45-70 barrel length choices

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chainmailleman

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I need advice!

Preface: I have a 44mag takedown with a 12" barrel. I adore it. Massive fireballs and so much fun to shoot.

BUT

I want something with ludicrous thump. I want to feel pain. I love the idea of a takedown, and was looking into a 45-70 with a 12" barrel (because I love the platform). I understand that fireballs come from unburnt powder and therefore less recoil. But it is also inherently lighter. If we were to assume the same load, say a +P, which barrel length would hurt me the most? I've heard recommendation for 18" barrels because you get the most range potential. What's true?

Yes yes I know 12ga slugs can be comparable to a factory 45-70. I'm looking for the biggest felt recoil. I look at the 45-70 because it can also be loaded down for fun.

Advise away! Let's have a fun discussion! I'm not looking to be berated for what my desired outcome is, that's the wrong kind of pain I'm going for here ;)
 
If you hunt, i'd recommend 16-18" if not whatever floats your stick. 45-70 is a great caliber and you can go mild to wild. With a 12" tube you will get a giant fireball if that's the goal.
 
I’ve had few lengths from 16”, 18” to 24” (xlr)…..all have been quite accurate. I think it boils down to what a person wants to use it for and in what environment (packing, heavily wooded, etc)…..personally I liked the compromise of length/versatility, and velocity of 18” the most that I cut down/recrowned all my XLR’s (444, 450, and 45-70) to 18”. Since 45-70 seems to perform well under such different lengths, I think it’s mostly a matter of preference IMO.
 
Suther said:
If you're looking for the biggest felt recoil, 45-70 is not the gun for the job. They can kick, but they're far from the top of the scale.

Look for calibers that would get used in Africa, 416 or 458cal. 458win mag, 416 Rem Mag, maybe a Rigby or something with Weatherby in the name... THOSE recoil.
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I'll have to agree with Suther here, you need to step up from the 45-70 to get what you're looking for IMHO.
 
The 30-378 wby has been the most abusive cartridge I've shot. They're few and far between. A 340wby can hurt your shoulder and your wallet at the same time
As for 4570 a slow burning powder in a shirt barrel may give you a good flash.
The faster you send a bullet the more recoil you get so a 300gr bullet at 2000fps thumps more than a 405gr at 1300fps
If you could find a ruger #3 and have someone make a 12" barrel for it and load 500gr bullets to the max you'll find you're kicker
 
Yeah the 45-70 is like shooting a 20g shotgun. Just grab a single shot 12, load it with 3" goose or turkey loads and it will hammer way harder than any 45-70

I have a 460 weatherby and a 500 Jeffery when I want to feel recoil but really my 6 pound sxs 12g with 3" bb shells with hammer me harder.
 
Out of a guide gun use to do 1925fps with 405 gr. Ride was bumpy. Now can’t remember if shot moose with this load or if it was an after load. What I like about the 4570 is that can use 410 2.5” shot shells in. Found #6 to give best donut pattern and once it’s figured out it can be deadly on chickens to 20 y
 
Probably bears repeating that it depends a bit on the rifle, too. .340 Weatherby class recoil isn't horrible out of a full sized rifle with some heft, and a well designed stock with broad, wide butt stock and a fairly squishy recoil pad.

I'd step back from the 45-70. It's a wonderful cartridge, but chasing the hottest loads can start to loosen them up out of a 1895 Marlin style action. I think a Winchester 1886 with the twin locking bars going to the top of the bolt is a little stronger, but it's still nowhere near the top of the recoil pyramid. Best to just keep the 45-70 pressures and power level at a more moderate level.

There's bigger and hairier, but if I was you, I'd start your search with a .458 WM. Out of the big bores, it's probably the most accessible and affordable with lots of bullets made with the 45-70 in mind, as well as heavier bullets. A few lighter spire points available too making it pretty versatile. And then you can also load it down like a 45-70, and at low pressures shoot plain base cast pretty cheap.
 
tactical lever said:
I'd step back from the 45-70. It's a wonderful cartridge, but chasing the hottest loads can start to loosen them up out of a 1895 Marlin style action. I think a Winchester 1886 with the twin locking bars going to the top of the bolt is a little stronger, but it's still nowhere near the top of the recoil pyramid. Best to just keep the 45-70 pressures and power level at a more moderate level.

There's bigger and hairier, but if I was you, I'd start your search with a .458 WM. Out of the big bores, it's probably the most accessible and affordable with lots of bullets made with the 45-70 in mind, as well as heavier bullets. A few lighter spire points available too making it pretty versatile. And then you can also load it down like a 45-70, and at low pressures shoot plain base cast pretty cheap.
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Years ago I was at the range with member kf123 (sadly, gone to the gun range in the sky) and he had cooked up some dirty old loads for his Marlin 1895. Kid you not, they were spicy enough to start kicking the lever open, which I had to remark that I never knew these rifles came with auto eject or something about ejection assist!:ROFLMAO: Needless to say, he thought it was interesting, but also said "Probably won't do that again."

That was the angriest 45-70 I've ever seen, but best to just step up to a bigger cartridge.
 
Get a older tikka t3 light in 300WM and load it spicy.. it will kick like Satan's mule. Absolutely unpleasant. 300RUM in a sub 8lb gun will loosen your filings as well... for recoil and bore diameter get an old mauser in 458WM or 416 rem mag... not real cheap to shoot though.
 
saskgunowner101 said:
Years ago I was at the range with member kf123 (sadly, gone to the gun range in the sky) and he had cooked up some dirty old loads for his Marlin 1895. Kid you not, they were spicy enough to start kicking the lever open, which I had to remark that I never knew these rifles came with auto eject or something about ejection assist!:ROFLMAO: Needless to say, he thought it was interesting, but also said "Probably won't do that again."

That was the angriest 45-70 I've ever seen, but best to just step up to a bigger cartridge.
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Heard or read somewhere that those were one of the most blown up guns.... Not sure if guys are looking for flattened primers, or just loading them up with Ruger #1 data...or?
 
obsessed1b said:
Get a older tikka t3 light in 300WM and load it spicy.. it will kick like Satan's mule. Absolutely unpleasant. 300RUM in a sub 8lb gun will loosen your filings as well... for recoil and bore diameter get an old mauser in 458WM or 416 rem mag... not real cheap to shoot though.
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Even with a hot load, the lightweight Tikka isn't going to have killer recoil. Going to add a bit of weight by necessity by scoping it, and maybe end up around 40 ft/lbs of recoil. Can get up to about 48 with a lightweight iron sighted 9.3x62 loaded warm. Can't say that even 44 is very pleasant off a bench, but standing up it's no big deal.

.458 doesn't have to be very expensive, aside from somewhat pricey brass. Can shoot gas checked cast cheap and hard. Or lots of 45-70 bullets which aren't overly expensive (mostly). With a 9 lb. rifle and 400 gr. now you're up to about 69 ft/lbs of recoil.
 
tactical lever said:
Heard or read somewhere that those were one of the most blown up guns.... Not sure if guys are looking for flattened primers, or just loading them up with Ruger #1 data...or?
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I honestly don't know if they're known for blowing up with misuse, but the action limits c.o.l. compared to others, so you have a big ole bullet with nowhere to go but get stuffed deeper in the case. Looking at something like the Jae-Bok bullets, the difference between the crater and crater2 bullets is a perfect example.
 
obsessed1b said:
If you hunt, i'd recommend 16-18" if not whatever floats your stick. 45-70 is a great caliber and you can go mild to wild. With a 12" tube you will get a giant fireball if that's the goal.
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re fireball from 12" barrel I have loaded for 12.5" 16.25" 18.5" and 22" 45-70 barrels using H322 powder that I feel is the best powder and loading from 250gr to 550gr bullets I do not get huge fireballs in the 12.5" barrel.

Crazy part is I only lose 100fps going from the 22" barrel to the 12.5" barrel shooting the same 350gr load in each barrel.
 
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