Yes Harry, I'd much rather have the 45-70. Or the new fangled 308 Marlin even. Problem is of course the politicians are keeping the citizens safe from crazed hunters by limiting the case length to 1.625. Brand new law, and I just hoped to make it better than slugs. 460 s&w is too long, 454 is short enough but pressure is in question, and the 500 s&w case tops out at exactly (coincidence?) 1.625.
Besides, a rifle is a whole lot more satisfying to me than a slug gun, no matter how accurate they get they're still shotguns. If it looks like a bit of history, so much the better. If I could twist a new barrel on, a bigger magazine tube and get the boltface to fit, it would be fun (assuming it was safe). Maybe I'm the first to have this idea. If so, I should have patented it
Mike