458 Socom AR or 45-70 Govt Lever

[loki993]

I'm not trying to have a black rifle vs lever action debate here..that's not what this is..so keep that out of here please.


I love my ARs and Ive been wanting something a...bit....bigger lately...I always come back to the 458 socom...even though the rounds are very expensive, even though its totally impractical. I justs think it's a cool round, here is the thing though for the price of probably what it would cost me to get an upper I could probably get a whole lever gun in 45-70, which is also a really neat round and depending on who you ask the 458 was based on 45-70 ballistics at least somewhat...now obviously the 45-70 can be loaded way above the 458...so advantage off the bat to the 45-70

They are both expensive rounds so I would want to reload either one...they use the same bullets so reloading costs would be similar I suppose.

I dont like hanging a ton of crap on my guns so the extra accessory attachments for the AR is not an advantage....either the AR or the lever can be had with picatinny rails for a scope or red dot mount.

I suppose a short AR in 458 would be somewhat attractive to me but I would want to SBR it and I don't really have the time nor money to be messing with tax stamps right now. Not to mention the flash and noise it would make....an 18.5 inch guide gun is probably plenty short enough for my purposes.

Also putting this out this out there either one of these is a totally impractical endeavor and mostly for fun, but everything I have needs to be reliably for homeland defense purposes, but I don't hunt or anything. Having a good woods defense gun is always nice though just in case so lets say thats what its for...but mostly it's going to be for making a lot of noise at the range hitting steel.


So what else am I missing...why would one want the an AR in 458 over the lever in 45-70..aside from just having an obsession with having a big bore AR.

[jmonarch]

Treat yourself and get both!

[DTruck]

Both is the answer. Levers are cool.
The biggest difference would be capacity - you can put 11 rounds of 458 in a 30 rd PMAG.
Think of how badass you will feel with a clear Lancer mag filled with 458.

[postban]

I'd do a 458 Socom and suppress it with my Hybrid.

Skip to 3:20
Drops a hog around 5:20
[YOUTUBE]hEFpoVVAj5M?t=3m22s[/YOUTUBE]

500gr subsonic and Hybrid
Prefer it if the guy was not hitting steel.
[YOUTUBE]gBtQFxKV9IA[/YOUTUBE]

[JohnS624]

If all you shoot is 5.56, neither choice will be much "fun" to shoot. They both kick pretty good.

[loki993]

I shoot other things too but nothing serious but I think that's part of it, having something that thumps you a bit every now and again and dammit sometimes you just want to hit something really really hard. Plus if I am reloading I can make some softer stuff because either way I'm not paying 40 or 50 bucks a box for ammo.

[dirtmcgirt76239]

Of the listed two I would go 458, it would be more fun at distances, easier to scope.

Lever guns are very fun though, so depends on what you already have, what you like to do.

[Ol` Joe]

I'd do a 458 Socom and suppress it with my Hybrid.
<snip>

He did say he wants to make lots of noise...

QUOTE=loki993;2967262]<snip>

Also putting this out this out there either one of these is a totally impractical endeavor and mostly for fun, but everything I have needs to be reliably for homeland defense purposes, but I don't hunt or anything. Having a good woods defense gun is always nice though just in case so lets say thats what its for...but mostly it's going to be for making a lot of noise at the range hitting steel.


[/QUOTE]

If it were me I'd go with a Sharps or replica in 45/70. Being you're not me I'd suggest the Guide gun just because of ease of finding brass and a wider range of load data that is available.

[loki993]

The noise of hitting steel really hard....not necessarily the rifle.

Ive definitely considered a Sharps over time but they area bit out of my price range. Also If I got one of those I would have to have it in 45-110.

[j-squared]

The noise of hitting steel really hard....not necessarily the rifle.

Ive definitely considered a Sharps over time but they are a bit out of my price range. Also If I got one of those I would have to have it in 45-110.

I have a Shiloh Sharps, and debated the 45-70 vs 45-110. I went with 45-70 because I figured in the end I wouldn't be doing much black powder, and the 45-70's that are loaded to higher pressures with smokeless are plenty powerful. Besides, I believe if you get the 45-70, you can always ream the chamber to 45-110 later if you have a hankering to do so.

To the original question, I garee with some of the earlier answers, get both.