cowboy
The marlin is as good as you can get, I have a 1895 cowboy with a 26in octagon barrel, I love it, It is slow but pwerful. The buffalo hunters used 45/70 and they didnt shoot close up, there has been recorded kills up to 700 yrds, They have shot up to 1200 in competitons, for most part most people will hunt within 300yrds, A person really needs to know their windage and elevation no matter what gun they shoot. Yes the 45/70 drops bad, but if you know your gun , know windage and elevation then dont be scared to shoot long distances. Think about it, the army used them the buffalo hunters, and big game hunters in africa...Why, because it is an effective gun with a hell of a lot of punch. Even military snipers need to know their windage and elevation. So dont be scared to experim,ent with the 45/70, study the ballistics, find a good grain and brand of bullet and practice, I shoot shotguns a lot and everyone said for years a slug was a fifty yrd gun, My dad killed a buck at 120 yrds with a remington 870 , 30 in barrel using a rifled slug. He didnt realize the shot was that far but it was . I have been shooting shotguns all my life and I have never been scared to shoot a deer at a hundred yrds. In fact a slug will not drop at 100 yrd s as they say they will, now people are buying rifled slug guns and scopes and saying they can shoot up to 200 yrds. Its all about knowing your gun and learning to shoot it. As far as the checkering on the marlins, i like it but when I bought mine, i got one without it , I am a traditional shooter and wanted something that looked original, I am searching for a load that i like above all right now nad havent decided whether to use blackpowder or modern, I will buy a handloader this spring and experiment for myself.