If you want an everything Cowboy rifle then the 1895cbc 45-70 is your only choice in that group.
Only my opinion.
Mild to Wild.
Been said many times in these forums.
'A 405 grain bullet with a MV of 1300 fps well go thru and thru most anything on the continent'
It's also the best looking one.

 

Marlin Rifles and Carbines

I have both a 45/70 (Limited III) and a 357 Cowboy. With bad shoulders, I'd go with a lighter calibre than the 45/70 even though I enjoy mine immensly. No use hurting yourself and become discouraged with shooting your rifle. Unless you plan to hunt fairly large game, a 45/70 is not needed to shoot targets, steel or rocks of oportunity. I also have a Marlin CL in 32/20 that is about as much fun as a guy should be allowed to have. Great little carbine for shooting out in the desert or forest.

I'd love to have an 1895 Cowboy in 38/55. That might be the ideal compromise given your shoulder.

I might add that I reload for all three with cast bullets and I enjoy less than 2 MOA accuracy with all three Marlins, although they are equipped with Lyman aperture sights and blade front sights for a military sight picture.

 

With your shoulder being touchy I would recommend you try and shoot a 45-70 light load and see if you can handle it before purchasing a rifle.

 

with bad shoulders, might want to find one in 357, you can deer hunt with it, ammo is cheap and everywhere and recoil is minimal

 

38-55

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A 45-70 can be loaded very to a very mild velocity with just about any weight bullet. Recoil is minimal and it will absolutely do the job. Also the longer octagon barrel adds to the weight of the rifle further reducing felt recoil.

I have both an 1895 in 45-70 and an 1894 in 44 mag. The 45-70 is definitely more comfortable to shoot than the 44 mag, as long as I keep the loads to about 1200-1300 fps, even with 405gr bullets.

So, unless you plan to shoot 44 special rounds in your 1894, go with the 45-70. If you reload.

On the top end, a 45-70 can be loaded to within 150 fps of a .457 Win Mag. But the recoil is ferocious. That's why we say, "mild to wild".

 

I would go with a CB in .45 Colt. Recoil is mild and that round has taken most game on this continent. AND you can load it up to .44 Mag specs if you want for that time you go hunting. Or you can load it a bit hotter but mild enough for your needs.
OR just find one in ,38/.357. Plink with the .38 and hunt with the .357. It kills just about anything out of a rifle barrel.

 

Good to hear you reload.

A 300 to 350 gr bullet over TrailBoss will push somewhere between a 410 and 20 ga shotgun. Not a hunting load. However, just remember, there were many animals taken with this cartridge when it was loaded with black powder. If you keep the velocity in the original BP range, like Ojaileveraction suggested, you should be fine. I think you will like the 26" barrel of the CB. It also adds a little more weight which will also help recoil.

 

Just an FYI---I have both Cowboy Marlins---1895 CB in 45-70 and 1894 CB in 45 LC. First of all they come with 24in Octagonal barrels that are heavier and they are straight grip with a non cushion butt plate. The recoil on the 45-70 using a factory Win 300 grn jacketed soft point is a little stiff. It doesn't bother me but I don't have a bad shoulder. Some of my friends won't shoot my 1895 because of the recoil. The 1894 in 45LC is real nice. For some reason the recoil seems worst on a straight grip stock than on a pistol grip. All the cowboy rifles are really nice and you cannot go wrong with any that you decide to go with.

 

Of course the 1895 CBA, 45-70, 18.5 inch Octagon barrel is a lot of fun using plated 350 gr cowboy loads. Don't think there is a lb difference between the two.

 

Since I have shot them all, the two that please me the most are the 44/40 and the .357. I also love my 44 and 45. I traded off the 45/70 because I inherited a Marlin S 45/70 from my Father. I am not a fan of the 45/70 bang for the buck. Your mileage may vary.

 

"... blackbear . . . "

45-70.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/100190084?pid=860270

Mild ... yet kill anything on this Continent.
(vastly underrated cartridge even at BP levels)

 

I have the cb 45-70. I love it. However, even the mildest load I shoot (385gr 1200fps) thumps my shoulder.
I have the cb 45colt. I consider it more a big bore plinker. Lots of fun.
I also have a couple 1893s in 38-55 and 30-30.
38-55 is my go to.

 

Finally got a chance to shoot a 45-70, even with light loads it still hurt my shoulders, so now I'm looking at the 45 colt and 44 mag in the cb model.

 

You might want to check hunting regs before you venture "Out West" with you new rifle. I've lived in Wyoming for the last 34 plus years and the wording has changed some since I arrived, and I haven't bothered to keep up with it as I only carry a 45 Colt or a 41mag or a 401powermag for the big game season, to accompany whatever rifle I decided to pack. In 1986, a 357mag was NOT legal to hunt big game. I gave my 357 to the Ex in the divorce and stopped wondering about it. At some point they changed the wording and I couldn't say what they require now. BUT, if I were still back East and knew I might West, I'd want to know that my new guns were up to the legal task.

From your posts, sounds like you are looking at factory ammo. That being said, shooting light loads will not be an option to you in the big calibers. That option is only available to handloaders. The 357 makes a great rabbit gun and will work on a badger or coyote, should you chance on one. Probably would drop a wolf with a good shot. They are considered predators where I live and you can shoot on site without a permit, like a coyote or jack rabbit. When I use a light caliber rifle, I carry a heavy caliber revolver and vice versa. All bases get covered.

 

I think you need 2 rifles. A .357 CB and a .45-70 CB. That way you have all your bases covered. We can always use another Marlin.
Have a great day.
Jim

 

I would go with the 44 Magnum. Load 200 gr cast at 44-40 speeds for practice. Full 240 gr loads for hunting.

I have a 24" 44 Magnum Cowboy.

 

My well used Rossi 92 44 mag. one move of the sight elevator, 44.40 lead to 240 XTP 44 mag.

 

I recommend you buy the 45LC and a Vaquero to match.

 

I have a Cowboy II, 24", in .45LC. It's a sweet shooter, with very low recoil, even without using the cowboy loads. My 120 lb. daughters shot it last week, and had no complaints.

 

I really like my Cowboy in 45LC with a 24" barrel. I don't hunt with it, just plink. It just seems to know where I want the bullet to go.

-Bob

 

CB=cowboy, for straight grip,long barrel.

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also, the CB series have octagon barrels.

 

I messed up my shoulder and had to have surgery a few years ago; I just couldn't handle my 45/70 after that. I was lucky enough to pick up a 38/55 CB and have been really happy with how nice it is to shoot even with hotter loads. Check out Gunbroker - they have used rifles showing up and I'm sure the more experienced guys here could tell you where to get a rifle converted to 38/55. It's a great cartridge - good luck!

 

My vote would be for .44 Magnum or .357 Magnum loaded to 'not so hot' levels.
Even hot .357 Magnums aren't that bad on my 'recoil scale', but a hot .44 Magnum can kick a bit.