Jake, I cannot even begin to say how much I like my Marlin 45-70. I have killed about 15 deer with it and 10 wild hogs. I love the way it puts them down and how little damage it does to the meat compared to my .308 despite having a projectile that is over twice as heavy. I also too, a Bison with it. Am I an expert on calibers and ballistics? No. Do I know what works and does a good job under the circumstances that I hunt with over 50 years of experience? I think I do.