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| One of Us |
Of course you can kill a Cape buffalo with a 45-70. You could probably kill one with a 22LR if you shot him in the eye and reached the brain. But should you? When other people are at risk I think it is irresponsible to use a marginal weapon just to prove a point. USMC Retired DSC Life Member SCI Life Member NRA Life Member | |||
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With the right bullets it’s far from marginal. "Ignorance you can correct, you can't fix stupid." JWP If stupidity hurt, a lot of people would be walking around screaming. Semper Fidelis "Building Carpal Tunnel one round at a time" | |||
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Perhaps the real question is not if it is an adequate cartridge for killing buff, but rather if using a max 45-70 loading in a standard lever gun makes for an increased chance of poor shot placement due to excessive recoil? Using a max loading (say 450 gr @ 2100fps) in a heavy bolt gun chambered for 45-70 would not raise an eyebrow. But shoot the same load in a lever gun not specifically designed for those loads does add an increased risk of complications such as stuck cases, increased felt recoil, mechanical malfunction etc. This is all hypothetical of course. Perhaps some savy gun maker will design a heavier, beefed up lever gun specifically designed to handle the heaviest loads possible for the 45-70 cartridge. That would be a lot of fun on a buffalo hunt or whacking lions or bears in thick cover. BH63 Hunting buff is better than sex! | |||
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Of coarse you can kill a buffalo with a 45 70. many American bison were killed with this round. My PH killed a buffalo with a 223 behind he shoulder. But the question that needs to be asked is this the wise choice to hunt buffalo. | |||
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Thanks Whitworth for your great conversation closing line! So many armchair quarterbacks! NRA Life Benefactor Member, DRSS, DWWC, Whittington Center,Android Reloading Ballistics App at http://www.xplat.net/ | |||
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Its not a 45/70, but my bighorn armory 500 smith runs right above 45/70 top end lods. Solid copper slugs of 400grs at 2200 fps. Its is a great design and is easy enough for my 100lb daughter to shoot. Much much less felt recoil than a marlin guide gun. Unlike the marlin, the bighorn will cycle perfectly upside down or canted to any degree. About as fast when run hard as a double gun and holds eight shells. Based on capacity, speed, accuracy, and power, it is likely the perfect dangerous game carbine. I get these velocities with the 18” carbine model. It has worked well in dangerous game for me and theres no reason to think a 45/70 wouldnt do the same. | |||
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Once again - anyone care to comment?
"When the wind stops....start rowing. When the wind starts, get the sail up quick." | |||
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Naki, having Nitro Express on the headstamp makes a cartridge “appropriate” for the task at hand (read the sarcasm dripping from my post). "Ignorance you can correct, you can't fix stupid." JWP If stupidity hurt, a lot of people would be walking around screaming. Semper Fidelis "Building Carpal Tunnel one round at a time" | |||
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It often amazes me the creativity used to argue away ones obvious bias. Simply saying “45-70” launches an avalanche of bias. If you want fact to base your thought on they are readily available. Many in this thread and more in the 458WM thread in Big Bore section. My personal thoughts are this is “settled” science but we prefer arguments to agreements. "The liberty enjoyed by the people of these states of worshiping Almighty God agreeably to their conscience, is not only among the choicest of their blessings, but also of their rights." ~George Washington - 1789 | |||
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Actually, the availability of much better bullets has turned many calibers that were viewed as marginal in the past to viable calibers for all manner of game. The .45/70 for some reason makes some uncomfortable. I hunt with handguns exclusively, that on paper look much more anemic than the modern .45/70 and yet, they kill with aplomb. It’s always been all about the bullet. "Ignorance you can correct, you can't fix stupid." JWP If stupidity hurt, a lot of people would be walking around screaming. Semper Fidelis "Building Carpal Tunnel one round at a time" | |||
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It must be a total stunt! Everyone knows Baker,Cummings,Selous and others had a PH with a 577 nitro double backing them when they hunted everything with muzzle loaders in their day. Couldn't have been done otherwise.  | |||
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Interesting, I've never handled a Bighorn but a Marlin has what's essentially a controlled round feed. The rim of the cartridge is picked up by the extractor as soon as the bolt moves forward so there's no way it can fall out. Just to make sure I tried my GBL today holding it every which way and the cartridge fed each and every time. Roger ___________________________ I'm a trophy hunter - until something better comes along. *we band of 45-70ers* | |||
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A winchester 1886 with a 26 inch octogon or a 24 inch winchester 71 would be about the same weight as your bolt gun. | |||
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