Which rifle do I need? 45-70

[Super Sneaky Steve]

I'm pretty new to black powder metallic cartridges, but I want to get into 45-70. I'm looking for a single shot rifle to shoot exclusively black powder with large heavy cast boolits.

Looking around I see all kinds of rifles like the Trap Door, High Wall, Rolling Block and even modern guns like the Henry and CVA Wolf.

I'd like to use good iron sights and have something easy to clean with the right twist, whatever that is, for 400 - 500gr pills. Longer length barrels seem to make more sense.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[BLAHUT]

What are you going to use this rifle for ?? Longer barrels make for a better sight picture and more accurate. Different actions all have their plusses and minises, Rolling block, OL, need to be spot on, Falling block have some camming action, I shoot a 45/70 roller, 500 gr 3R Lee, with pure lead, 42 grs of blackhorn209 at 1200 FPS for long range, a 45/70, 515 gr, 27 grs 5744 with pure lead in my guide gun, a 45/60 for deer hunting, a CVA wolf for black powder with 500+ gr pure lead or 360 Miny ball, pure lead with 42 grs blackhorn209. All mag primers. Use wads to fill up any air space in cartridge. Could not get black powder when I started so went to blackhorne209 now no need to go back to black powder. All of these are very accurate.....

[Super Sneaky Steve]

Looking to eventually hunt at less than 100 yards. I've all but perfected my black powder making process for my muzzle loaders. I've got lots of large rifle primers but no mag primers. Real BP is easy to ignite so they should work.

[Lead pot]

For hunting the .45-70 will bring down anything you what to hunt here in America.
If you want to stray with a .45 caliber and use this rifle eventually for target and hunting I feel the .45-90 with a 1/17 ROT is a good choice for both hunting and long range match shooting. But the .45-70 using a PP bullet you can load it with the capability of the .45-90 seating the bullet out for more powder capacity.
I have rifles Sharps, Trapdoors, high walls Stevens and a Hepburn. No rollers in a lot of black powder calibers from .38-50 Hepburn to the .50-90 Sharps. I prefer the .38 and .44 calibers for match shooting as well as the .44,s for hunting.
Any of those rifles are good black powder rifles. For hunting alone I would choose the CPA or a roller for the simple reason those two rifles have the ability to cam a round into a fouled chamber. They have a camping action where the Sharps and especially the Hepburn has zero camping action. It you even have a high primer not fully seated you will shave the primer cup or it wont let you close the breach the action is this tight.
For the Sharps it would be a benefit to carry a cartridge seating tool in your pocket incase you need a follow up shot because a fouled chamber and a tight nose riding bullet.

[Brimstone]

The Italian rolling block in 45-70 with grease groove bullets is just peachy. In 45-90 they're tricky, requiring overcocking the hammer to clear the rim of the case and not paper patch friendly at all. To accept 45-90 paper patch requires machining the hammer nose down quite a bit.
I know because I've had to do this to chamber shallow seated patched bullets.

[gc45]

Lead Pot has given you lots of good info, enough to get you well into the world of BP and SS rifles. I would add this; a nice Rolling Block is a dream to load and shoot besides being about the easiest SS rifle to work with.

[Don McDowell]

Your best bet is to look around and decide which action you prefer and which will best suit what you want to do with it. The break actions are fine for informal target and hunting purpose, but if bpcr/bptr competition is where you think you might be headed , Sharps, Hiwalls, Rollingblocks and the CPA copy of the stevens 44 1/2 are going to be the choices.
Hunting and some competition, most any of the rifles with an 18 inch twist will handle bullets up to 1.4 inches long or around 535 grains. If you want to be shoot heavier bullets than a 16 twist is where you'll want to go.
Which ever rifle and twist you decide on, and if competition is something you're thinking on then don't go cheap on the sights.