Daryl, I never meant to disparage your posts, but rather, to support them. You are right to direct everyone to the books. They prove the point well enough as you note.

As you say, if 400/1800 can be reached with modern powders and 20,000 psi, the Baikal is "enough gun" for all North American game. And if the Baikal is proofed to higher pressures with the .30-06 {or other calibers} then the question is, is the action the same, and if so...

There seems to be some dispute about that in other threads on this Forum. I really have no idea what pressures the Baikal in .45-70 can handle.

As for which to pick, .30-06 or .45-70, something came to me while sitting my stand UN-successfully deer hunting.

The 100 yard accuracy potential of some of these guns {by report, not by my experience since I don't have any} seems to indicate, frankly, that the guns are best used at 150 yards or less...regardless of caliber, the accuracy being the limiting factor for big game.

In light of that, I'd take the .45-70 any day over the option, the .30-06, in the Baikal. Meaning, IF I'm limited to 150 yard shots due to the accuracy of the guns, the .45-70 would get my nod every time.

So one extra question would be; How accurate ARE the guns???

Anybody worked up loads for .30-06 and .45-70??