It appears to be in vogue for African hunters to malign the 45-70. Maybe they just can't deal with the fact that they spent so much hard-earned money on ridiculously expensive rifles when a five-hundred-dollar Marlin levergun has been proven effective against all the species on this planet. That would make me a little sick too.
Duck911, get the 45-70. They are just a bunch of fun to shoot and load for, and they kill game extremely well.
By the way, the range limitation resides with the hunter, not the caliber. A 45-70 will kill game at any range the shooter can hit the vitals. The same is true for the 30-378 magnum or 50 BMG. Words to the effect that the 45-70 is a short-range cartridge is pure horse pucky.
I use moderately priced rifles appropriate for the job at hand. Elephants have been killed with a 22, but that doesn't make them elephant guns. So...take a good swipe at me because I mortgage the farm to go to Africa, while you only wish...
luv2safari,
I have no desire to take a swipe at you or anyone else here. If my post was offensive to you, I apologize.
You are correct that I wish to go on more hunts. If I were younger and in better health, I would not hesitate to mortgage the farm to do so. But I hope to retire one day and still have a house to live in and enough money to take my loving wife on a trip or two.
Congratulations on your African hunts. Please share some stories with me so I may hunt elephant vicariously.
If I ever get the herns to go back one last time, I would love to have you along with me, so we could swap great lies. 
