I would not go with an Encore Katahdin unless you planned on staying with very light loads only. I like Encores and have used many different calibers but the 500 mag Katahdin that I had for a very short while was too muzzle light for me. You could custom order a longer, heavier Encore barrel from MGM or others. I have not used a Contender 45-70 but think that one would have issues similar to the Encore. I had a Ruger #1 in 45-70 that I did not care for; my brother loves his and has used it for all his whitetail hunting for the last couple decades. The best compromise between comfortable shooting and ease of carrying that I have found in a single shot 45-70 was a Winchester 1885 with a 24 inch barrel. Unfortunately, they don't seem to be very common.
