Been thinking of getting a 45-70 barrel for my encore but was wondering how bad the kick is with the 300 gr. factory loads.I am going to have a muzzle brake installed so that should help.Is the recoil anything like the factory encore barrels in 480 ruger or 308? Thanks for any help.

I've got an 14" SSK SS barrel that has a SSK/brake on it. 300gr loads ain't really that bad. I've shot 44 mags that hurt you more than this set-up. I thought this was a stought round untill the 450Marlin I'm working on now. 405gr loads make the 45/70 like childs play. Pachmyer grips help alot and so do a good pair of shooting gloves. You'll like the 45/70, plus it's a real deer stopper!!

I'm loading 58.5grs of Varget under a Rem. 300gr JHP in my 15" Encore barrel, without a brake or porting, and you definitely know when the hammer falls but I wouldn't say it beats me to death or is overly uncomfortable.....let's just say the 45-70 gets your attention.

Ike

First off if you will stay with factory loads like Winchester, Remington, And most like that with the low pressure rounds the recoil is not bad at all.
If on the other hand if you are contemplaing using Buffalo Bore ammo or similar handloads go with the brake as recoil is sbsolutly horrific in the tapered unbraked barrel.
With a 500 gr at 1600 or a 550 gr at 1550 recoil is off the scale.
There will be many that will say theirs is not bad but it depends on what load you are shooting.
I shoot calibers that are alot more powerful and can attest to the fact that the Encore 45/70 tapered barrel with no brake is one rough son of a gun even with the rubber grips when using loads that are at the top end (with safety in mind).
So in summary it all depends on what load you will be shooting.
ONLY YOU CAN ANSWER THAT.

If you like Big Bore barrels you will like the 45-70. I have a 14" TC Hunter. It is actually 12" I think with a 2" break. I wanted a 45-70 to extend my range a little on deer and hogs over my 45LC Ruger Blackhawk. I have never shot a factory round so I can't compair them. I load my own cause I also shoot a 45-70 Sharps Shiloh 30" barrel.
In my Contender I load a 300grn Sierra JHP with 37grns of IMR4198 w/Fed 210 Primer in Remington Brass. It moves along at 1400fps which is not a speed demon but it hits like a sledgehammer. I have taken two whitetail with it at 80 & 120yds and it was boom, whack, and a thud when they hit the ground. I was just out shooting a couple of my deer woods rigs yesterday and I would compair my 45-70 load to the recoil of my 45LC 8" Ruger Blackhawk. Not unpleasant but a little loud with the break. You will like it and like the others said, you can heat them up and shoot whatever you can stand if you want. Good luck on making a choice.

Mike