Anyone shoot any .45-70 govts?

Question

Looking to buy one and wondering what the recoil and loudness compares with a .44 Magnum rifle and a 12 gauge shotgun?

Answer 1

The difference between the slug of the .45 and .44 is nil. But the .44 Mag case is significantly shorter and is generally loaded with a faster burning powder as the rounds are expected to be used in a pistol as well. Hence, the felt recoil may be softer with the .45-70 but will still be noticeable. I have fired the .44 pistol and rifle but not the .45-70 though. The 12Ga will be more like the .44 although shot shells are usually loaded with a somewhat slower burning powder. Any rifle usually uses a slow burning power to keep chamber pressures low and to maintain pressure as the bullet travels down the barrel. All that said, you should really try out the rifle if recoil is an issue.

Answer 2

I shoot .45-70 all the time. I think a 12 guage shotgun kicks more than a .45-70. The .44 magnum in a rifle does not kick as much as a.45-70. It really depends on the rifle too, since my Trapdoor Springfield, H&R Buffalo Classic, and Sharps 1874 does not kick near as much (felt Recoil) as the same shell in a 1895 Marlin Cowboy because the cowboy weights just at 6 pounds compared to the others which weigh up to 12 pounds. Bear in mind I shoot blackpowder loads in these above weapons. Smokeless loads for .45-70 can be loaded pretty hot, but I still think 12 gage kicks more than the .45-70.

Answer 3

Recoil depends upon the weight of gun, powder and bullet plus the velocity of bullet and powder. A .45-70 uses .457" bullet, while a .44 Magnum uses .429" bullets. A .45-70 is a much bigger cartridge than the .44 Magnum, but it may be loaded mildly or hot. Hot loads in a light rifle can have fierce recoil, but the original loads of 1873 in medium to heavy rifles have little recoil. The heaviest .45-70 handloads approach the .458 Winchester in power, so they will have much more recoil than any .44 magnum. They can rival a 12 gauge magnum in recoil too. They seem to have somewhat more noise than the shotgun.

Answer 4

Kinda depends on what weight bullet you use and how much velocity you want. With the 45/70 bullets range from about 300 to 500 grains. Withe the 44 mag. you top out at about 300 grains.

I use the 405 grain round in my lever action 45/70 and push it to 1700 fps. Recoil and noise can be described as "all the fun I can stand".
I have used the 240 grain .44 mag. round in another lever action I used to own. I pushed this round at 1900 fps. Recoil and noise was moderate and very manageable.

Comparing recoil to the 12 guage shotgun. . ., the 405 grain load is heavier. The 44 mag load is a bit lighter.

The 45/70 lever gun is lighter then the big single shots, those 10 pound rifles soak up recoil a little better

Answer 5

You have to clarify your shotgun status; a semi-auto is soft, a pump is not bad, a single barrel 12 gauge is nasty. Same with the 45-70; depends on the rifle and weight bullet you fire.

Answer 6

I have been shooting a 45-70 for about 3 years now, recoil isn't bad at all, even with hot handloads, my .375 H&H has more severe recoil

Answer 7

I used to use a 45.70 lever action rifle to hunt wild boar in Northern California with my dad during my teen years. It was a nice load to hunt pigs with , to tell you the truth it would knock them on their @$$ when I hit them other than that it would not work so well with different game like a deer or an antelope. Too much damage to the meat and if you are more than 150 yards with the wind blowing since the bullet is so big it wants to move around too much. Good Luck