Thanks fellows.

Yes, Rule, that Marlin was a .45-70. However, the favored rifle of the houndsmen here is the Marlin .444. They like those fast big light bullets that blow up and stay inside the animal. We worked up a load for the .45-70 that does the same thing, a Remington 300 grain JHP at 2100 fps and it is a bomb on bear.

I actually like the longer bullets of the 9.3, personally, as they give me the advantage of shooting thru branches or the bear's forearm for killing shots on treed bear.

I guess having both in the same mob works.

Here's a well-worn .444;

Blooded my most recent knife, too, a stout job I made from a sawbar;

With an older "Standhauer" for clearing brush and field butchering I also made from a sawbar;