Nobody uses a subsonic .45-70 but for dropping elk or moose. A .223 or 5.56 is a NATO round (not an expert in this area) or an AR-15 round. Shoots flat and is supersonic. My dad has a .45-70 with no scope fro hunting elk. My daughter a .243 Mossberg for hunting deer. Big kick for a small caliber, but will drop a deer in its tracks, no following the blood trail. The .243 is perfect inside 200 yards in deer hunting. Not great in brush, change of trajectory, a 30-30 or a .308 is better into brush. Some states don't allow long rifles to hunt, they permit shot guns with slugs, however. A 7mm mag is a great elk rifle, so is a 30-06 and .270s
I really don't know why people own a .223 other than for target shooting. My uncle has a .22 mag lever action, that even my vegan daughter likes to target shoot with. Not critters, targets.
