Either of these cartridges (.444 Marlin or .45-70 Govt.) provide wide opportunities for the handloading hunter, but far fewer choices for the factory ammo customer. Add in bullet casting and either one becomes a "one gun for anything" hunting round.

I've been shooting .45-70 for about 40 years. Don't remember ever purchasing factory ammo. Don't remember ever shooting jacketed bullets. I do remember a couple of Rocky Mountain elk and a few Colorado mule deer going into the freezer with cast bullets and hand-rolled ammo.