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.
Around here 223 are coyote guns.
I don't doubt that I won't shoot it all day. I bought it for hunting not target shooting. It is not the only gun I have. If I want to target shoot, would use 30-06, for practice, or 22 for fun.
Maybe out in Sandy scrubby area where you can watch a deer run 100 yards after you shoot it,or can watch it come in, people are using them. But most people are not using leas than 6mm even in those areas.
Where I am 30 cal, 7mm, is most popular. But there are quite a few using 45-70 too.
Since one shot with that will work, I am.not worried about being able to shoot all day. Lots of people say not all that different than 30-06, which I do shoot all day, with a thick shirt on.
