What 45/70 ammo will be good for brown bear but not rattle your marlin apart, like garrett or buffalo bore???

I think 'rattling your marlin apart' is a prerequsite for brown bear ammo. If I wanted to use the 45/70 to shoot a brown bear, that would be the energy level I would be looking for to attempt it!

I'd shoot the heavy stuff and worry about the Marlin later. They're tough guns...it'll be OK. I'll be bringing my Wild West Copilot in 457 when I hunt Moose with Phil Shoemaker this September, as a backup rifle. That is chambered for the 457 WWG; a 350gr bullet at 2,100 fps, in a Marlin 1895 action.

If you really want to rattle the marlin loose try these!

I'd use Hornady lever revolution 325gr. They work excellent on giant hogs!

i took a B I G bison with the lever revolution ammo. not one pass out the other side. recovered one and only expanded the very tip part. i think it needs more weight, maby 370 or 400gr. i know i would not use it on big bears as it stands now.

If you handload, get a Lyman 457121 mold. It throws a 480 grain flatnosed bullet with seven grease grooves that cycles through a Marlin 1895 like butter. Load it over 36 grains of IMR 3031, and you have THE load that will solve any problem you will come across.

I have taken two bison, kudu, black and blue wildebeast, zebra, and I don't now how many hogs and deer with this, and it has always given complete pass through from any angle. It is a deadly and accurate load with mild recoil, and will shoot through your grizzly from end to end or take out both of his shoulders and everything in between.

I like the HSM bear loads in the 45-70.

I have NOT shot the leverevolution ammo in 45/70, but have used it in the 308 ME. In the .308 ME it is way too soft for shots under 75 yards. That alone would make me afraid of it on bear in 45/70. Better with premium ammo for this hunt I think loaded with a hard cast or 'name brand' super bullet like barnes, nosler of A frame.

I took a 95 Marlin to Africa. Used the 405gr bullets at 1900 fps. At the time, only had the old silvertips (this was when the 95 first came out). I have looked at using the same load with better (Northfork, Tsx, etc) bullets, on Cape Buffalo..Brian Pearce, a writer for Rifle mag, took 2 cape buff a few years ago with his Marlin and used Corbon factory ammo, which isn't quite as peppy as mine. But mine hasn't shaken the gun apart. Don't know if you can..

grizzly cartridge has some nice loads that aren't too bad. i've had bb hardcast break apart. what i'd use is a barnes load from buffalo bore of a 350 gr load at 2100 fps. not too hot but will never fail. shot a hunting shack bear load into an oryx and both bullets, one from a 45/70 on one hunt and one from a 454 smooshed something fierce and lost half the weight of both bullets. took forever to find teh animal after the bullet failure. i would never use these on dangerous game. another good option is beartooth hardcasts, these are without a doubt the best hardcasts on the market and have never had one fail. you can load them to 1400 to 1500 fps and they'll hammer a bear and not hammer you.