I have all three and my only interest in the rifles are for hog and deer hunting. As a reloader, I consider the 44 Mag and 45 Colt equals. I shoot a 275 or 300-grain bullet in the 44 Mag and a 290-grain bullet in the 45 Colt and consider either of them to be a 150-yard deer rifle although I've shot them both at game out to 200-yards. Both have the Weaver K4 Classic Scout Scope. I use Lil'Gun in both and work with velocities 1750 to 1775 FPS and pressures at 35K PSI.GRV01 wrote:So so far most people vouch for 44mag, one for 45LC, none for 45-70. Id like to hear from more people who have both (or all three!) to see which gives most versatility
The one thing they are not are equals with the 45-70 Govt. I shoot the Rio Grande with 310, 360, and 435-grain bullets. Even with the heavy bullet, I considered it a solid 200-yard deer rifle. I took it on a mule deer hunt this past season, no luck, but I was practiced and was prepared to shoot out to 300-yards with it. Powder; plenty of rifle powders to choose from and it will do well with just about anything. I shoot the Rio Grande at 35K PSI and see velocities at 2100 FPS for the 310-grain bullet, 1900 for the 360, and 1700 for the 435.