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GunCritic

.38-55 Winchester VS .45-70 Government

Head to Head Comparison

.38-55 Winchester

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.45-70 Government

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MSRP:

$19.07

Used Price:

$19.07

New Price:

$21.19

MSRP:

$38.24

Used Price:

$38.24

New Price:

$42.49

Gun Specifications

Specifications

.38-55 Winchester

.45-70 Government

Height

2.09

2.11

Average FPS

1320

1680

Average Grain

255

363

Average Energy

986

2274

Recoil

1.51

2.43

Ballistic Coefficient

355.00

265.60

Gun Stats

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.38-55 Winchester

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.45-70 Government

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Gun Descriptions

.38-55 Winchester

The.38-55 Winchester cartridge was originally known as the.38-55 Ballard, and it was employed by Marlin Firearms for single-shot target rifles and their 1893 lever-action rifle from 1875 to 1893. Winchester employed the round in numerous rifles until around 1940, and it has subsequently been utilized in a few commemorative versions of firearms. The 38-55 Winchester is what you would call a medium bore cartridge that kicks even harder than small-bore cartridges and makes it the perfect match for any big game animal, especially when hunting in relatively short range. When compared to 200 grain and 220 grain.35 Remington bullets, the.38-55 Winchester cartridge offers a substantial advantage in both bullet cross-sectional area and sectional density. When shot in rifles weighing eight pounds or less, the cartridge kicks less than 15 ft. lbs. Remember that 375 Winchester factory ammunition is loaded to a far greater pressure than.38-55 Winchester factory ammo and should never be shot in a weapon chambered for that caliber. With a 255-grain bullet, the.38-initial 55's black powder loading was rated at slightly over 1,300 fps, but subsequent smokeless powder ammunition produced by Winchester, Remington, and Peters improved velocity to over 1,700 fps. The updated version of the cartridge was created with increased pressures and was intended to be used only in current rifles. At modest ranges, the.38-55 is employed to hunt black bears and deer, as well as in cowboy action shooting side matches. Overall, the 38-55 Winchester is an excellent hunting caliber; but, because the trajectory is far from flat, you may want to aim for approximately two inches high at 100 yards and dead-on somewhere about 130 or 140 yards.

.45-70 Government

About The .45-70 Government Ammo was designed and developed in 1873. The cartridge was created to replace the stopgap .50-70 Government Ammo. The .45-70 Government Ammo has the minimum accuracy of 4-inch drop at 100 yards, but the slow and heavy bullet in longer ranges would have a rainbow trajectory. Still, skilled shooters can easily hit targets with ease using the .45-70 Government Ammo. This cartridge was even used in several Gatling gun models, especially on US Navy warships in the 1880s and 1890s. The .45-70 Government Ammo is s super hit amongst the sportsmen, and that's the main reason this bullet is still alive today. The overall length of the .45-70 Government Ammo is 53.5mm, while the bullet diameter measures 11.6mm. One variant of the .45-70 Government Ammo is loaded with 300-grain that can travel at a velocity of 2,275 feet per second and produce an energy level of 3,449 ft.lbf.  Manufacturer To fill out the gap left by the 50.70 Government Ammo, the US Army's Springfield Armory designed and developed the .45-70 Government Ammo. Uses The traditional 405-grain variant of the .45-70 Government ammo can take down any North American big game species within its effective range. Thanks to its low velocity, the .45-70 Government Ammo doesn't destroy the edible meat on the delicate game like deer. The .45-70 Government Ammo holds the potential of taking down the big five African game in the range of 1,000 yards. 

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