It isn't obsolete by any stretch of the imagination, but it is darned old - the .45-70. I guess I just have a thing for old cartridges. I like the .22 Hornet, 6.5 Swede, .30-06, .30-30, 8mm Mauser.303 British, 7.65 Argentine and 7.62 X 54R, among others. These cartridges are timeless.