.45-70 or .30-06
 

I'm turning 21 next summer and I have decided to buy myself a birthday present. My question is: the Marlin .45-70 or a left hand .30-06 bolt? I live in Indiana which is shotgun only so it would be for varmint and just plain shooting for now. Supposedly there's a rumor going around that the Indiana DNR is thinking about opening up firearms season for the .45-70 and eventually I would like to go west for elk, etc. Being the poor college student that I am (taking donations, by the way...[&:]) my usual answer of "buy both" is not an option at this time. Suggestions as to which to buy first?

RE: .45-70 or .30-06
 

Personally I wouldn't recommend either for varmints or just shooting. I'd look more in the area of the 243, 25-06, 260 or 308.

RE: .45-70 or .30-06
 

Those rounds are not good choices for varmint and just plain shooting. The .223 is a cheap round to shoot for both you mentioned.

RE: .45-70 or .30-06
 

Depending on what you have and what you will truly use....I would go with the 45-70 even though I haven't heard any rumor myself and i hunt there every year at least once......Indiana is a slug state and will probably remain so...

RE: .45-70 or .30-06
 

For just playing around shooting there are a lot of better calibers available. The 45/70 is not one you want to shoot all the time. I have a .450 Marlin and it kicks as hard as my friends .375 H&H Magnum.

RE: .45-70 or .30-06
 

The .22 comes to mind, which I love shooting. I also have a .25 caliber rifle. I was looking for something a little bigger. I shot a .45-70 a few years ago and from what I remember, the recoil wasn't too bad. Don't think I've ever shot a .30/06 though.

RE: .45-70 or .30-06
 

If I were you there would only be one to choose, a .308.

RE: .45-70 or .30-06
 

As much as I love the 45/70, your best choice of those two would be 30.06. Maybe add that to your collection in afew years.

RE: .45-70 or .30-06
 

You obviously haven't looked atthe price of a box of .45-70 shells!!That will make your decision for you! It's a no brainer, if you really want one or the other go with the '06, or get a real varmint gun like a .223 or .22-.250.

RE: .45-70 or .30-06
 

Is there anything affordable with the possibility for future extra barrels in other calibers?

RE: .45-70 or .30-06
 

If it comes to pass that Indiana legalizes the .45/70 for deer hunting, then get a .45/70. If you plan to go out west for larger game, get a .30/'06. While the .45/70 is a great elk round, it is a SHORT-RANGE proposition. In the west, you often willget shooting opportunities beyond 200 yards, and the .45/70 is a bit handicapped under such circumastances, particularly if using non-pointed bullets in it at speeds under 2000 FPS.

The .30/'06 is much more versatile of these two, but it is, as mentioned above, not the best choice for varmint shooting. IMO, about maximum for serious varminting is the .270 Winchester, but it CAN be used for elk with premium bullets.