ORIGINAL: nyorange
Had a 45-70 and got rid of it. Only place I'd use it isinwoods setting at shortrange. Rainbow Trajectory limits it as a short range roundunless you are areal experienced shooter and like extrapolating rainbow trajectories while hunting. At short ranges I see no advantage to the 45-70 over a 44 mag in a lever action and many disadvantages like weight and cost and recoiletc.
The 45-70 has seen its day, time to let it die the death it deserves.
See below and then ask yourself if you really want a rifle cartridge that makes a 44 mag look good at 150yds?
http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/ballistics/comparative_ballistics_results.aspx?data=RH44MGA*R 4570G
This denigration of the great .45/70is crap of the worst sort! Nothing stated here applies to the .45/70 used in a strong action like a Ruger No. 1 with good smokeless powder ammo. Indeed, it only applies if the round is loaded with black powder or a modern factory equivalent load that gives the same perfoirmance as the old BP ammo.
For example, in mine I use the Barnes Original 400-grain semisptizer (BC .389) at an instrumental velocity of 2270 FPS 10' from the muzzle. This shoots flatter than a .30/30, and is deadly on all thin-skinned game (viz: anything except elephant and rhino) anywhere in the world, and shoots flat enough to beeasy to hit with out to at least 250 yards if you can stand the recoil!