Tell me about the 45/70.

Calum said:
Awesome thanks for the offer...I might have one before then.
Also possibly near Quesnel (I'm hoping not PG, lol).
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Quesnel is a pretty city and to tell the truth PG is not too bad if you don't mind winter.

My experience with the 45-70 is that recoil will beat the shooter up long before case capacity is reached. A 350 grain jacketed bullet @ 2200 fps out of a Marlin will catch your attention in a hurry. :D Even a 405 hard cast @ 1800 fps can bruise you (or break your nose :redface: ) if you don't have a good grip.
 
Johnn Peterson said:
Looks good:). What calibre did it start out at, I'm assuming it wasn't 45-70? And if it wasn't already in 45-70, did you have to open up the siderails and/or modify the mag follower?
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The rifle was converted in the 60's? I believe by Navy Arms. They used the Siamese Mauser actions because they were originally chambered for a large rimmed cartridge (8x52mmR) and required little work to feed and chamber the .45-70. Interestingly the right hand feed rail is opened up but not the left. It had the original follower in it when I purchased it, but I found it fed even better with a standard M98 follower designed for 8mm Mauser. Go figure.
 
mudgunner49 said:
The .45-70 is far too old to effectively kill anything. Everything in this thread just demonstrates a bunch of over-active imaginations... ;-)

No matter what you put in it, it hits about like a bath sponge.
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I don't know man. I know that the ballistics of a 308 are pretty good, but I would rather have a 45/70 loaded with hot 405 hardcast bullets when a grizzly gets close. No expansion, no fracture and massive penetration at close range. I think the guide gun is a great choice for a bush gun. I would not select it as my first choice for hunting, but it has it's uses.
 
mudgunner49 said:
The .45-70 is far too old to effectively kill anything. Everything in this thread just demonstrates a bunch of over-active imaginations... ;-)

No matter what you put in it, it hits about like a bath sponge.
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Out of one of todays modern firearms and loaded to is potential, while it may be an 'old' calibre it is far from ineffective. In an 1895GS Marlin, using a decent jacketed bullet say a Hornady 350gr FP at about 1900 f/sec or Speer 400grFN at around 1800 f/sec, even your imagination should tell you, that's a pretty effective 'bath sponge'.
 
'Boo said:
My experience with the 45-70 is that recoil will beat the shooter up long before case capacity is reached.
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My 7.5 pound steel buttplate P14 in 45-70 is throwing 400gr Speer JSP at a chronographed 2050ft/s. 475gr gas checked at 1850ft/s. 500gr gas checked at 1750.

It don't beat me up none... I'm sad I can't load it up even hotter!
 
I love these guys who think because the 45/70 isn't a 300 yard laserbeam it's not a good calibre. I suspect these are claims mostly made by guys who have never given it an honest run at the reloading bench or in the field. You must be superman if you believe a stoutly loaded 45/70 in something like a Marlin Guide Gun or Ruger #1 hits like a sponge bath. Many of us just like the calibre and know what it is capable of in real life hunting situations.
 
I bought my first 4570 for black bear hunting. Although I used my 2506 to kill my bear. I'm not afraid of the bears in the dark but in low light walking alone back to the atv carrying a double rifle in 4570 is a lot more comforting then a bolt action scoped rifle when those bushes just in front of you start to move. Whether that scoped rifle is my 2506 308 or 300wm. I put my trust in frontal diameter and penetration over lil bullet that go really really fast
 
Johnn Peterson said:
Out of one of todays modern firearms and loaded to is potential, while it may be an 'old' calibre it is far from ineffective. In an 1895GS Marlin, using a decent jacketed bullet say a Hornady 350gr FP at about 1900 f/sec or Speer 400grFN at around 1800 f/sec, (1). even your imagination should tell you, that's a pretty effective 'bath sponge'.



(2). Many of us just like the calibre and know what it is capable of in real life hunting situations.



(3). You obviously have a totally underwhelming knowledge of the 45-70...
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(1). I'm on the BlackBerry and don't have smilies available, but even so I thought folks would get my (obviously poor) attempt at sarcasm. Especially considering my espousal of the .45-70 in the past - I have one of the first dozen or so Guide Guns in the country and it is the absolute last rifle I'd ever part with...


(2). Yeah - I'm one of "those" guys...


(3). See above...


blake
 
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mudgunner49 said:
(1). I'm on the BlackBerry and don't have smilies available, but even so I thought folks would get my (obviously poor) attempt at sarcasm. Wspecially considering my espousal of the .45-70 in the past - I have one of the first dozen or so Guide Guns in the country and it is the absolute last rifle I'd ever part with...


(2). Yeah - I'm one of "those" guys...


blake
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Sorry about that:redface:. I wasn't aware of your past input on the 45-70 and took the comments in the post in question as the 'real deal'.

On the Guide Gun, I only wish my 1895GS had a pistol grip butt stock rather than the straight configuration. Other than that, definately one of my favorites.
 
I love my Marlin 1895 45-70 and my original 1886 Winchester rifle 45-70. The Marlin is very accurate, hard hitting and does not kill at both ends. The elderly Winchester(three digit serial number) with it's long mag tube holds enough ammunition for three seasons of hunting and shoots a pretty good group for such and old firearm but the best part is that it looks cool. Most of my hunting is done under 200yds in the bush and I think that is about far enough for this cartridge although some may disagree. I mostly use store bought ammunition around 300gr.
I would not hesitate to buy another of either of these firearms for large animals.
 
Understated sarcasm

I like the way you think. My take is that perhaps modern moose are more bullet resistant than in the 1800s.
Pappy

mudgunner49 said:
The .45-70 is far too old to effectively kill anything. Everything in this thread just demonstrates a bunch of over-active imaginations... ;-)

No matter what you put in it, it hits about like a bath sponge.
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Johnn Peterson said:
Sorry about that:redface:. I wasn't aware of your past input on the 45-70 and took the comments in the post in question as the 'real deal'.

On the Guide Gun, I only wish my 1895GS had a pistol grip butt stock rather than the straight configuration. Other than that, definately one of my favorites.
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That's OK - sarcasm is just one of the weapons I use. I too wish I had a PG version. I'm tempted by the stainless laminate version with the rail and full length mag tube but somewhat put off by the tales of Marlington's apparent QC issues. I really hope they get things sorted out...


blake
 
One of the guys at the hunt camp used to say you could bat it back at the shooter at a hundred yards.
That was before I took him target shooting at the farm.
I was sighting in a new peep sight on my 1886 Win. with 350 grain hard cast and reasonably hot handloads.
First shot was left, I cranked it, second shot was right, damn, must me half minute clicks, Third shot, (centre) the eight inch Birch folded over the target, and fell to the ground.
I asked him if he wanted to try his bat, no answer to date. :)
 
John Y Cannuck said:
One of the guys at the hunt camp used to say you could bat it back at the shooter at a hundred yards.
That was before I took him target shooting at the farm.
I was sighting in a new peep sight on my 1886 Win. with 350 grain hard cast and reasonably hot handloads.
First shot was left, I cranked it, second shot was right, damn, must me half minute clicks, Third shot, (centre) the eight inch Birch folded over the target, and fell to the ground.
I asked him if he wanted to try his bat, no answer to date. :)
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:DKinda' reminds me of a very similar story my idol Elmer Keith tells in his book, "Keith An Autobiography". The story takes place when Keith was at the Ogden Arsenal during the war. A 'discussion' concerning the capabilities of the .45 Government automatic pistol took place with the head of the small arms shop who had stated "you couldn't hit anything with a .45 beyond 20 or 30 yards". The individual further stated he could stand up at 60 or 80 yards and Keith could shoot at him all day and baring an accident, couldn't hit him. Keith picked a 3'x1 1/2' snowdrift out at about 250yds as a target. After two shots to range in, he proceeded to put the remaining 5 into the snowdrift. After inserting a fresh clip he asked the head of the small arms shop if he'd like to go and lie down where the snowdrift was and let Keith shoot another clip.:cool::p
 
Johnn Peterson said:
:DKinda' reminds me of a very similar story my idol Elmer Keith tells in his book, "Keith An Autobiography". The story takes place when Keith was at the Ogden Arsenal during the war. A 'discussion' concerning the capabilities of the .45 Government automatic pistol took place with the head of the small arms shop who had stated "you couldn't hit anything with a .45 beyond 20 or 30 yards". The individual further stated he could stand up at 60 or 80 yards and Keith could shoot at him all day and baring an accident, couldn't hit him. Keith picked a 3'x1 1/2' snowdrift out at about 250yds as a target. After two shots to range in, he proceeded to put the remaining 5 into the snowdrift. After inserting a fresh clip he asked the head of the small arms shop if he'd like to go and lie down where the snowdrift was and let Keith shoot another clip.:cool::p
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I thought that was Col. Charles askins.
 
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