle in 30-30. If I were you I'd keep the 45-70, buy a reloading kit and my next rifle would be something in 25 caliber that can reach out and touch.
 
CDNJackpot said:
snip.. And recently i heard that some people consider the ballistics on the 7.62 x 39 to be better than the 30-30 for longer ranges. snip...
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?? 7.62x39 is a 123g bullet loaded to higher pressures resulting in less velocity than a factory 150g .30-30 out of a trapper carbine...

How anyone can seriously suggest it's better (7.62x39) for "longer" ranges is beyond me ~

The OP should own both a .45-70 and a .30-30, they overlap and compliment each others capabilities. I shot my first moose with a .30-30 carbine ~ it died as well as if I had shot it with a 300WM or .45-70 hot handload.
 
senior said:
Well sure :rolleyes:

As priced in earlier reply it's $33 as opposed to $40, why that's a whopping $7 a year IF you shoot a whole box!!

Perhaps a better question is how are you gonna deer hunt. If you plan on carring a gun & walking all day I would suggest a 30-30 carbine is the way to go, anything else & the 45-70 is far superior in knockdown power, short or long range.

I've never known a person to be sorry they purchased a 45-70 :rockOn:
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Try 14.63$ a box of Winchester Power Points in 150 or 170 grain.
 
If I was hunting in Grizzly territory, then I would get a big bore lever for sure. I live in Ontario, and I hunt deer up North were its legal to shoot rifles. Last year I was on the fence, on weather or no to buy a Marlin .444 because I found a great deal on one. I ended up buying a Marlin 336 in 30-30, just because the price of ammo was about $18 a box, compared to $50 a box of .444. For about $26, I buy Hornady LeverEvolution, and that ammo is amazing, and really turns the 30-30 into a different rifle. I would say that 160 gr LeverEvolution ammo is a step up from shooting 7.62x39 soft points.
 
There's not much left to say what hasn't already been said, but I'll jump in just for fun!:D I own both a .45-70 and a .30-30, both are NEF Handi-Rifles. The .30-30 is nice, easy to shoot, not so brutally loud, blah blah, blah but the end result is the .45-70 is an absolute CANNON. I'm pushing a Hornady 350 grn roundnose at around 2,000 fps and at 200 yards it'll ring the gong louder than any .300 WM I've ever seen. The performance of the .45-70 is undeniable, and as previously stated it can be downloaded, but there's nothing wrong with the good old .30-30 for deer. I'm sure you'll end up with both sooner or later!

My 2 bits worth!
 
I traded my Marlin 444 which is similar to the 45-70 as i am lead to believe, for a nice 38-55 and the rest of my rifles are 30/30. the 38-55 are a bit more pricey than the 30/30. My hunting round 38-55 (winchester super X) costs me about $40.00 for a box of 20 and the 30/30 is about $15.00 for a box of 20 so that it cheap enough for me to go out and use at the range, as well as for hunting deer, moose and elk....i don't hunt bear but it would be good for the bruins to as i am told.

nothing wrong with the 30/30 and i don't have a sore shoulder after shooting a box of shells, where the Marlin 444 killed my shoulder for days.
 
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if the sole object is cost, get the 30WCF. the pre-64 winchester 94 is a really sweet little rifle too.
 
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