358wsm,
I don't know how to PM, I feel lucky just making a post with not to many miss spellings and such.
Anyway: KISS, Keep It Simple Stupid.
45-70 with buffalo Bore, wide flat nose cuts a nice hole. Close in high velocity cartridges can pass through without expanding or just blow up. It's a crap shoot because you don't know what you will be confronted with. I did a test to prove a point on that subject for my Father who had just bought a 460 Weatherby mag, nasty gun and not needed since the T Rex passed on.. Anyway the very unscientific test:
1 each, 460 mag, 458 WM, and a hot 45-70. Target 8"x8"x16" timber chunks, mostly on the dry side at 20 yards. the 500 gr RN soft point 460 Weatherby drilled a nice 1/2" hole in the block. Next the 458WM with 350 gr RN soft point, split the block. The 45-70 with Barns Originals shatered the block. To much velocity close up does not give the bullet the chance to work. After that my Father shot the 460 for the first time after my testing, one shot and the 460 was for sale. Now there are exceptions to that for sure, but it comes back to KISS. I would shy away from the factory loads in the 45-70, like the Remington, 405 gr at what 1330fps. The Buffalo Bore 45-70 Magnum - Lever Gun Ammo - 405 gr. J.F.N.(2,000fps/M.E.3,597 ft.lbs.) or CorBon has a 460gr at 1650fps.. Buffalo Bore is expencive stuff, but it's not like your going to go plinking and burn up a bunch of ammo, so buy 2 boxes, 1 to test out and one to carry up the mag.
Around the interior or Fairbanks it's rare to get a Grizzly, mostly Blacks and those on the smaller side. But, in unit 19 you could run into Grizz. If you go with a Marlin get an older one and change it over to the Wild West extractor and a few other items to make the Marlin run reliably. No frills, if you get a older one the trigger will possablity be good and smooth. I have a older Marlin with some cleaned up rust pits, bought it that way. Makes for a good boat gun, don't mind getting a ding or 2 in it and it's short, light and comes up fast.
Anyway thats my 2 cents. I'm sure somebody will put thier 2 bits in and say I'm full of it. But you know what they say, opinions are like Azz holes, everybody has one.
Remember: KISS.
John
You sound like my tutors, Kaboku and ykrvak, big time 45-70 suggesters.
