First off the 45-70 is not a stopping cartridge in real terms! Haveing said that, I have a 1895 Marlin ( an old one before MICRO GROUVE) that I had made up as a "TRAPPER" rifle with a 16.5" barrel, and full length magazine tube. I use this rifle slung on my shoulder while fishing in Alaska. It was built because I consider a rifle a much better choice for bear defence than a hand gun, habitually carried for that purpose by most Alaska fishermen, and hikers! I do carry a hand gun as well, but if both the trapper 45-70, and the hand gun are close, the rifle will get the nod everytime!

I also have a Ruger No1 45-70, that I use "HOT" loads in, and that is the asmmo I load the Marlin with when fishing. That load is a 405 Woodliegh, in front of 58.0 grs of IMR3031, for just over 2000 fps. This is a hot load, near max,(60.0 grs is max in a Ruger No1) and I wouldn't feed a marlin a steady diet of this load, but for the two or three shots needed to stop a large Brown bear, it is an insurance policy, but be advized,it requires a GOOD recoil pad in that Marlin!