The 45/70 is a thumper, but it is also a shooter. From a standing position, the recoil just doesn' t bother me much, but I have shot probably close to 1,000 rounds through my current Marlin. From the bench, well, it isn' t a .223, but it' s managable. For sights, alot of people put a low power scope on it, and my dad even has a 2.5-10 on his. Shot placement isn' t a problem, unless you are trying to put three shots in a dime at 200 yards. It is an effective round.

As for the price, I think you might do a little bit better. Where did you go? I got mine last year for about $420 dollars, so $495 isn' t UNREASONABLE, but shop around. Good luck man, happy hunting.