What will a 45-70 do that my .348 won't on a moose hunt?

[pharmseller]

My brother wants to go on a moose hunt in the worst way. We're talking about it for next year.
My question is, will a bull know the difference between my Browning 71 and a 45-70?
Open sights, 100 yards or less.
I have plenty of factory 200 grain Silvertip cartridges and a 50-count box of 250 grain Barnes bullets that I could load myself.
Input?

P

[Hobie]

The 250s are probably better constructed for moose but the short answer is NO, it won't know the difference.

[TedH]

I'd say either one will do what you ask without any trouble. In spite of their large size, moose are not hard to put down. After all they have fallen to the "lowly" 30-30 for many years. IMO, it just comes down to personal preference in your case.

[SFRanger7GP]

That moose will never know the difference. Enjoy your hunt with your Browning. I am a huge 45-70 fan. I have had several .348's and still have one (that I want to sell or trade). Even though I am not a fan of it, I would not hesitate to use a .348 on anything I would use a 45-70 on.

[jnyork]

Nope, never know the difference. Nothing like the well-placed shot, if you make a California head shot with either, it's still a California head shot.

[PaperPatch]

A .348 will do the job nicely!

The charming touch of the 45-70 though, will render everything...

More
Deader!!!

[Don McDowell]

The 348 can't handle a 500 gr bullet and 70 grs of 2f blackpowder

[hfcable]

the moose may know the difference and though it will certainly die just the same it will be offended and scoff at you!

so there you .348 people!

[Sixgun]

the moose may know the difference and though it will certainly die just the same it will be offended and scoff at you!

so there you .348 people!

Ha! Me too. I've shot animals and have seen animals shot with both cartridges. I've never seen either fail but those 400 grain cast bullets do cause some damage--immediate damage.

At those ranges, if I had to choose between the two, I would choose the 45-70 with cast bullets going 1700 or above. There's just something about the heavy cast bullets that always gives me confidence.

I believe there was this old timer who swore by this thinking due to his vast experience. Some guy named Elmer Keith -----Sixgun

[kimwcook]

The only difference I know of is the approximately half inch hole the 45 starts out with. The moose won't know any difference.

[stretch]

45-70 will make a bigger hole, all other things being equal.

So, you'll have a dead moose with a bigger hole in it
with the 45-70........



-Stretch

[Rimfire McNutjob]

+1 on the 250 grainers for the Moose.

I recall one of our Canadian members telling me that "nothing ruins a moose hunt more than actually killing one". I'm sure the hunt will be exciting and fruitful and packing it out will be dreadful. Good hunting to you.

[hfcable]

+1 on the 250 grainers for the Moose.

I recall one of our Canadian members telling me that "nothing ruins a moose hunt more than actually killing one". I'm sure the hunt will be exciting and fruitful and packing it out will be dreadful. Good hunting to you.

the last moose i packed out was dreadful indeed......starting about 3 pm one afternoon, and finishing the next evening with the antlers about 630 pm

[kimwcook]

Moose are awful big critters.

[Blaine]

IF I was going moose (and I do not have a .348) I would load up some Nosler Partitions 300 grain .458s to about 2000fps. Or better still, some Garrett 420 +P. I'm sure the .348 is good, but the 45-70 is just way more so for the same reasons....

[hfcable]

IF I was going moose (and I do not have a .348) I would load up some Nosler Partitions 300 grain .458s to about 2000fps. Or better still, some Garrett 420 +P. I'm sure the .348 is good, but the 45-70 is just way more so for the same reasons....

i like the speer 350 gr flat nose at approx 2100 fps....i have it sighted in to be right on at 200 yds.... and it will flatten most anything..
last thing i shot with 45/70 was caribou with 400 gr moly coated lead at approx 2000 fps and it just fell over ....after a couple of seconds standing there.

[BigSky56]

a 348 will knock em in the dirt, dont shoot them thru the shoulders thats a waste of meat. danny

[Griff]

Really, the only thing you need to remember is to shoot the moose in the right spot. As close to your p/u as possible!

[OldWin]

I shot a moose with my 71 last year at about 75 yards with Hornady 200gr. FP's. It worked very well but with a broad side shot I could see a huge cloud of mist out the back side. Next time I would try my 86 with a load like Sixgun suggested.

[Don McDowell]

You 45-70 guys really need to look at what made the thing famous in the first place.
I'ld bet there isn't a moose on the planet that could contain a 405 gr 20-1 lead bullet at 13-1400 fps much less the lowly ol 500 gr at 12-1300, especially on a broadside hit.
Bill Bagwell just got back from an African plains game hunt and used the 45-70 loaded with blackpowder and lead bullets exclusively. His ph's were mightly impressed and have told him they would like to put him on a Cape Buffalo with that gun and ammo combo.

[Pete44ru]

[What will a 45-70 do that my .348 won't on a moose hunt?]

A .45-70 MIGHT just allow one to keep hunting, IF ammo were to be misplaced/lost, and the user was able to visit a local ammo seller.

.

[Old Shatterhand]

Both cartridges will work, but 250 grs are better than 200 in the .348W. And both cartridges are tough enough.

Each year more than 100,000 moses are killed here, most of which are bagged with a 6,5x55 156 grs or a .30-06 180 grs. Shot placement is king.

Old Sh.

[tman]

The .348 WCF. will increase your range. Both are more than adequite for moose or all North American. Neither are 500 yard HUNTING cartridges. A reasonable man will do fine with either.

[Idiot]

My question is, will a bull know the difference between my Browning 71 and a 45-70?

Not unless the moose is a member of this board. If he is he will take a stand just the opposite of yours, draw a line in the sand and then argue endlessly about grains and bullet design, exit wound size and shooting angles, beveled locking lugs and bolt thrust, along with the proper powder and the fact that one or the other's related firearm was or was not carried in the first version of True Grit.



Have fun killing the and eating that moose.

[Pathfinder09]

DEAD IS DEAD!

[piller]

Let us know how that .348 worked for you when it is all over. As far as which caliber is best, it is the one you have which you can shoot well and which has enough power and penetration to do the job. If you can't hit with it, it doesn't matter what you shoot.

[Hecter]

I am not a moose hunter but I recently read an old American Rifleman magazine . A person who has killed many moose was writing about his 348 win. and hard cast bullets. The last two moose he killed dropped within 50yds. one had a complete pass through with a 250gr bullet. I would have to say that better results would be hard to find. I shoot both a 348 & 45-70 at various mediums and find excellent penetrations will hard cast bullets. Both are more than up for the job at reasonable ranges.