45-70 thoughts

[mwunsch]

I took it out for Father's Day, my first. It didn't kick anywhere near as much as I thought it would. I shoot a .300 win mag for hogs so I'm used to thump. But looking at the iron sights , I may like to use a fiber optic sight to increase low light visibility. Red dot? Iron sights? 1x4 scope?

[mwunsch]

I appreciate the feedback guys thank you

[javithewrench]

I'm on my 5th 45/70 and love them only one has a 2x7 leupold, the rest wear iron sights and one has skinner sights. This thread is worthless without pictures!!!!
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[mwunsch]

I feel I'd zero it at 50yds and maybe shoot to 150 or so.
I noticed the factory iron sights I couldn't see very well late afternoon, early evening. That made me think of fiber optic sights, red dot, illuminated scope?

[mwunsch]

The less the better I guess.

[rm1911]

Get a Winchester 1866 Yellowboy in .44 Henry rimfire. That's what the Indians were using to slaughter Custer. Custer's guy's had 45/70 single shot Springfield's. And we know how that turned out....

There's more to that story. General Terry had instructed Custer to bring the canons but he refused. It wasn't the rifle that defeated Custer, it was his own stupidity and vanity.

If you dispute the efficacy of a single shot rifle I suggest you read the accounts of the Brits at rourkes drift. The lee-martini did quite nicely. Granted, the Brits were on defense in a fortified position and Custer enjoyed no such advantage.

Custer also had available to him Gatling guns. For an example of how important even just a few, and by a few I mean single digits, could have been, read about Omdurman. Under 1000 Brits defeated 50,000 Turks and dervishes.

Nah, military arrogance is the killer of more divisions. Just ask OKH about army group center.

[JTROKS]

Arrogance leads to underestimating the enemy's capability. Better to have it and not need it than... Wait, Custer had the equipment he just didn't have the right Intel.

Back to OP.

I have a TC Contender 16" bull barrel with Tamer brake. It's light and fast in carbine configuration. Brutal on the bench with 405 grain at 1400 fps. A 405 grain hardcast will penetrate for we couldn't find enough phone books to prevent the bullet from punching through. Unfortunately I have to do load development with lead free bullets if I want to hunt with this setup again. I love shooting that barrel in pistol configuration 2 decades ago. Big fireball and bare knuckle recoil.

[Carcassonne]

So I pulled the trigger so to speak and jailed a Marlin 1895 with the 18.5" barrel today at Oak Tree Gun Club. Bummer is no one has any lead free bullets in stock. I ordered a box but ill see how long it takes. I bought two boxes of Winchester silver tips to sight in and practice but lead free is a different story. So I guess I'll see what happens. I ordered the Barnes triple shock 300 grain and will see how long it takes and will keep the iron sights unless someone convinces me otherwise. Was possibly thinking red dot sight but I like the idea of iron sights that are hard to f$ck up.

I have a set of Williams Firesights on my Marlin rifle(s), they are NOT indestructible.