Ive shot the 45-70 , but not the 30-30.

Question:
to those that have shot numerous rounds through both,

Choices:
about the same recoil, very similar
45-70 less recoil
30-30 less recoil
45-70 much less
30-30 much less
45-70 punishing 5 rounds max!
30-30 punishing 5 rounds max!
shoot both all day w/o concern

 

I've shot a fair number of rounds through each, though not side by side. There's definitely more recoil with the 45-70, with the loads I shot. Note that loads can vary substantially in power for the 45-70.

According to rifle recoil charts, with common recoil energies in foot-pounds:
30-30 = 10-12 foot pounds
45-70 = 20-35

by comparison to other common rifle rounds:
223 = 2-3 foot pounds
243 = 9-11
308 = 16-18
300WM = 24-26

I've got a fair amount of rounds through my Marlin 336 & have never had any discomfort from it. Never had the opportunity to try a 45-70.

I agree with fritz's figures above, in that I'd put the 30-30 a bit below a 308.

I find the .30-30 a nasty kicker.
The Newtonian Recoil is not great but the light weight and narrow hard buttplate make sure you feel it all.

I would hunt with it or a .45-70 but for BPCR match shooting I went with a .40-65.

I own and shoot both. There's not even a comparison. Shooting comparable loads intended for the same purpose (ie Hornady LeverEvolution out of both), the .45-70 is going to be significantly more abusive. I've never felt discomfort when shooting my .30-30...I couldn't get though a full box of 20 325gr LeverEvolution the first time I took my .45-70 out.

Now like everything, this comes with a couple of caveats. First, shooting off a bench or prone vs standing is going to make a big difference in the amount of recoil your body can handle, because standing will allow your body to roll more with the recoil than a benched or prone position will.

Also, the .45-70 in particular, can be loaded from mild to wild...there's everything out there from mild pop-gun cowboy loads all the way up to stuff that will go all the way through a bear. So it is possible to get loads, even commercially, that will shoot softer out of a .45-70 than a .30-30 hunting load. But all things being equal, the .45-70 is going to have significantly more thump.

If you want to plink endlessly with 45-70, limit yourself to the 300 grain loads. As for 30-30, for me its a matter of stock type. I have a turn of the century 1894 with a crescent steel butt plate that thumps me good. My modern Marlins are quite comfortable in comparison. And my trusty PAST recoil pad for bad thumpers is my friend.

With full power loads, the 30-30 can't hold a candle to the 45-70 in terms of felt recoil.

I've shot 45-70 loads I could shoot all day. And some where 5 is more than enough, so it depends.

I've never found a 30-30 objectionable, no matter the load, or how light the rifle, or it's lack of padded butt plate.

It depends....

When I had my 45-70 I could make a 405 grain bullet beat me all to hell or just feel like a popgun....I reloaded for it and I really didn’t like the leverloution ammo cause it really beats you up. But a 405 grain bullet over 13grains of unique and your kid could shoot it all day.

I loved using real black powder and it was more of a push than a kick in the recoil department.

Shooting factory loads for the 45-70 , I find the recoil very tolerable...similar to a 12 gauge. More of a push than a jab. 18" barrel with recoil pad, no muzzle brake.
I've only shot a 30-30 youth model Marlin ( small and fairly light ) a few times ( with factory loads) and found it to be surprisingly sharp recoil. I didn't like the recoil much at all. Much prefer the 45-70.
That being said , the 45-70 can be reloaded or shot with custom ammo that is quite nasty.

the .30-30 is a brush gun. The .45-70 is field artillery at the higher load levels. Stock shape is really important. Cowboy .45-70 loads are lighter than hot .30-30. Hot .45-70 makes a .30-30 feel like a .410

I have a Uberti High Wall replica in .45-70 that I can reload for noobs and range guests so that they are not that intimidated, say 405gr over 33gr of 4198.

Here's a pal's son shooting this load - he has NEVER fired ANY kind of rifle before in his entire life, BTW -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwTYQzcyics

Or they can have the full-fat version of a 500gr bullet and a compressed BP load of 65gr to get a more full effect.

With the crescent butt-plate, that can be a mite intimidating.

The only .30-30 I've fired is a Savage Model 99, made in 1906, seemed so-so in terms of recoil, but then I shoot a lot of centre fire rifle, and have done for the last sixty+ years, so recoil is pretty much of a meh to me.

the 45-70 that I shot was a new marlin,scoped,
I put 45 rounds through it with out a flinch.

must have been the 300 gr. ammo

If your rifle will handle it, try some Buffalo Bore 405 gr. J.F.N.(2,000fps/M.E.3,597 ft.lbs.)

the rifle I was shooting was A Marlin rep's,

he brought 8 rifles and a pallet stacked three cases deep with ammo , one day, oh and he fed us also.

The rifles make a huge difference.
I have never fired a 45-70, but the one time I remember firing a 30-30 cartridge from a Winchester 94, it was most uncomfortable. The owner also insisted that his skinny teen-aged son fire it as well, and that may have been the last time the young man shot a gun of any type.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj_8sdyrn-s

Absolutely makes my blood boil when I watch POS gun owners give a firearm to somebody ( usually a woman or a youngster)somebody that they seem to actually care about,with the expected out come that the unsuspecting shooter WILL harm themselves when they fire the weapon. They also put everybody surrounding the shooter in harms way when the gun fires, recoils and then becomes out of control as the shooter or surrounding spectators grab for the weapon.
Then they all laugh, funniest thing they ever saw.
How many people have never fired another shot after a negative experience like this?

People who could have become firearm enthusiasts become people who don't care for firearms in the future.

ditto

quote:

Originally posted by armored:
Absolutely makes my blood boil when I watch POS gun owners give a firearm to somebody ( usually a woman or a youngster)somebody that they seem to actually care about,with the expected out come that the unsuspecting shooter WILL harm themselves when they fire the weapon.

Totally agree. I had a "friend" hand me a 7lb New England Firearms single-shot break action with no cheekrest, high scope rings, about a 3lb trigger, and a single stout hunting round in .45-70. He and his friend howled and fell over laughing at me when the inevitable happened, making a spectacle of me at a range full of Fudds sighting in their deer rifles for the season.

I still shoot, but I haven't talked to either of those assholes since.

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