I recently purchased a New England Handi Rifle in 45-70 and was wondering how much of a handicap is the 22 inch barrel in this caliber.  H&R also makes a Buffalo Classic with a 32 inch barrel, but it is too long to be practical for hunting in certain areas of timber.  I have worked up some reloads based on the Hodgon manual using 52grains of H4198 with a 300 grain Barnes X-Bullet.  I used the pointed X-bullet for better down range performance, since I am using it in a single shot and do not have to worry about detonation in a tube magazine as on a lever action.  My chrono shows around 2,250 fps about ten feet from the muzzle.  Max load is 55 grains and it produced about 2,350 fps, but recoil was getting pretty severe in the short little gun.  These loads are based on loads for trapdoor rifles which is the lightest and is what a call to Hodgon told me to use with the NEF/H&R guns.    Accuracy is very good at 100yds with a 3x9 scope.  I purchased the gun to deer hunt in primitive weapons season here in Mississippi, as our laws changed this year to allow single shot rifles with exposed hammers, of  a kind and type manufactured prior to 1900(including replicas).  I am contemplating another one since my wife has taken up hunting with this one, and I don't know if I want or need a longer barrel.  I borrowed a friends Buffalo Classic and I did not like the 32 inch barrel as it was too long.  If H&R would make a 26 in. barrel that would be perfect.  How much does barrel length affect this cartridge?  I am trying to get something that will work out to about 150 yds or so without a lot of drop.