I’m on my 3rd 45-70, a Marlin GSBL. It’s the stainless SBL but with a very tough FNC matte black coating and the laminate has a drab, speckled green paint job.
I chose this over the SBL because it’s more discrete and, with a change of wood, would look more traditional while still being corrosion resistant.
Until recently I'd been loading a cast 460gr bullet I call Mjöllnir, which seemed a bit OTT for UK deer. I'm now loading 300gr Jacketed hollow-point and, unsurprisingly, it kills deer (and Fox) emphatically and without excessive meat damage.
Recoil is rather subjective- I enjoy shooting this gun but some find it kicky. My 12yr old has fired it on two occasions, at his request, until I decided he’d probably get a flinch if I let him shoot more! I don’t think he enjoyed the full house load, seevideo below.
I use a scope that was a real surprise to me: cheap Hawke Endurance LER (long eye relief) 2-7x32 with their 30-30 illuminated reticle. This scope is light and strong and I find the reticle ideal. It's designed for magnum rifles/slug and has held up to recoil OK so far. Click values are, however, way off!
The GSBL comes fitted with Williams fibre-optic "iron" sights which are OK for close range/quick-aim but the design and short sight radius aren't great for accuracy at “longer” range.
Accordingly, I have a NECG (New England Custom Gun) peep on the receiver. The scope is in qd mount so it could be ditched easily. Irons "zeroed" at 100yds.
The GSBL is pricey in the UK, the SBL only slightly less so. You get a lot of gun for less if you choose one of the non-stainless options.
As with all new Marlins (JM or Remlin) I fettled the internals, though they were actually already good, and fitted a trigger happy kit I pinched from another Marlin.
I have no regrets at all, by the way, great rifle for my purposes.
Some pics
Pre-peep site:
Reticle not shown too well in this pic:
Good enough for government work (100m)
My lad shoots the GSBL 45-70 at the end of this clip, after the Marlin Cowboy 45Colt (v light loads) :