Sell 45-70 and buy a 30-30

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Scott Bear

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Just wondering if anyone had any opinions on if they would rather use a 45-70 or a 30-30 for a deer rifle?

My main concern is the cost of ammo since I'm not yet set up for reloading.

Any thoughts (trajectory, down range enerygy etc....) would be great.

Thanks,

Scott.
 
Well personally, the 45/70 is capable of more than just deer... that's why i bought mine. I've never been a fan of the 30-30. 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. So IMO i'd go with the 45/70. Sure ammo is expensive, but how many times do you shoot your deer gun per year?
 
If you're not extra recoil sensitive and you reload or learn to reload, it's a no brainer, the 45/70, reloading cost would be similar to the 30/30. You then have a good gun for most anything that walks or crawls. If you never plan to reload, prolly the 30/30 as factory ammo is about 1/2 price.
 
Since the 45-70 will be used for hunting as opposed to target (I assume because this is the hunting forum) then you will not be shooting hundreds of rounds each year. Strictly for hunting (and hiking/camping) then the 45-70 Gov. is the choice due to its' versatility. Remington makes excellent and accurate 405 grain 45-70 Government cartridge- low recoil. Not too expensive either. Ben Hunchak would would be the man to answer all your questions regarding the versatile 45-70. Truly a cartridge for all seasons.
 
FWIW, and IMHO...

The 45-70 is seriously over gunned for deer. Personally, I've never shot one. But I hear and read that most of 'em, being in relatively lightweight lever guns, kick like hell. Not to mention downrange flightpath somewhat comparable to a well thrown baseball.

I own a Marlin 30-30, and with the LeverEvolution ammo I wouldn't hesitate, given a clean shot, on any elk out to 200 yds.

That said, if I had my druthers, I'd own the Marlin .308 Express. Ballistics are just barely shy of a .308 Win, making it lots of rifle, even for moose, out to 300 yds. Or if you want a bit more, go with the .338 Express.

As a stopper for dangerous game in dicey situations, certainly the 45-70 in a "guide gun" is a winner.


Again, IMHO, no offense intended to its fans.
 
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If you sell your 45-70 you'll regret it and buy another one just like it down the road trust me. Save your pennies if you want a 30-30 but I would suggest saving your pennings for reloading gear and components for the 45-70 instead. I put about around 150 rnds give or take through my marlin every month. I only shoot cast bullets and it works out to around 50 cents per round, this is not counting the brass but it lasts so long I don't see the need. Plus when you need to kill a zombie shark or killer grizzly your big boolits are right there waiting to fly:D
 
I find the ballistics of both quite similar as they both leave the barrel at roughly the same speed. Other than about a half inch wider wound channel, I prefer bigger bullets ALWAYS. Generally you can eat to within 2 inches of every wound I ever created with my .444 marlin or my .45/70
BIG BULLETS RULE!!!
I was checking factory ammo prices recently and a box of 45/70 at store "X" was 33 bucks for rem 405 grain, and 21 bucks for 30-30. Just load your own and you'll be golden.
 
I own 2 heavy calibers a .45/70 Gov and a .44 RM no 30-30 but I do have a .308 win and a .270 win. I would say like a few others here keep the 45/70 and save up for your reloading gear and for a nice 30-30 and reloading gear as like everyone said you'd regret selling it. I love both my heavy baseball trajectory like caliber rifles and my lighter faster flatter shooters.
 
now why would you wanna go ahead and do a fool thing like that?- the 45/70 is capable of everything from hares to bears( granted, there ain't gonna be much hare left) -just use a REDUCED load for deer, if you must- or back up some more- ie take your shot from further out- remember, everybody and his dog has a 30/30, and a lot wish they had something MORE- me, i got a savage 99 in 308- and i'm thinking of adding a 45/70 to my stable- that sbl or whatever it's called - that trapper version by marlin
as far as the 308 marlin express goes, look at where the 307 winchester is now- that's where the the 308 marlin is headed- the 338?- well , if you're going to toss 338 slugs around, you better get some decent velocity to go along with, or you end up being very close to the old 358 winchester- which is fine up to 200 yards-
 
I own both.
For deer hunting, the 30-30 gets more use. For no other reason than it's in a '94 Winchester. It's faster handling, and lighter than my 1886 Winchester in 45-70.
Also, I tend to walk a lot for the deer hunt, I don't sit on stand as much as some.
Again, the lighter gun wins.
They are both very effective, and the 45-70 (loaded appropriately) is not over gunned for deer. Neither wastes much meat, and both are very effective killers.
 
Scott Bear said:
Just wondering if anyone had any opinions on if they would rather use a 45-70 or a 30-30 for a deer rifle?

My main concern is the cost of ammo since I'm not yet set up for reloading.

Any thoughts (trajectory, down range enerygy etc....) would be great.

Thanks,

Scott.
Click to expand...

It cost money to shoot, that will never change. I don't consider my 45-70 to be an all purpose rifle, it leaves a pretty big hole. At the same time, while I do consider my 30-30 to be multi purpose, its got no range. The answer lies in where you shoot and at what ranges? Whats better? an orange or an apple? MAybe you should consider a pear.
 
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.
 
It's a no brainer if ammo cost is an issue. .30-30 all the way! With Hornady bullets, the .30-30 is fine to 200 yards. My dad and I had this same discussion a year ago and we both purchased Marlin .30-30's. (The rifles cost less too in .30-30.)
 
sir_springer said:
FWIW, and IMHO...

The 45-70 is seriously over gunned for deer. Personally, I've never shot one. But I hear and read that most of 'em, being in relatively lightweight lever guns, kick like hell. Not to mention downrange flightpath somewhat comparable to a well thrown baseball.

I own a Marlin 30-30, and with the LeverEvolution ammo I wouldn't hesitate, given a clean shot, on any elk out to 200 yds.

That said, if I had my druthers, I'd own the Marlin .308 Express. Ballistics are just barely shy of a .308 Win, making it lots of rifle, even for moose, out to 300 yds. Or if you want a bit more, go with the .338 Express.

As a stopper for dangerous game in dicey situations, certainly the 45-70 in a "guide gun" is a winner.


Again, IMHO, no offense intended to its fans.
Click to expand...

I for one have never understood the "over-gunned" concept. A bullet kills a game animal or it does not. If it does not and the animal was hit well, then possibly, you could be under-gunned. If you use a high velocity cartridge with a fragile bullet, you might make a mess, but in the case of the .45/70 it kills pretty much anything that is hit well. To me that speaks of a versatile well balanced big game cartridge rather than a specialty cartridge.
 
Woodsman said:
It's a no brainer if ammo cost is an issue. .30-30 all the way! With Hornady bullets, the .30-30 is fine to 200 yards. My dad and I had this same discussion a year ago and we both purchased Marlin .30-30's. (The rifles cost less too in .30-30.)
Click to expand...

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:
 
I have both. Both are marlins. For most shooting in my area, under 100 yards, there is not difference. The recoil can be contained by reloading. And the big bullet leaves much less meat damage. Keep the 45/70. You can get a 30/30 for under 300 on the EE. Save for it. And reloading gear.
 
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