I think the ol' 45-70 is a great solution in black timber! I just happen to hunt fairly open country and longer shots are possible...or else I'd take your advice in a heartbeat!

I think the .338 Federal is a terrific compromise between a heavy, "brush busting" round like your .45-70 and lighter, faster, flatter-shooting rounds like the .308 Win...that don't produce excessive recoil.

The more experience I get and the more I think about it, I just see less and less use for big magnums. Of course, their proponents will say they're a "bear stopper" or they can "whack an elk at 500 yards" with their modern wonders, but I don't hunt grizzly, I hate the big recoil and am simply not a good enough shot to start flailing away at 500 yards. And, my suspicion is that vast majority of hunters are comparitively like me in those regards.

So, IMHO, the new .338 Federal makes lots of sense and should be given top consideration by ordinary hunters looking to put an elk in the freezer every year. In fact, I'd say a hunter who owns a .260 Rem or 7mm-08 Rem and a .338 Federal is really very well-equipped for all North American game...or game just about anywhere else, for that matter.