ORIGINAL: DANTHEHUNTER
I agree with carp master .But I do love the old 45/70 for that kind of shooting.It will remove the finger prints. If that is to much round for ya the 30-30 ,.44mag, 444,35 rem, are all good up close rounds. I just like a flat or round nose bullet at close range.
The .45/70 is indeed a good cartridge, and in a single-shot rifle you can use pointed bullets loaded to some impressive energy (and recoil!!) levels! Such loads take the .45/70 OUT of the short-range category!
However, I see no particular point in buying a gun chambered for a short-range cartridge like the .44 Magnum, .35 Remingtonor .30/30 on purpose! Indeed, these are all good short-range cartridges, but that's all. Like fornra says, a gun that will kill at 300 yards will also kill at 50! And a fast-handling .308, .338 Federal, .358 Win. or .35 Whelen will do both! Any of these can be used in a fast Remington pump carbine or Browning BLR, either of which is as fast handling as any Marlin or Winchester levergun!