Which would you rather shoot ? Debate/opinions

[86er]

OK so this is presumptuous and ficticious, but ...if you were going to use a rifle or carbine to knock over plates, shoot targets, small game and game up to average whitetail deer, which would you rather have - but more importantly - why?

a 35 caliber 160 grains @ 1800 fps or a 45 caliber 320 grains @ 900 fps (Pick one)



What if you increased the 35 caliber to 180 grains (same vel) and reduced the 45 caliber to 260 grains (same vel)? Any change in preference? (Yes or No)




Make your own combo that you'd favor and say why.



Thank you for playing along ...

[wvfarrier]

The 35 in either weight for the simplicity of trajectory

[Old Savage]

OK, 270 with various 130 grain bullets all around everything. That seems to be the sweet spot to me. Second, for a lighter version a 6mm Rem with 85 gr TSX or the like. Going up to 35 Cal. - a 35 Rem with 200s or 220s. Up a notch the 375 Win with 200s or the various heavier options. 444 Rem in the Win Big Bore and 240s or 265s - cause I have one (not scoped) that is very accurate for me and easy to handle and with the Pachmayr pad extention fits me. Now the heart stirrer - Marlin 1895SS with 300, 325, 350 or 400 gr bullets up and down the load scale to a 350 at 1875. Or the Barnes 250 gr TSX to whatever I can reasonably get it. I tried the 300 and at 1750 impact did not open on a medium deer here on three through the torso.

That is what comes to mind off hand.

Win 25-35 to go with the 45-70. Same feeling on the lighter end.

And many more

[Blaine]

Assuming those are the only choices, the thirty five. But it's too light for calibre. The .45 too much/too slow for the job at hand....I'd love to know the background if this is a levergun, a 30wcf would be my answer. There are few problems that a 170 CorLokt cannot solve, in my low-experience opinion. ...7-30 Waters anyone?

[AJMD429]

I wanna cheat, and pick a 0.375 bullet, 270 grains, at 2775 fps. . . [ 375 Ruger ]

[jnyork]

This is like asking which pickup is best for hauling chickens to market and taking Mom to church on Sunday, Chevrolet, Ford or Dodge.

The anwer is , of course, whichever rifle you can shoot very well is the one you should use. If you shoot two or three or fourteen rifles very well, why, then, alternate using them for the sake of variety.

[Sixgun]

Thats a no-brainer....the 35 caliber in the 180 weight version. A whole lot better ballistic coefficient for penetration, flatter trajectory, less recoil, (thats debatable) less wind drift, and most likely, a more streamlined rifle to do it all in, which leads to more "shootability".

Then again, I'm at work with a half dozen idiots behind me talking and screaming about useless football so it's a little hard to think right now.------------6

[bdhold]

I'll play - even by the rules - .35 for trajectory
I like 180-gr .358 spitzers in my single-shot .357 mag.

[octagon]

The 30-30 with 125 or 150 grain bullets is perfect for everything in Texas. Perfect. In almost 40 years of using them I have never found them lacking. Specifically 125 grain Sierra HP's and 150 grain core lokts.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
Why are you limiting the caliber 45 to 900 fps ? A Colt Peacemaker with BP could near do that velocity. This is an invalid question. Using 3F in a caliber 45 Colt case with a 260 grainer in a 20 inch barreled carbine will produce more than 1100 fps.
So neither. I will take out my caliber 414 Supermag 336 Marlin and launch a 265 grain gascheck bullet at 1965 fps (Crono avg.) and thump something big.
Mike in Peru

[Griff]

I've a penchant for the .45; and, I'm assuming we're limiting range to 100 yards. In which case I'd be looking at 225-230 grain and adding a hundred fps. Has enough hp to knock over steel, punch holes paper and small game. If the 45ACP has enough punch for hogs, it should for deer also... if range is kept reasonable.

[Ben_Rumson]

I'd go for the 35 or should I say a .357 in one of the 92 clones w/160 gr. LBT LFN
Should fill the bill rather handily for all of the shooting you've described... Cheap...Accurate...Negligible recoil... All the reasons they're' so popular

[Old Ironsights]

The .35 choice ( in both scenerios) perfectly describes the .357 1892... which I think is about the perfect "anything but long range/combat rifle.

When I started this game I was debating between .357 and .45 Colt, and the .357 won out for all the reasons mentioned.

But I've never really tried the .45 Colt either...

[Marlin32]

I have no experience with .35's except a 357 Marlin rifle. Shot many deer with it at close ranges, the 180gr federal bullet was very effective and performed flawlessly.

I only use 45colt in revolver. Have not shot deer with it (other than to dispatch one)
I believe I have 320gr? bullets for deer hunting, (that I carry while deer hunting)
but much faster than 900fps. I think the 260's at say 12-1400fps would be good deer load, but maybe a bit much for plinking around.

[AJMD429]

...my caliber 414 Supermag 336 Marlin...

Sometime it would be nice to see a 'Range Report' on that gun. Sounds interesting...!

[BigSky56]

The 357 with 158-160 hardcast would work for your scenario Iam a believer in using full power loads for practice and hunting but carry a few wadcutters for dispatching injured animals Doug Wesson took the S&W 357 on his hunting expedition he used 158 to take grizzly elk Moose and speed goats. The short version of his hunt. danny

Year: 1935

Hunter: Major Douglas

Game & Ranges:

Antelope - 200 yards, 2 shots.

Elk - 130 yards, 1 shot.

Moose - 100 yards, 1 shot.

Grizzly Bear - 135 yards, 1 shot.

Antelope was first hit at 125 yards. It ran & stopped and was shot the second time at 200 yards, The second shot killed it!

Bull Elk was killed with one shot! (through the lungs).

Moose was hit in the chest near the base of the neck, It cut the second rib and passed through both lungs, shearing the 8th rib on the off side and stopped just under the hide. No follow-up shot was needed!

Animals were taken on a Fall hunt, near the West entrance of Yellowstone Park, in Wyoming.
The Grizzly was taken in Canada at a later date.

All game was taken using factory loads, of the day, which were a 158 grain bullet at 1515 fps. from a 8 3/4 inch (not 8-3/8 inch) barreled Smith & Wesson Large frame revolver, that produced 812 ft. lbs of muzzle energy.

[Blaine]

Animals were clearly more fragile before atomic testing.....

[Tycer]

The 35. The 160 will be a flatter trajectory and the 180 will give greater penetration. A WFN for most work, a hollow point for SD and varmints, and a small meplat for small game.

Downloaded Rem 35, downloaded 358 Win/Whelen, 360 Dan Wesson, 357 Mag. At those velocities, a light rifle or long barrel revolver would do the deed.

Yep, the 35.

The 45 would do just fine if you knew your trajectory and distances like you know the back of your hand.

[FWiedner]

I'd go with the .35 cal and heavier bullet.

Mainly because I think it has just a bit more "reach out and touch 'em".

The slow .45 might work at close range just for the .45 wound, but I wouldn't rely on it for a white-tail I couldn't also hit with a rock.

[missionary5155]

...my caliber 414 Supermag 336 Marlin...

Sometime it would be nice to see a 'Range Report' on that gun. Sounds interesting...!

Greetings
Did the bulk of the range reports on CastBoolits. That info may still be there.
I checked and it is still in the Leverguns Forum. Do a search on that Leverguns section. A list will appear and scrole down to the 414 Supermag posts.
Mike

[rjohns94]

I would choose, out of the two, the 35. Versatile and for all the reasons noted above. However I would rather down load a 30 WCF, 32 SPL or 35 Rem to have the upper ballistics these offer as that is where my hunting focuses. For youth, the 357 lever is awesome but I still think they would be well served with the mild 30/30

[Blaine]

Could Joe have possibly transposed Digit and meant 230 grains?

[Grizz]

You're talking 357 mag vs 44 mag. performance, more or less. I'll take the 44 because I've used both and the 44 is mo-better from my minor experience, subsistence in Alaska for a couple decades.

[m.wun]

I usually pick the middle ground. Somewhere between heavy and slow, light and fast is is the real answer. Dont need the Prom Queen, a looker that can cook is were I'm at!

[3leggedturtle]

I would go for the .45 320gr @ 900fps. What I'd rather have: All RNFP; .45 350gr @ 1400fps, .375 250gr @ 1500fps, .35 180gr @ 1500fps or Lyman 311440 150gr at from 900-2000fps for plinking, small game and large game.

[6pt-sika]

Hmmmm ,

First would be a rebarreled Remington 700 in 6.5-06 shooting handloaded Hornady 129 SST's or Berger 130 VLD's at about 3000 FPS .

Second would be a Marlin First model 444 shooting the Ranch Dog 432-265GC going about 2200 FPS .

[6pt-sika]

I'm at work with a half dozen idiots behind me talking and screaming about useless football so it's a little hard to think right now.------------6

The only thing I wanna hear about pro football is that RG3 or Vick got the s...h...i...t knocked oughta them again !