I am researching the Marlin .45-70 and would appreciate any opinions that you wise sages have to offer on the barrel length 22" versus 18.5".
Our hunting environment for big game is one which we spend a considerable amount of time in brush and heavy timber, less than 75 yards and sometimes very, very close. However, we do have interspersed parks and meadows, or even just less vegetated terrain where you can be shooting up to 150+. As a bit of a project I'd like to set up a .45-70 with Williams 5D sights and a quick release scope (which I have mentioned in another thread). The intention of this configuration is to use the iron sights and scope interchangeably depending on the hunting conditions.
Now, here's the question I have been wrestling with. Which barrel length would serve better for this purpose? I read somewhere that someone did some range tests and found that the 22" had only about 7-8" of drop at 200 yards whereas the 18.5" was dropping 12+ inches. So in other words, the view of this shooter was the 22" was more effective at longer ranges. Yet, on the other hand, part of the reason for this project is that I want a bush gun and don't want to carry any longer of a barrel than necessary. I'd estimate that I spend 75% of my time in hunting scenarios in the 75 yards or less shooting conditions, but I also want as much versatility as possible with the convenience to reach out and touch something if it is parked across a long meadow just inviting me to shoot at it.
Is the shorter barrel really that big of a difference in trajectory at 150+ yards in your experiences? Also do you think the trade off of having a shorter barrel for a bush gun is worth it?
Would appreciate any opinions, particularly field experiences based on subjective or hard data. If I had the money, I'd buy both and try them for a while, but as our current economic times make this not an option, I need to rely on what others have found in their experiences with this great gun and caliber.
T.I.A.
Our hunting environment for big game is one which we spend a considerable amount of time in brush and heavy timber, less than 75 yards and sometimes very, very close. However, we do have interspersed parks and meadows, or even just less vegetated terrain where you can be shooting up to 150+. As a bit of a project I'd like to set up a .45-70 with Williams 5D sights and a quick release scope (which I have mentioned in another thread). The intention of this configuration is to use the iron sights and scope interchangeably depending on the hunting conditions.
Now, here's the question I have been wrestling with. Which barrel length would serve better for this purpose? I read somewhere that someone did some range tests and found that the 22" had only about 7-8" of drop at 200 yards whereas the 18.5" was dropping 12+ inches. So in other words, the view of this shooter was the 22" was more effective at longer ranges. Yet, on the other hand, part of the reason for this project is that I want a bush gun and don't want to carry any longer of a barrel than necessary. I'd estimate that I spend 75% of my time in hunting scenarios in the 75 yards or less shooting conditions, but I also want as much versatility as possible with the convenience to reach out and touch something if it is parked across a long meadow just inviting me to shoot at it.
Is the shorter barrel really that big of a difference in trajectory at 150+ yards in your experiences? Also do you think the trade off of having a shorter barrel for a bush gun is worth it?
Would appreciate any opinions, particularly field experiences based on subjective or hard data. If I had the money, I'd buy both and try them for a while, but as our current economic times make this not an option, I need to rely on what others have found in their experiences with this great gun and caliber.
T.I.A.
