Okay I'll take my 45-70, stainless guide gun to Alaska, what factory loads should I buy...?

NOT REMINGTON 300gr core-lokts

About 4 years ago I bought a 45-70 before I was able to reload my own. So I purchased 2 boxes of Remington 300gr for the range and hunting.

I shot a cow @ 55 yards right behind the shoulder.(The accuracy was there..nothing else!) Absoulutly no bullet retention not even a little. The bullet was completely seperated from the jacket..With 50+ jacket fragments
through the entering hide and meat. The lead core wieghed 150gr once it finally stopped on the farside of the hide.

True...It did it's job by harvesting an animal, I beleive it wouldn't have if the bullet would have struck a bone with that type of bullet performance. Imagine if I would have ran in to a bear !

I think you would have a better results with a factory ammunition that uses reputable bullets with their loads i.e. Failsafes, barnes, Speer Hot-Cores or Hornady bullets.
Many ammunition companies are working together with bullet manufactors. Federal has a 45-70 that uses the 300gr Speer Hot-Core SP bullets. There might be others doing the same.

Accuracy + Bullet expansion/penetration/weight retention always = DEAD CRITTERS.

Good luck,
Ben

Guess it depends on what you are going to shoot, or if using it for bear protection. The 300gr. winchester nosler/partition gold comes to mind. If you are looking at something big and dangerous, go on line and look at garrett cartridges, buffalo bore, or core-bon.

Mad Dog

beltloop
Your Marlin 45/70 is an excellent rifle for Bear protection IMHO. In factory loads I highly recommend you get some of Randy Garretts Hammerheads. My second choice would be Cor-Bon 350 Bonded SP's. My third choice would be Buffalo Bore's loads.

Try Randy Garrets 540 gr, Super Hard cast HammerHead + P loads.
http://www.garrettcartridges.com/products.asp

30-30 Man

I wouldn't use anything over 350gr. the knock down factor is there with the 45-70. Anything over 350gr will drop like a brick. Let's be realistic you are hunting..not long range shooting with the 1895 Guide Gun. My friend was shooting some big ol' chunks of lead out of his 1895..too much work (compensating i.e. If I raise it 8" at 100 yard I will hit......... ) when an amimal can disappear in a split second vs. taking aim, BANG it's dead .

A 300gr/350gr quality bullet can give you this to 150 yards.

If you want a longer shots bring a 300 win mag! I shoot moose every year with my 45-70 out to 120 yards if they are farther out there the the win mag comes out.

Ben