I suppose it would depend on intended use, bullet selection and loading. For general purpose hunting anywhere in North America the 444 Marlin is capable of dropping the same game at 200 yards as the 45-70 when loaded properly. What is it that you typically hunt whereby the 444 Marlin would fall well short? One benefit of the 444 is greatly reduced recoil on a cartridge that puts the same game down on the ground. 444 Marlin recoil with light to heavy loads in a 7 lbs rifle on average is around 27 ft-lbs - 37 ft-lbs, the 45-70 light to heavy would run 33 ft-lbs to 48 ft-lbs. When killing the same game animal in a hunting situation I see no need in taking it at the opposite end when it’s not needed. For raw power or guide use when loading 430-500 gr as a stopper the 45-70 would be of greater benefit for sure. Question would be how many are in that situation every day. For everyday hunting the 444 Marlin is hard to beat regarding a slick operating lever action with big power and low recoil. For a lever action called to duty as a stopper for guide work the 45-70 is better in that role than the 444 Marlin, however better dedicated lever stoppers on a Marlin 1895 platform would be the 50 Alaskan or 50 B&M Alaskan if that is the intended use of the gun 80% of the time in the field. The 45-70 has it all over the 444 Marlin hands down when it comes to factory and aftermarket loadings, which is a great plus. The 444 Marlin is a dedicated hand loaders cartridge for sure, which makes it plenty versatile for field use. The 45-70 is a fine cartridge, there’s no disputing that, but then again so is the 444 Marlin.
