30-30 vs 45-70?

Your stated purpose is as a bear gun, and you're restricting it to a 30-30 or a 45-70, correct? A 30-30 might do ok for a black bear, but if you are meaning the bigger ursine critters you would be nuts to even consider a 30-30 when a 45-70 is an option. Look up some stats on how fast bears move, how much it takes to put them down, and combine that knowledge with the piss poor accuracy you're likely to have when a quarter ton of rage, teeth, and claws is charging at you... You want every shot to do as much work as possible, and the 45-70 is going to be more effective on a big bear.

 

That's a tough one. I like and own both calibers. You can't go wrong with either one. But when it comes to bear the 45-70 hands down is the best caliber.

 

I love 30-30 but if you're looking at bears, might as well go bigger.

 

45-70 Gov all day. Favorite gun I’ve ever owned, unless you have a bad shoulder

 

Couldn’t resist. 45-70

 

30-30 is one of the more popular black bear rounds in NC where running hounds and close shots are the norm. It would do fine for black bears. 45-70 would be fine too, but it does kick on both ends. .44 magnum would be an excellent choice for what you’re talking about as well. In a Marlin lever gun that is

 

45-70 no question. But if a handgun is possible also, like the 10mm round. Always practice using the round you will carry. 2/3/4 shots matter.

 

.32 winchester special!

Hard to find rounds so I started reloading. Hand me down model 94 from my grandpa. Wish it was 30-30 for availability, but now that I reload I like the uniqueness.

My favorite gun!

 

I vote .375 h&h. It'll knock down just about anything. But for big bears a Ruger redhawk alaskan in .454 casull in a leather chest holster is the best bet.

 

45-70 is what you want.

 

45-70 all day. I have both but I grab the 45-70 most days I hunt.

 

i would pick neither.
given the choice i would take a 12 gauge shotgun and a can of spray to protect against a bear and would revisit which rifle to buy when you're actually going to hunt with it.
guns that end up not having a purpose just end up collecting dust or getting sold at a loss.

 

I carry 12 ga defender pump with 3” Teflon hollow points. Also 00 buck. Being really familiar
and having used this thing with lots of practice. I like pumps. I also recently got a
lever .22 for squirrels and rat hunting at night. Up north last fall I had my 12 ga in
the moose camp. Everyone showed up with Marlin 45-70 as camp guns. I have to say
I was impressed with them. Easy to carry, load.
Really fast sight lines. I just bought a new Sako, but the Marlin 45-70 is close behind now.

 

Marlins are nice. My Henry sidegate seems to be smoother and more fun to shoot.

 

Get the Henry 45 70 x model.



https://youtu.be/fsbnVSflIXQ

 

Great info in here guys, thank you. Also looking at a lever in those cals, maybe 44 Mag too

 

I guess you are all aware of the problems with Remington Arms. Their bankruptcy also messed up Marlin as well.
But Ruger has absorbed Marlin and will either keep the name or hyphenate the name.
Sadly bummed as I have done a lot of research and was basically ready to get the Marlin Trapper 45-70.
I have a Henry Mares Legg .22 it's okay, but not overly impressed with quality.

 

That's a .22cal. The 45-70 build quality is much better.

 

Guide gun? Have the same one as well as the blued regular wood stock flavor as well.

 

Also , being kicked by a mule ain't near as bad as getting chewed on!!!! Another point is carrying a rifle for protection is ok for the guide , he's there for that, but for just you the 454 casull if you can handle it , it's huge, or the 10mm is great for alot of big rounds, close up encounter, remember chances are you will be running away , and a rifle is no fun to keep cocking, or shooting backwards, a revolver or semi auto , chances are you won't drop it or it gets knocked out of your hand , and you have quick rounds to fire. Unless you are the ROCK and can stand face to face to 1000lbs plus growling, and snarling, go with the revolver or semi auto.

 

Hence the reason I carry a 10mm while out in the woods or dirt biking.

 

Last time I ran across a bear he was under our deck last fall. He is more than 200 pounds. I hollered at him and he left. There aren't any brown bears (grizzly) in Colorado. On another note the 30-30 is a crappy round. I would pick the 45-70 over a 30-30 any day. Just on principle it would be the 45-70 for me.

 

I've a special place in my heart for dad's old Marlin lever action .30-30, but if you've ever seen a male grizzly you'll know that more power is cheap insurance.

.45-70 isn't the fastest round, but the bullet is huge (300 to over 400 grains). It has a ton of knock-down power. It will stop anything you stumble into in North America.

 

The odds of a black bear attacking you are zero. Or so close to zero its zero. Most people cant shoot and wont take the time or expense to really learn to shoot. Watch the scene in Revenent where the bear jumps on DiCaprio. That’s the time you have to make a kill shot and actually kill the bear before it crushes you. But thats a grizz and there aren’t grizzlies in CO. There are cougars and meth addicts tho. Highly recommend a Glock 20 10mm for a woods gun. And a big can of pepper spray. You will have WAY more opportunities to spray a critter or dirt ball than shoot them.

 

Have had a Marlin 35 336 since I was 15, 59 now. Killed 1st deer that fall of 1977. Still have that rifle but lately have become smitten with the Winchester 94 30-30. Traded a nice Ruger m77 in 270 for a sweet 1971 Model 94. Opening day is next weekend and going back old school iron sights with the 30-30..