Oct 15, 2025 · The 45-70 and 30-30 are two of the most popular lever-gun cartridges ever made? But which is better? Here's a full breakdown of how they stack up, head-to-head

May 24, 2025 · That makes it a solid pick if you want fast follow-ups or just don’t enjoy getting punched by your gun. The .45-70, on the other hand, hits back—especially with hotter loads. …

Apr 25, 2025 · The .45-70 generates about 30 foot-pounds of recoil energy, whereas the .30-30 generates about 15 foot-pounds. This varies by load, but it’s roughly what you expect.

Oct 15, 2024 · The .45-70, however, offers a massive bullet with up to 35 percent more energy compared to .30-30 Winchester. It makes bigger holes and can better penetrate the bodies of …

The .45-70 Government has a significantly stronger recoil than the .30-30 – about twice as much. The heavy bullets of the .45-70 give it greater energy, but this goes both ways, and knocks …

Feb 23, 2025 · How do the recoil levels compare between the .30-30 and .45-70? The .45-70 generally produces higher recoil compared to the .30-30 due to its larger size and more …

Oct 11, 2024 · The .30-30 Win produces around 14 foot-pounds of felt recoil, and the .45-70 Govt delivers about 30 foot-pounds of felt recoil. If the lever-action you’re running is older, you’re …

On average, the 30-30 has around 14 ft-lbs of recoil energy, whereas the 45-70 imparts around 33 ft-lbs of energy to a shooter’s shoulder. That’s over double!

Dec 12, 2023 · Recoil will vary depending on which ammunition you shoot, but average recoil for the .45-70 hovers around 29 to 30 ft/lbs while the .30-30 typically produces 12 to 14 ft/lbs of …

There’s no question the .45-70 is the better choice for bigger game, but the .30-30 gets the job done on critters like deer, black bear, and feral hogs without nearly as much recoil.