45-70 vs 12 Ga Slug

[Double Naught Spy]

Shotguns tend to weigh less and have worse ergonomics shooting heavy loads.

Off a bench, the shotgun will clear your sinuses. They can be brutal to sight in with slugs.

I saw a buddy of mine break a bone in his cheek sighting in a 12 ga with slugs off the bench.

For short range shooting, inside 75 yards, the 12 ga. slug is superior in many ways. Regardless of distance, recoil is not a way in which the 12 ga. is superior. I enjoy shooting my .45-70, even off the bench.

For comparison. I can get through 3-5 slugs off the bench before my time with the 12 ga is done, but I have put over 100 down range from the shoulder before lunch time and not been in as much pain that day or the following day than with shooting off the bench.

With a .45-70, 40 rounds off the bench is about it for me and the only thing limiting shoulder firing is finances.

I like hunting with my .45-70. I get less and better controlled recoil from a lighter gun than my 12 ga shotgun.

Oh, my guns are a Marlin 1995 at about 7.5 lbs. and a Rem 870 at a bit over 8 lbs with a light and sidesaddle.

 

[Maverick223]

They weigh more, the action soaks up a good portion of the recoil and the .308Win. is a good 100-200fps (depending upon the weight of projectile) slower...all of that contributes to lesser recoil. Keep in mind that you can always handload the '06 to mimic .308Win. performance (with an indiscernible increase in recoil), the opposite condition doesn't hold true.

 

[TonyAngel]

I'm a small guy at 5'2" and 155-160lbs. Personally, I find shooting slugs out of an 870 brutal.

At the range where I shoot, I've sort of befriended the owner and guys that work there. As a part of the services that they offer, the zero rifles and they get a flood of guys with crack actions every year, just before the season opens. Anyway, since I'm a better than average shot (little self plug there), I've had several opportunities to shoot .45-70s and .444 Marlins and find them to be fun and not at all brutal. The only thing I HATE is when a guy doesn't have his head on straight and puts a scope on the big bore with only 3" of eye relief. I'll just say that more than 3" of eye relief is better and leave it at that.

If I had to characterize the recoil of the .45-70s that I've shot, I'd have to say that it is sort of like a .45 ACP. The recoil has more of a roll to it than a snap.

 

[Badlander]

45-70 recoil like A .45acp? You have not fired the right ammo!!!

 

[suzukisam]

I think he meant a 45-70 is to rifle what a 45 acp is to pistols.. a 45-70 thumps you, it doesn't crack and sting.. I actually tore the skin on my shoulder with my 45-70 and I had a huge stretch mark but no bruise. however my buddy had a 30-06 mauser and a metal but plate... now that was just miserable.

 

[marksman13]

My Mossberg 835 is just plain painful with 3 1/2 in turkey loads. I broke my nose in high school and I just can't stand to shoot it more than a few times without taking a break. My thumb against my nose makes my eyes tear up after those couple of rounds. I still have the gun only because my wife bought it for me and it because it isn't so bad with 2 3/4 inch shells.

That said, the only gun I ever got rid of because of recoil was a T/C Encore in 45/70. The gun with scope was probably in the weight range you listed. I don't know what the deal was other than stock design but that gun was just unpleasant to shoot. I have shot Marlin Guide Guns and H & R Handi Rifles and H&R Buffalo Classics and none of them were nearly as bad. Take that for what it's worth.

 

[TonyAngel]

Badlander, I guess you missed the analogy. I suppose suzukisam did a better job of articulating what I was trying to say.

I was just looking through my ammo cabinet and found a stack of boxes of reduced recoil slugs. I don't even remember getting them. I'm gonna try them this weekend and see how they do.