Go for it! I'm 16 y/o, kinda big though at 6'0" and 220 lbs. and wouldn't think twice about it. It kinda depends on your shooting experience I guess. I've been doing a lot of shooting with a 6lbs 12 slug gun and shoot 3" magnums outta it, and can haddle it pretty well. You might call me cocky but I'd love to shoot a true big bore like a .500 NE.

I wanna shoot a real big bore too. Maybe that 12 GAFH would give me all I wanted and more.

Yeah I'm sure the 12GAFH would give ya quite a wollup. Me, I'm more interested in the older rounds, like the 500NE mentioned above, or 505 Gibbs, 404 Jeffery, 450/400, etc. Hey maybe if we combine funds we could afford one of the cheap CZ or Ruger Big bores LOL

Excellent idea...I'd let you figure out the loads from the bench though.

Tyler:

Take my word for it - If you can handle a 7mm Rem. Mag. you will have little trouble with the 45-70. Believe me! - and at 76 I'm probably older than your grandpa! - and I never liked the 45-70! You are a shooter of today and will be our future shooter of tomorrow - so can I interest you in sticking with the 7mm Rem. Mag (and I never liked the 7mm Rem. Mag) -over a cartridge that was old when I was born? Just kidding.

I started my shooting career with a 270 at the age of 15...in retrospect it was the worst thing I've ever done in the shooting sports.

I'd have been far far better off shooting a 243 at that age.

Yes, I could handle the 270 all right...but my hind sight sats that one needs to get acclamated to centerfires slowly.

Just MY .02.....stick with the 30-30 another three years!!!!

Now here's a idea, Tyler, you know anyone around your area who'd be willing to let you shoot a 45-70 they own? That would be a good way to see for yourself if you'd like it or not. I don't think you'd have a problem with handling the 45-70, and if you or anyone in your family handloads that'll make it even better.
If my 5.2", 120 pound mother of the age of 48 can handle a .458 Win Mag, I'm sure you'll do fine buddy. If it's something you'd want, go for it. If it's something you fear, take some experience with a similar rifle before you go leap in front of the train.

Nobody I know has one, except maybe this guy I know at Basspro...he used to go my school district, he might. By the way, yesterday I was at my great grandma's house, I went to my great grandpa's room, he died but they didn't move anything. He obviously liked guns or something, I found all kinds of cool army stuff from WW II. I found a box of 45-70's, then a box of 50 BMG's, then a couple 37mm German Cannon shells. Made the .45-70 seem like .22's. My grandma said he got some German guns he found oversea's but someone took them when he died. We would've got along good.

quote:

Originally posted by Tyler Kemp:
I'm the 14 year old, and I want a 45-70 for brush hunting. Right now I use a 7mm Remington Magnum for deer at longer ranges, but when I hunt with my grandpa, which I do alot it's at close ranges in the woods, where a big long gun with a big scope isn't handy. I know a 30-30 would work good for short range hunting, but everyone has one here in Missouri. I think a 45-70 would do the trick just as well, plus I like to be different, and when I get older I can use it for bigger animals, either handloading or using a good factory load like Garret. Everyone thinks I'm crazy because a 45-70 is supposedly "the hardest kicking gun you'll ever shoot." I don't think so, but you guys know alot more than me. I'm looking at either a Marlin 1895G or a plain one with 22" barrel. I'm pretty sure the recoil won't be a problem with normal deer loads. Thanks for replies.

The 45-70 is fun to shoot. The 405 Remington have a big push not a hard jab. Mine is a SS guide model with a scout scope and a peep site. Some day I will replace the recoil pad with a real one like a limbsaver. I have also shot some PMC 350grain at an advertise 2050FPS and the recoil goes up a lot. You can order them from the Sportmans Guide. I have not hunted with mine yet maybe this year will be the year. I have a steel plate target that is mounted in a steel frame using 4 heavy log chains and it is on rollers. It fills up a 6' truck bed. When I shot it with a 308 or a 270wsm it shakes but when I shoot it with my 45-70 with the Remington load it almost comes off the ground and it is heavy. SSo go for it.

Try this site for some 45-70 load data http://www.castpics.net then scroll down to Research & Data scroll down to Load Data for loading info I went looking for load data on IMR SR 4759 that I used in my 45-70.

quote:

Originally posted by Sixgun Symphony:

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:

i dont see much point in a long barrel 45-70 unless you have a nostalgia gun.

The .45-70 cartridge was designed for blackpowder. The longer barrels are best for such loads.

IMO, there is no point in using smokeless powder for BP cartridges. If you must use the smokeless powder, then you might as well get a modern cartridge chambering too.

Another brilliant statement from the arbitor or all things moral and correct. You know even the Amish around here have moved on to smokeless powder. To say that a 45/70 should not be loaded with smokeless because it was once loaded with black is just another in a long line of asinine statements you have made. You know just because something was invented in the 20th century or later, doesn't make it a bad thing.
Rich

I agree with Rich. Just think of what would have happened to the 45-70 and all the other original blackpowder loads if someone hadn't decided to stuff them with smokeless??
So I suppose we'd all still love to churn our own butter huh?

Obviously some Basspro associates don't think a 45-70 is for me. My uncle and I were at Basspro and he wanted to see the 45-70 I wanted. He doesn't think I should get one, but he likes guns too, and he understands that different people like different things. Anyways I asked a guy if I could see the 1895G and he wouldn't even get it out. He suggested maybe a 336 30-30, or a Henry in .44, "maybe I could handle it better". I told him no thanks and he immediatley walks off and I guess tells his Basspro worker friends that the little kid wants a 45-70...they all look at me like I'm retarded or something. People like that make me mad. If I decide to get it, I should make sure and have him ring it up and stuff.

Oh yeah he asked what I used for deer currently. I said 7mm Magnum and he told me I probably meant 7mm-08, because "a 7mm Magnum is definatly something I couldn't shoot accurately.

Don't sweat it Tyler. Go get it. You know what? If the recoil is a little much, it's not going to spoil waitin' for ya to put some more meat on yer bones. The price of that gun isn't goin' down.
I don't believe that you can be ruined by too much gun. Ya gotta understand that the nitwit behind the counter gets asked so many questions during the day that he starts thinkin' he knows as much as he says he does.

Rich

I wish I could find one used or something. I need to save for a truck or car, but I want a 45-70 real bad. I guess I got a year and a half left. That means all next summer. Tough decisions.

Tyler- Check your PM's.

That Bass Pro "salesman" was rather ignorant! Rich hit it on the money. Buy it, if the thing bucks too much keep on hitting the gym and practice with that 7mm.
Either that or join the Corps boy! That'll make you tough as nails and you'll be putting that guy in a Figure-4 choke hold the next time he says something like that!

I see nothing wrong with a 14 year old using a .45-70 Springfield. Start with factory loads and work up to more potent rounds by reloading.

Properly handled there shouldn´t be any problem with it .... if you are recoil sensitive, or just want to assure yourself you wont be hurt when repeating shots, use a limbsaver recoil pad on it

I have a slip on one I use with my 7mm, cause prone shots plain hurt...I couldn't move with the recoil at all. Does a medium fit on a 1895? I think that's the size.

The problem with the slip on pads are that they increase the length of pull which may already be too long for you. I recommend having a decent gunsmith install a Sims, Kickeze, or Decelerator one inch pad finished at your length of pull with your hunting clothes on. Or, you could round off the hard edges on the truck tire the factory installs where the recoil pad is supposed to go and just use Remington 405 gr factory softs and call it good.

I mention it only because you said there's a Bass Pro near you -- if your around North Myrtle Beach, SC you'd be welcome to shoot mine some time -- provided there's a rifle range anywhere near here.

Tyler,

My son, also named Tyler, killed his first elk with a 338 Win Mag. at the age of 14, and has been shooting it since he was 13. And no, he doesn’t shoot reduced loads. Some of the guys in camp (from Missouri) nearly fell over when he told them what he was shooting.

When he was 12 and 13, he was shooting 416’s, 20mm antitank rifles, 50 BMG rifles, as well as other big bore stuff that didn’t have the breaks the big guns had. He has been shooting an 8mm Yugo Mauser with a steel butt plate since he was 12. Recoil is something you have to accept or not. He likes to shoot whatever he can, whenever he can, and has accepted the fact that some guns kick more than others and lives with it. He has been bruised on many occasions, but has never suffered a broken bone from shooting anything. He also shoots big bore handguns (500 S&W and Linebaugh’s, 475 Linebaugh’s, 480 Rugers and anything else he gets the chance to) and will shoot things I don’t care to brutalize myself with (like his mothers 2 ½ ounce, scandium framed, 1 ½†barreled Model 360 S&W 357 magnum with full house loads – it cuts my fingers and I don’t like it with full loads). He did turn down the chance at a 4 bore, so he knows his limits, but I’m sure the day will come when he shoots one.

Many American shooters don’t handle recoil well (i.e. the nitwits in the BassPro shop), so they don’t think anyone can. The 45-70, or any other rifle for that matter, isn’t a monster to be feared. It is simply a tool to be used for an intended purpose, and like all tools, you need to learn to use it correctly to be most effective with it. Learning to handle the recoil is part of learning how to use your tools properly. Get what you want and don’t listen to the naysayers.

All that being said, he shoots my 45-70 (1895 standard w/22†bbl & hard rubber pad) just fine with any load. You will only be shooting the heavy stuff once in a while, but will have all the power you need available when you want it. Be aware that 530-grain bullets do have a bit more oomph to them than the lighter weight bullets in the 3-400 grain range, so you may want to stay away from them until you get used to the lighter stuff.

Nothing like a young feller who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to go for it. Get-r-done! You won’t regret it.

By the way, that's him in the picture to the left shooting a 416 Taylor with a steel butt plate at age 13.

David

Dang, you got a cool son!

IF you use a 405-grain Remington or Winchester factory load, or the equivalent, it will not be anby worse than your 7 Mag. Even the 300-grain load at 1800 FPS or so will be tolerable. These loads don't have flat trajectories, but are deadly killers of ALL North American game at close ranges!

When you start using those 400-grain bullet loads at 1800-1900 FPS or more is when things get hairy!

Thanks Tyler. I think he’s pretty cool also. I consider myself quite lucky to have him for a son.

You guys seem to be a lot alike, what with getting aggravated with those who think you don’t know anything due to your age. I’ve heard him make similar comments about someone who didn’t give him credit for knowing anything. Can’t say as I blame either of you. He’s 15 now, and about 3 months from 16. He’s really grown up the past year and is now taller than I.

If you ever get the chance to come out west, look us up. I’m sure he would be happy to swap tales and do about as much shooting as you could stand. We have access to a number of firearms from 17 Mach II to 50 BMG, with a couple of Class III items to boot.

El Deguello and some of the rest just about summed it up best. If you are shooting a 7 mag now, with the advice given about the bullet weights and velocities, everything will be about the same as the 7mm.

500Grains:

So you shot jackrabbits with a 45-70? I just want you to know that, as a close observer of this forum (and this thread) I have long had my eye on you as a suspicious character! Personally, I think it is very unfair for you folks out there in God's country to be telling tall tales to us Eastern tenderfeet! What really ticks me off is your pretending that a 45-70 is any kind of decent rabbit bullet!

Tyler
STAND YOUR GROUND
The 45/70 Marlin is a great hunting gun. I used to have a 22" bbled Marlin. My brother has a 45/70 Guide Gun.
If I was to buy another one I would get the Guide Gun.

The 300 gr Factory loads do not kick hard at all.
I have killed several deer with them.
For bigger game I would load the 350 North Fork bullet.
The 45/70 is a rifle that will be useful to you for the rest of your life.

I say go for it. The main thing is practice and getting to know how your gun shoots. Good luck.

I really like the Guide Gun, but I've heard that the straight stock makes it harder to handle the kick than the normal 1895 with pistol grip. Another guy at Basspro (I don't take anything they say to heart ) told me that the short barrel affects ballistics alot, adn that muzzle blast will be waaaaay worse. I like the look of blued in the 1895g better, but in the one topic "which one should I get", most of the votes are for the stainless version. Other than the obvious reason that it prohibits rust better, what are the other advantages? It's hard to get a scope (if I want one eventually) that matches the color I've heard. My grandpa and I are probably gonna build a deer stand sometime. It's in a spot that is in the woods, but looks out a LONG ways into some fields. I was thinking of taking my 7mm and 45-70 if I get it. Sound like a good plan?

I also heard about a GIbbs Frontier rifle in bolt action. I heard conflicting information about what kind of pressures it can handle. I also couldn't get the gibbs website to load and didn't see any of the rifles for sale anywhere. Anyone got info on them?

Tyler
I had a Marlin 22" bbled pistol gripped 45/70. My nephew talked me out of it.
My brother has a Marlin Guide Gun in 45/70. I much prefer the Guide Gun. Short bbl, straight grip and all.

Get the Guide Gun [stainless/blue your choice] and never look bvack.

What about accuracy? I'm not needing or expecting 1" at 100 yards, but I would like to be confident when I shoot out to around that range.

quote:

What about accuracy? I'm not needing or expecting 1" at 100 yards, but I would like to be confident when I shoot out to around that range.

Wearing a Leupold 2.5x Scout Scope my Guide Gun shoots well under two inches at 100 yards when fed 300 gr Nosler Partition Winchester factory loads. No factory ammo has shot worse than three inches at 100, even when using only aperture rear and post front sights.

What about possibly putting a peep sight or ghost ring or whatever on a Guide Gun? I would like something that's as fast as a red dot scope, but I want to kind of keep the gun looking "traditional". A small power scope may be what I go with. What are some good fixed scopes?

On a CO hunting trip we met a father son duo and noticed the 14 yr old boy had street shoes on in the snow .His father said getting shoes for him was rather difficult, the boy wore size 17.He had a good base for balance to fire anything.

Tyler
My brothers Guide Gun is fitted with a Lyman Peep and a Leupold scout scope.
He alternates between the two as he sees fit.
With 53 grains of IMR 3031 and Hornady 350 gr RN his rifle will shoot 3 shots almost touching at 100 yards.
I brought back some 350 North Forks for him to use on our upcomming elk hunt.

How good do those Leupold quick release mounts or whatever they are called work? They could be useful if I was in an enclosed stand with plenty of time to take a shot.

The Leupold QR go back to zero 100%.

have yer leupold scout scope 0'd @ 100 yards and yer peep @ 50 yards.