What caliber for Elk and Buff?

[shmavistime]

Im lookin to get a ol' cowboy gun, maybe a sharps sporting rifle. Anyway, which caliber would be good for elk and Buffalo(mostly elk), possibly moose every once in a while.
45-70 Government, 45-90, 50/70, 50/90?

 

[Sharps Shooter]

Any one of them will get the job done if you do your job and get within range. However, of the cartridges you listed, the 45-70 Government is going to be by far the cheapest and easiest to obtain ammunition for. For one thing, factory 45-70 Governemnt ammo is readily available. For another, all of the other cartridges you listed require expensive, obsolete brass.
Welcome to the forum by the way.
S.S.

 

[MCgunner]

50/110 Sharps? Bigger the better in these old calibers.

 

[RyeDaddy]

Another vote for the 45-70.

I chose it because the ammo is readily available, as stated above. Anything you pick in 45-70 is enough to take down elk and buffalo, and there's some pretty stout loads commercially available. I couldn't tell you where you could get 45-90 or either of the 50's, or even brass for them (but I haven't really looked either )

Anyway, there can't be that much a difference ballistically between 45-70 and 45-90 that would justify the added expense, and hassle. If you're really after a .50, I don't have any experience with them, so I'm not gonna offer an opinion, but I stick with the 45-70.