I like big bores. Some men dream of large mamalries, I lust for rifle calibers from the 35's on up, not that I have anything against 36D's mind you!
The 45/70 has long been a pet since I used an old trapdoor to shoot rats in a dump when I was a kid, even as scarce as bullets were then. But I've got a short, light 45/70 in my old Handi, and while I wish I had bought that '86 Lightweight when I had a chance, I want something different.
Soooo, while I have long kicked around the idea of another 40 something rifle, I could never settle on anything so I never took the first step. And the fact that I doubt that I will ever hunt DG in the future took away the sense of urgency from my quest.
If I had my druthers I'd opt for a classic English double in 470 Nitro, like an H&H!
But I'm to old to go through a divorce...
I removed the Kodiak double from my list, but a Ruger #1 in 450/400 is still a possibility. I've looked at Gibbs, SMLE conversions, Siamese Mauser conversions and Sharps reproductions, but decided against those for one reason or another.
I almost just went and bought a 458 Win Mag figuring I could load it down for hunting. But they are all HEAVY!
Even if I just sit in a deer stand with one.
But, hanging around here and reading stuff from Tim and now Tyke, I've gained a new appreciation for the all-American 45's! However, the "I'm going to take you out and whip your butt" discussion comparing the 45/70 and 375 H&H for use in Africa convinced me that the 45/70 is suited only as an enraged chipmonk stopper and I would suffer the disdain of every PH in Africa if I ever did show up with one!
Then I ask Tim an innocent question concerning the similarity between the 45/120 and the optimal DG cartridge, the 450 Nitro Express. He refers me to a web site and BAM!!
I'm dreaming again.
Not long thereafter Long Tom comes along and forces me to buy his BC barrel!
But that's not a bad thing, considering that I'm now a practiced and - dare I say - accomplished Handi barrel fitter. But now I'm kicking myself for not buying one of those receivers that have been in the classifieds, but maybe I'll just fit the barrel to my current 45/70 frame. But I've also got to get new wood and don't like any of the stuff available so I'll probably have to carve my own and I want to keep my little 45/70 light and handy. Then there is the matter of sights and I think those long brass tubes look really good but the gun needs irons just to look right. 'course that BC barrel is REALLY long and I've been thinking 30 inches would look pretty good, or 32... or 34.
'bout that time I realized the barrel is STILL a 45/70! So, I've decided the first thing to do is a rechambering to one of the 45/? Nitro Express cartridges. But now I can't decide which one! The 45/90 is only .1 inch shorter then the 458 WM and the brass is almost as cheap as 45/70. The 45/100 is .1 inch longer then the 458 WM and the 45/110 is almost the same length as the 458 Lott! And NOBODY calls that round underpowered! To me, the 45/120 is just to much of a good thing, looks wise anyway.
Sooo, rather then a 45/90, I'd just stay with the 45/70, that leaves the 45/100 or the 45/110. Brass on either one is kinda spendy with the lower price edge going to the smaller case. The 100 also seems a little bit more available. I guess my decision is driven by 2 things: the loaded round must be noticeably longer then the 45/70, and I must be able to turn a minimum of 2100 fps with a 500 gr jacketed bullet while keeping the pressures reasonable.
Y'all give me some help! What would you do if you were me!?
