huntingkidPA

ok well black powder isn't as potent as smokeless. BP burns slower and takes more to achieve the same velocities. A modern 45-70 factory load with smokeless powder and a 405 gr bullet is traveling around 1300fps with 18.7 lbs of recoil energy. With 70 gr of BP its travelling around 1200 fps with a 405 gr. Whether your shooting your grandpas load with Bp or a modern factory load (not a hot load) with a 405 gr bullet the .308 will have near as much or more recoil.

huntingkidPA

it seems like your a bit recoil shy or you haven't shot many high powered rifles.. If you think the recoil in your grandpas 45-70 BP load is to much go get a 30-30, 25-06, or .243. recoil friendly and proven cartridges, especially the 30-30. Like nomercy said the .308 ME wont stay around. I haven't talked to many people at all that had one. There are much better choices.

Jim Burns

My Guide Gun isnt ported, only the older ones are, I had both got rid of the blued ported one because the muzzle blast was way to much to deal with. I got a stainless unported one now that is much nicer to shoot. I can handle the recoil, but a ported gun has way too much muzzle blast. Junk in my opinion, I wont ever own another ported gun.

huntingkidPA

x2! i have sat next to guys at the range with .300 wsm and .338 wins ported, the concussion is insane. always making me flinch when im trying to shoot! even if there a couple people down from me its still a lot!

Austinhuntman

I am not recoil shy I just don't see a point in shooting a gun that kicks any harder than I need it to just to shoot a deer and I have a .243 a 20 guage slug gun 2 45 cal muzzleloaders and 3 50 cal muzzleloaders and I can handle them all no problem I'm not recoil shy I just don't want to deal with it unless I have to

Austinhuntman

And ar15 has pretty big concussion and a lot louder than it needs to be that's the only ported gun I have but the recoil is nothing IMO

Nomercy448

As an owner of a Marlin 1895, a Marlin 1895 Cowboy, and a Marlin 1895 Guide Gun (current one is not ported, the first one I had WAS ported), I stand by my statements. The recoil between all 3 barrel lengths that I have shot for the Marlin 1895 is relatively similar. I get about 2100fps out of my Cowboy with the same load delivering 1790fps out of the Guide Gun, but the extra muzzle weight seems to eat up the extra energy nicely...

In my experience, there is not a load that experiences enough change in recoil from one barrel length to another in the .45-70 that would be a tipping point to be NOTICEABLY different as it would be compared to a .308ME. A stout load will kick harder than the .308ME with an 18" barrel the same as it will with a 26" barrel. A factory load will still be a pup with an 18" barrel, as it will with a 26" barrel.

The .45-70 in factory loads, including the "original factory load" 70grn BP under a 405grn gas checked hard cast are actually quite mild (in deference to the SAAMI standards that are STILL LOW POWERED meant to prevent catastrophic failures in the older springfields that are still floating around).

Guys get so hung up on the punishing loads that guys hand-roll for their .45-70's and they forget that the factory loads are an entirely different animal. I hand roll the 325grn Hornady FTX for MY 1895's, while my wife uses the factory stuff for her guide gun. The same bullet leaves HER guide gun at 1790fps, where my handloads will push 2250fps out of it. I get 2510fps out of my Cowboy with this load (great bear medicine, but he11 on your shoulder). This isn't as hot as I can make these loads, but that load has been a "sweet spot" for accuracy and power for me.