OT: Deer hunters: .45-70 or 35 Whelen?
- Thread starter Cohendawg
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Get the 45-70 by all means. If you want to be able to shoot with your eyes open and no Ben-Gay after get the Whelen. Or, if you want to be somewhere in between try the .444 Marlin. Both have significantly less recoil although the .444 Marlin is still a little strong, especially in the single shot. The .444 Marlin is a great lever action caliber as well when shooting the Hornandy ammo. Also easy to hand load. The Whelen has been around a long time and is a great round that is easy to load as well.
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
Also a 30-06er, and was wanting a 45-70. My gunsmith recommended a .444 instead and now I'd take nothing for it. This one is a H&R handi-rifle with camo stock. Think I gave $299, but you could get the black synthetic for about $50 less, but I assume both have gone up since then. I mounted a Nikon 3x9x40 on it and I now hunt with it during regular season more than my aught6. I love it's compactness. If I'm hunting a huge greenfield where it's possible multiple shots may be needed I still use the rifle but I'm in thick spots the majority of the time where I'm not going to get but one shot anyway, so I'm now more comfortable with the 444. The shells are a little salty. All I have shot out of it are the Hornadys, but I've heard some say they get better grouping out of the winchesters
-More versatile with better ballistics. It is an awesome brush gun for whitetails. As an aside, it is considered a fine caliber for black bears as well, if you ever plan to hunt for black bears. You will have to look somewhere other than Mississippi to find them, which makes Ole Miss's mascot choice absurd. Probably about as many General Ackbars in Mississippi as there are black bears.
I have the 45-70. It is pretty much a short range weapon and loses accuracy at more than 100 yards. The handi rifle is cheap and ammo is easy to find. In my opinion the recoil is not bad. Don't believe the jazz about one caliber being a better "brush round" than another, field tests have shown that even small twigs divert common rounds equally.
Ballistcally it's just a little less than the 30-06, but has way more knock down power. 225 grain or more bullet in a necked up 06 casing.
It still has fairly heavy recoil, but not as bad as a 45-70. A fellow came to hunt with me last week and had a CVA Apex in 35 Whelen. Nice looking gun.
It still has fairly heavy recoil, but not as bad as a 45-70. A fellow came to hunt with me last week and had a CVA Apex in 35 Whelen. Nice looking gun.
I switched from the 30-06 three years ago. Recoil and accuracy are the same w/rem core lokt ammo. My father in law had a 45-70 before his 35 and will also tell you the 35 is better. I have the TC Encore, pricey but worth it.
Most of the smaller stores do not carry them, and even when I stop in Cabelas, they normally are out of all the decent bullets for it. I dont shoot mine much, but you should check on availbility of bullets when making your decision.
The 45-70 doesn't really kick much. I have a 7mm and .300 rimfires and they all kick around the same. For the few times a year you will shoot it, it doesnt matter to me. </p>
The 45-70 doesn't really kick much. I have a 7mm and .300 rimfires and they all kick around the same. For the few times a year you will shoot it, it doesnt matter to me. </p>
Get the hornady superformance ammo. You pretty much got a single shot 30-06. Cva scout is the way to go. Unless you have a thompson center, they are out of 35 barrels right now though. Have been for a while and will be till after the season most likely.
and it is alot of fun if you do, the 35w is a TRUE 300 yard hunting rifle. My Apex gets 2910fps with Barnes 200gr tipped boattail bullets.3" high sighted at 100 gives me a hit in the vitals all the way to 300yds! By the way, I have loaded the 45-70barnes 300gr socom tipped boattail bullets to 2400fps for an Apex. Absolute elephant medicine and felt like it on the other end to! Handloading is alot of fun and not that expensive with Leeequipment and you can really improve on factory amm
n one last note, the Hornady SuperPerformance ammo is good stuff. Itperform on my crono out of my Apex within 20fps of what it was advertised, would highly recomend it.
n one last note, the Hornady SuperPerformance ammo is good stuff. Itperform on my crono out of my Apex within 20fps of what it was advertised, would highly recomend it.
I handload for all my hunting rifles and pistols plus my centerfire plinkers. The hobby is very enjoyable and you can turn a so so shooter into a tack driver if your willing to put in the time and work developing your loads. As for the choice in this thread, Col. Townsend Whelen's cartriged is very a very capable round and more comfortable to shoot than the 45-70.
I have the 45 - 70 and love it. It kicks no more than my 7 mag and is quite accurate to 100+ yards. I have a Nikon scope and am comfortable taking it with me in timber for both elk and bear as well as mulies.
Don't believe the shoulder stuff. I am 70 years old and the recoil does not bother me.
Sure the 35 Whelen is a good weapon, but I really like my 45 - 70. </p>
Don't believe the shoulder stuff. I am 70 years old and the recoil does not bother me.
Sure the 35 Whelen is a good weapon, but I really like my 45 - 70. </p>
colodawg said:
I have both, and I prefer my 45-70.....to be honest, i don't really hunt with either that much, but I find my 45-70 to be far more accurate and much more of a "bulldozer" of a deer killer....
both are good weapons, like you said, but neither are great....
35. Don't waste your time with the 45-70. Might was well take your bow or real black powder 50cal
It's great for hunting in thick brush or thickets where you need it to shoot through the brush. When you hit a deer with it, it's going down. Big knockdown power. I'm not going to use it somewhere with a long shot. If I'm doing longer shots I'm going to use my Weatherby .270.