CraigC
Sixgun Nut
The .358 would be far easier to hit with at 250yds than the other two. IMHO, the .444 is a better platform for deer-appropriate bullets, while the .45/70 really shines with +400gr slugs.
What the faster twist gains you is the ability to use bullets over 300gr. Even with a stock action, it will sling a 405gr faster than the .45-70 will push one of equal sectional density.
In fact, the .444 was designed for the 265gr bullets, that were intended only for that cartridge. The .44Mag had the same twist and worked fine with bullets up to 300gr, at a few hundred feet per second less. The .444 will obviously do better with the same bullets. There are plenty of bullets that do well at .444 velocities and were available long before they went to the proper 1-20" twist. Bullets 300gr and heavier were on the market LONG before the faster twist in the .444.Personally, none of the above. But if forced to choose between the 3 I'd take the 358. For most of it's life 444 was twisted so that it would only handle 240 gr bullets designed for 44 mag handguns. It shot them faster than the bullets were designed for and performance on game larger than deer was poor. When Marlin re-introduced the 45-70 they planned to stop production of the 444 and they did for a while. But they did eventually bring them back with a different twist when companies started making 260-300 gr 44 caliber bullets. I still can't think of a reason to choose one over a 45-70 which would be my 2nd choice between the 3.
What the faster twist gains you is the ability to use bullets over 300gr. Even with a stock action, it will sling a 405gr faster than the .45-70 will push one of equal sectional density.