.30-06 vs .45-70 Poll

[roy reali]

There is a deer exactly one hundred yards from where you are standing. There isn't anythin to block your shot, not a tree, a rock, or a blade of grass. However, if the deer moves a few yards in any direction he is gone. In other words, you will have to make a quick shot.

This deer is the largest one you have ever seen. If you take it, you might even make the cover of Field and Stream. You have the choice of two rifles to make this once in a lifetime shot, one is chambered in .30-06 and the other in .45-70. Both guns are sighted in dead-on for one hundred yards. Both guns are equally accurate, each is MOA capable.

Which rifle would you use?

Why?

[mete]

I have one of each and they both are 1 MOA or better .Both have 1x4 scopes and fit me well. Big deer at 100yds ? Both are very capable ,I'd toss a coin !!

[PawPaw]

Under that scenario, it matters not. Any reasonable caliber will take a whitetail at those ranges.

I've got both calibers and am apt to carry either of them, depending on the conditions I expect to encounter. I've got my rifles set up differently. The .30-06 carries a scope and the .45-70 wears a peep sight. The .45-70 is quicker on the target, but only by milliseconds. They're both capable of a whole lot better than minute-of-deer.

The question becomes if I am capable of putting the shot into the heart-lung region. That's always the question.

[Kreyzhorse]

What does it matter? In this case, both rifles are equally capable of making this shot cleanly so it really is a toss up and it goes back to the shooter making the shot. The rifle and cartridge are a zero factor in this case.

If you really want some discussion, the question should be re-stated in that the deer was at 100 yards and both rifles were zero'd at 200 yards. That might actually allow some room for discussion due to the ballastic differences between the cartridges.

[mavracer]

silly question as either is a more than capable round IMHO a 30/30 or 35 rem. is enough for your scenario so both 30/06 and 45/70 by extention are overkill.

[taylorce1]

I voted .30-06 only because where I hunt it is a more versatile cartridge for me to use. Both are completly up to the task that you are asking it to do. The .45-70 does have a high cool factor about it though.

[PawPaw]

Originally Posted by Kreyzhorse

If you really want some discussion, the question should be re-stated in that the deer was at 100 yards and both rifles were zero'd at 200 yards. That might actually allow some room for discussion due to the ballastic differences between the cartridges.

That is an interesting question, because the ballistics of the individual round come into play.

If we assume that the kill area of a whitetail deer is approximately 9" in diameter, then with a 200 yard zero, you have to take into account the mid-range ballistics of the bullet.

Using on-line resources, we learn that the Remington 300 grain express load moves that bullet at 1810 fps. I ran the numbers through my ballistics calculator and found that with a 200 yard zero, the bullet would be 6.98 inches high at 100 yards. Well within the kill zone, yet the rifleman would have to hold just a little low to keep the bullet in that 9" circle. That bullet would be carrying 1500 fpe, which is plenty for the game at hand.

The 30-06, on the other hand, using Remington numbers, would be within 3" of its sighting point from 100 to 250 yards, which gives plenty of fudge-factor for sighting errors or ranging errors.

Of course, all this is academic. It's the rifleman that matter, not the caliber he's carrying.

[Hog Buster]

I need more information. Is Venus aligned with Mars? What direction is the wind from? What time of day is it. Is it during the rut, or not? What brand of ammo is being used? Is it a leap year? East or west coast? Am I wearing camouflage or a red satin dress and sling backed pumps (open toed)? Are the bullets cup & core or bonded? A few pictures would help.........

[Kreyzhorse]

Am I wearing camouflage or a red satin dress and sling backed pumps (open toed)?

The most disturbing part of this post is that you actually seem to know what sling backed open toed pumps are!

[Brian Pfleuger]

Neither would be my preference, either is fully capable.

That deer would be equally dead with any of probably 200 cartridge choices.

[GAR700]

30-06 if I had to choose one. Only because I am more comfortable and familiar with it. 45-70 would work too.
GAR

[huntinaz]

Whichever one was handier.

[myshoulderissore]

I would go with the 45-70, just because hunting is really "shooting with a purpose", and I think the 45-70 is a fun round to shoot. On top of the round itself being fun, lever guns are just cool, and I have never seen the 45-70 (personally) in any other type of gun. Deer would be a goner with either round placed correctly, so why not have some fun while out there?

[BIG P]

The 45-70 just cause I dont have one and never used one

[BILLtheDJguy]

I choose the .30-06, simply because the Govt. is in enough of my rights and we all know what follows .45-70...

[Art Eatman]

I hate to tell ya, but this sort of question is for junior high, or maybe even elementary school.

It's certainly not worth an adult's time, and I resent even having to deal with it.