.44 Magnum, or .45 Colt works fine. .429 or .452 vs. .458. What difference does a few thousandths make if you just want to shoot light loads anyway?
I call my Blackhawk a 3/4 45-70, as I'm shooting 300 gr. as fast as the 400 gr. Remington factory load for 45-70.
That Remington 400 gr. load is actually very mild. I've passed it off young, small framed gal, and she had no issue with the recoil.
44mag and 45colt are taking things too far IMO. From a big game hunting perspective where the vast majority of hunters shouldn't be shooting past 400yds the difference between a 308win and a 300win mag is not huge. 300wm has a good deal more energy, but the 308 has plenty of energy to get the job done.
The difference between a 45-70 and a 44mag is quite significant though, especially at medium ranges - say, beyond 100yds - where the pistol calibers you mention fall off fast. 44mag falls below 1000ft/lb of energy around 100yds, 45-70 can push that to 300yds+.
I agree the Remington "trapdoor safe" load is quite mild. But I strongly doubt THAT is what people are shying away from in their 45-70s when they're looking for "low recoil" options.
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