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[BigBamBoo]

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[Jarhead]

I just shot my Pedersoli Sharps 45/70 for the first time and she goes BOOM!!!
Hope you have a strong shoulder and I think its a lil too much firestick for varmints, my two cents which is not worth much these days.

How about a .36 cal muzzle loader?

[Backcountry]

It's .45-70, not .45/.70.

I shoot a Marlin Guide Gun in .45-70. This is one of the smallest and lightest lever action carbines made. With cowboy action loads or even the Remington Corelokt ammo with 405 grain bullets I can shoot it all day.

With Buffalo Bore 405 grain bullets at 2200 fps, I am disinclined to shoot more than one shot at a hog from PBR. I am convinced this round will stop a truck. Fortunately, when I do my part, hogs drops like a sack of **** and follow up shots are not required.

FYI, the .45-70 is not considered a varmint round, at least not in the traditional sense. The .45-70 has the ballistics of a freight train travelling along a rainbow shaped arc... very different from .223, .22-250, .25-06, etc...

BC

[BigBamBoo]

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[Two Shots]

My brother has taken a few squirrels with his 45-70 needless to say it only took 1 round. Just a little over powered for small varmints but it's impact is impressive.

[wooger]

I have a siamese conversion that can handle category 3 loads and it feels like it too!

[damon1272]

As long as you are not shooting from the bench with hot loads everything is fine. The .45-70 gives more of a big push than a real sharp whack. I enjoy shooting my high wall and my old man's guide gun. Very accurate round and a blast to shoot.

[freakshow10mm]

I had a Guide Gun. Shot some nasty handloads from it. Get a Limbsaver recoil pad. Trust me. For all around comfort it is stellar. For heavy loads, you will thank me.

[CHS]

.45-70 is great. It's definitely a shoulder thumper, but has a long and slow recoil impulse so it's not that bad.

I flat out love the versatility of .45-70 (if you reload). You can go from 240'ish grain bullets up to around 500gr and everything in between.

This is definitely a "one shot, one kill" kind of cartridge

[tteng]

Instead of loading 60-70gr of BP, I sometime put 10-15gr of Unique (hold the powder in w/ toilet paper) behind 400gr LFN and it becomes pleasant to shoot. With my 120yr-old trapdoor rifle the plink round will go out to 100yrd w/ 6-in grouping.

[dfletcher]

I am looking at a Thompson Center rifle in .45/.70 for a close in heavy hitting varmint rifle.

I found one with a 16" barrel...SS....VERY thick recoil pad,etc...would make a sweat backpack rifle based on the size.

My question is what is the recoil like? I shoots a BIG,heavy bullit so I am guessing it has a big thump to it.

Any input would be welcom.

Take care,Stan

I have a T/C Contender with 14" bbl (handgun) an 1895 Guide Gun and a SMLE Gibbs in 45/70. I reload for all. Standard factory ammo is pretty mild in all of them and I'd think the same would apply for a T/C carbine.

Are you using a Contender or an Encore frame? A little info (pardon me if it's old news) on the 45/70 & T/C.

The 45/70 is generally reloaded to 3 levels - 1873 Trapdoor (up 18K pressure) Marlin 1895 and Win 1886 (up to 28K pressure) and Ruger #1 & Siamese Mauser (whatevertheheckmaxis). T/C will tell you the Contender should be loaded to 1873 levels only, however I've seen in manuals and used loads that are also listed in the 1895 section. Not all of them, just a few.

If you have an Encore, I would say you can definitely use all the 1895 level loads, don't know about the #1 and Mauser loads.

Recoil with the 1895 level reloads would be pretty brisk (I think) in the 16" T/C carbine, but nothing too stiff.

[5hundo]

I am looking at a Thompson Center rifle in .45/.70 for a close in heavy hitting varmint rifle.

Heavy hitting is right...

More like a "Varmint Disintegration Rifle"...

[shade1]

well i have a marlin 45/70 and as far as varmint goes well maybe you should get something that leaves you a varmint not pieces of one .... and well the kick on my own personal reloads will give me:10 rounds and my shoulders purple

[RobG]

I am looking at a Thompson Center rifle in .45/.70 for a close in heavy hitting varmint rifle.

Yea, BIG varmints. You do know that Bigfoot was found already, right

[technique]

45-70 really isn't all that bad to shoot. In fact, I liked it so much I bought "Technique equivalent" of 45-70.....the .458S

and if you haven't shot a Varmint with a 45-70 or .458S, you don't know what your missing.