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.450 Marlin or 45-70?

10K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  Bonk 
#1 ·
I am going to buy a Marlin 1895M lever action rifle and cannot decide between .450 marlin or 45-70. I do not hand load my ammo but I will be going bear hunting soon and want whichever cartridge has the most takedown power off the shelf. Opinions?
 
#2 ·
The .450 Marlin is definitely more powerful than most (and probably all) commercially loaded .45-70 ammunition. If you don't reload and you want to hunt bear, I'd probably go with the .450 Marlin.

That said, the .45-70 is plenty powerful enough for black bear. I carry a Marlin Guide Gun in .45-70 for protection from bears when needed. However, if I were hunting for bear, I'd want all the "pow" I could get.

You won't regret getting the Marlin 1895M - it's a great rifle, handy and as solid as a bank vault (but not as heavy as one).


Jim
 
#4 ·
That used to be the case, but over the past several years, more manufacturers are making +p ammo for the 45/70 which surpasses the 450 Marlin. Buffalobore is one example.

IMO, the 45/70 offers far more options in ammo availability and variety. Particularly with Marlin 1895's being so popular, the 45/70 is making a resurgence of sorts, and I see it on the shelves (at least up here) in greater quantity from mild to wild loadings.

The one pro that the 450 Marlin has going for it is that all ammo you find on the shelf is designed to function in a Marlin Lever Action, whereas occasionally, you will find a 45/70 loading which will not function 100% in your lever gun (bullet length and shape). Since the Marlin 1895 is the most numerous 45/70 though, most ammo is designed to work in it.
 
#3 · (Edited)
What kind of bear hunt? Species and shot range? Either will do the job though, dead is dead. Between the two I only see 45-70 ammo on local shelves but of course online gets you most anything. Have a great hunt!
 
#5 ·
The 450 Marlin is a good caliber, but ammo is scarce. I dont even think they make the 450 Marlin anymore. I know a co-worker looks long and hard for one after I repeatedly told him I was not selling my guide gun..............The 45-70 is still in production. Ammo is more readily available. If you dont want the remington factory stuff, Buffalo Bore makes some magnum type loads that are real killers. I have 2 in 45-70 and love them. The standard 1895 rifle and the 1895 guide gun. 45-70 all the way for me.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Here's some 45-70 sources I came across that will work for the big bears

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=35
Garrett Cartridges Inc.

Garrett specifically has these 45-70 loads that would more than get the job done and list Marlin as a preferred rifle Garrett Cartridges Inc.
and these for your next safari Garrett Cartridges Inc.

If you're talking black bears there's plenty of other options.

Stuff like this is why I chose to get the 45-70 (1895SBL specifically), it's not the biggest thing out there by far but is plenty to be a north American hunting rifle, and there's actually a lot of variety of factory ammo online and once I start reloading it gets even better. The big loop is nice on my bigger hands and less maintenance with the stainless steel.
 
#8 ·
The 45-70 has been killing big critters for over 100 years, it will do what's needed if you do your part and as others have said the ammo is easier to find than the 450..
 
#9 ·
I haven't fired a .450 Marlin, but their published ballistics show significantly higher energy than most .45-70 loads, even those that are marked as being too hot for trapdoor Springfields (the main reason .45-70 is usually loaded so softly). Sighting in my 1895 was a bit uncomfortable (in the shoulder region) even with medium power .45-70 ammunition - I can only imagine how the hotter .450 Marlin loads would feel.

I would imagine that the medium- to high-power .45-70 loads would be adequate for hunting black bear and even the inland grizzly/brown bear (but probably not the coastal grizzly/brown/golden/Kodiak bears) at ranges up to 100 yards or so.

I reload, so the choice was easy for me - load soft for practice and load heavy for hunting and bear defense.


Jim
 
#11 ·
What he said!

As I mentioned, even the medium-power .45-70 ammunition was pretty much the opposite of fun to shoot from the 1895 when I was shooting it from bench for a sighting-in session. If you haven't tried it, you might be disappointed in your choice.


Jim
 
#15 ·
I think the difference between the 45-70Govt. and the .450M is so slight that it don't matter. The 45-70 Govt. can be loaded to preform just as well as the .450M Brass is a lot easier to come by for the 45-70G and for that reason is why I chose the 45-70.
 
#16 · (Edited)
As mentioned, both will do the job with the right load. I like the stats on the 450 marlin, but as far as finding factory ammo, I suspect that down the road it's going to end up like the 375 Winchester - sometimes you can find it, but you'll have to get lucky. The 45-70, though, will always be around. It's the safer choice if you don't reload.

I also like the fact that you can buy light 45-70 loads over the counter for practice or when you just want to go out and shoot your Marlin for fun without getting beat up by recoil.
 
#17 ·
The recoil from my Marlin 1895GBL 45-70 isn't too bad at all. At least not with 300gr off the shelf ammo. Even my wife likes to shoot it and she is definitely not an experienced shooter. I've never shot a 450 Marlin so I can't offer an experienced comparison. I don't want to meet the bear that a properly loaded 45-70 won't handle.
 
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