do you actually hunt? I'm not talking about sitting on your bait pile. Sure, we have all done that once or twice...but have you actually been out and hunted?
How often do you shoot? The 45-70 is a fun gun. But you're not going to sit down and put 100 rounds through it in an afternoon. We have 2 or 3 .223's, piles of 22's, a 45-70 and others. Nobody has used the 45-70 in years. It's a heavy tank. The 223, 7mausers, 280's .243, 06's all get more use, are easier to carry, easier to shoot, and we put more rounds through them. We learn the rifles, and the safeties and how to operate them.
But I can guarantee you...there is no way in hell the 45-70 kills more deer annually than the .223. Maybe at one time, but not anymore.
