Anyone please feel free to correct me if I am wrong but isn't the 45/70 a short range proposition at best? Yes they were/are used at long distance by all the old buffalo hunters etc etc but realistically where are they used nowadays. Probably whitetail deer , moose and the occasional Elk. I actually bought 2 of these things 45/70s and enjoyed shooting them but when I really thought about taking them Elk hunting decided they had more going against them then for them. A great cartridge for sneaking along in timber and jumping one and popping it but what happens when one shows up on the other side of a 300 yard clearing. I hear all this talk about Garrett cartridges and their ballistics are impressive but look how much a box of cartridges costs same price as some premium safari grade cartridges. I think most 45/70s in the field are probably Marlins ..a fine rifle by the way but when shooting a jackhammer load probably not the best shooter friendly design. Wouldn't one be better off with a .416 Rigby, .416 Remington or a 375 H&H which would also have a much flatter trajectory ?