Marlin in 38 Special / 357 Magnum

[TC66]

I just purchased a Marlin lever gun in 38 Special / 357 Magnum and that is more fun than I imagined it would be. It is nice to have a rifle and pistol that shoot the exact same thing. No new molds no ne loads Plus it shoots pretty damn good too.

What should my next lever gun be? I was thinking of going big like 45-70 or something. Pro's or Con's to this?

[Dale53]

TC66;
I have had a Marlin 1895 45/70 rifle for several years. My rifle is one of the first "re-issues" and has conventional rifling. It regularly will do 1 1/2" at 100 yards off the bench (scoped). I think it is one of the if not THE best cast bullet hunting rifles that money can buy.

A good recoil pad is quite helpful :razz:, as you can load the Marlin up to levels that'll bring tears to your eyes. My rifle had the abominable curved plastic butt plate that would actually draw blood (I shot my first group with this rifle wearing only a "T" shirt. I went from the range to my friendly stockmaker and had a pad fitted RIGHT THEN :razz: .

The pad really tames the rifle and I would not hesitate to use this rifle, with cast, for the biggest or baddest big game out there at ranges up to 150 yards or so.

Dale53

[Blackwater]

TC, I'm with Dale on the .45/70. If you got a .44 mag or .45 Colt, you'd have a neat gun, but that .45/70 will do that, loaded down a mite, and then some, and will shoot the 400+ gr. bullets, too - not a bad thing some day maybe? That little .357 of yours will do most everything the .30/30 will, with less powder. The .35 Rem. is a neat caliber, but you're not really gaining all that much over your nice little compact .357.

Yep. No doubt about it. Gotta' be the .45/70. Never mind that I'm prejudiced. You will be to when you find out how accurate they can be, how hard they hit and how well they kill. Just keep that recoil to tolerable levels, and heed Dale's comments about the pad, ESPECIALLY if you load any hellbenders for it .... and who among us won't in due time, of course .... just to SEE.

With the neat little compact, light M-94 in .357, and the M-1895 in .45/70 (choose your version - any will do, actually), you'll basically have the long and short of it in only two rifles. Of course this doesn't mean you CAN'T get all the others, but you'd have all the real bases pretty darn well covered with just those two.

[Ed Barrett]

Look at the Puma in 454 mag and load45 colts to shoot in it and in your pistol. At lot of ink on the subject in this group.

[Jack Stanley]

That's a simple answer . Find a old Marlin flatop with the four groove Ballard rifling chambered in .35 Remington . That way you can still use the same molds for it . You really should buy one of the LBT molds that makes a 185 grain flat point . It will work well with the 38/357 and the .35 but for the .35 I think you'd do better some times with a heavier slug .

I don't have a thing against the 45/70 , I like mine and it does right well with a four-hundred-thirty grain soft slug at fifteen hundred .:-D

Jack

[txpete]

I have the marlin 1895SS(ballard rifling) and was pretty happy first time out with factory sights it cut a ragged hole with the lee 340 gr bullet at 50 yards.
my 375 win has also been a very effective deer killer with the lyman 264 gc.
get the marlin you will be happy.
pete

[Trapper94]

Hey Guys,

What Brand of recoil pads do you recommend for the Marlin 1895? I have one but don't have a pad as of yet. If you want to shoot a really fun load try the new IMR Trail Boss, I am using 15gr and a 330 Gr. Lyman Hollow pt Cast Boolit. They are fun without breaking the bank.
Thanks
Jed

[beagle]

Jack...Amen on the old .35 Remington with cut rifling. Wouldn't be without one....or my .45/70 either for that matter./beagle


That's a simple answer . Find a old Marlin flatop with the four groove Ballard rifling chambered in .35 Remington . That way you can still use the same molds for it . You really should buy one of the LBT molds that makes a 185 grain flat point . It will work well with the 38/357 and the .35 but for the .35 I think you'd do better some times with a heavier slug .

I don't have a thing against the 45/70 , I like mine and it does right well with a four-hundred-thirty grain soft slug at fifteen hundred .:-D

Jack

[Old Ironsights]

.45/70

Unless you are trying to stretch your Levergun to Bolt ranges, if you can't do it with a .357 & Buffalo Bore bullets, you should really goall the way.

While I like the .454/45LC Puma, that is still a kit-gun pair. You already have a good pair in the .357.

At any rate, the Puma will only get to low-end .45/70 capabilities. An excellent cartridge, but, IMO you can do WAAAAY more with the .45/70.

[Throckmorton]

YES. everyone 'needs' a 45-70,no matter what gun ya buy,but a levergun is the king.:)
You can load it mild or wild....and REALLY wild.
Just don't shoot them barn burners from the bench,give 'er some room to recoil or your shoulder will pay the price.

[Old Ironsights]

YES. everyone 'needs' a 45-70,no matter what gun ya buy,but a levergun is the king.:)
You can load it mild or wild....and REALLY wild.
Just don't shoot them barn burners from the bench,give 'er some room to recoil or your shoulder will pay the price.
No kidding.

Cheap "cowboy" loads are super deer busters, and a properly loaded .45/70 will kill anything that walks on 4 legs... anywhere.

As to bench resting... :twisted:

I benched 2 boxes of factory hunting loads when I got mine. Ended up with internal bleeding. :shock:

I literally had a bruise that went from my shoulder half-way to my elbow and half way to my hip. :violin:

Never did that again. :-D

[Newtire]

No kidding.

Cheap "cowboy" loads are super deer busters, and a properly loaded .45/70 will kill anything that walks on 4 legs... anywhere.

As to bench resting... :twisted:

I benched 2 boxes of factory hunting loads when I got mine. Ended up with internal bleeding. :shock:

I literally had a bruise that went from my shoulder half-way to my elbow and half way to my hip. :violin:

Never did that again. :-D
I think that little 38/357 Marlin is just the ticket for a major fun gun. I bought one of the Marlin .444's a long long time ago and am really happy with it but think I would be more likely to buy the .375 Win. or a good 38-55 if I had to do it again.
The .444 shoots all kinds of pistol bullets, triple-ball rounds, even shotgun rounds you make up (not real good ones in my experience). I recently discovered the Pachayer De-cellerator on a .30-30 I bought from a guy I know. Man! real difference in recoil. (Up until then, have never saw that any recoil pad did much at all.) That .444 with full power condom 265 grainers or the 300 gr Lee is just downright brutal for some reason. About equal to or worse than shooting 12 ga slugs. I use a sand bag on my shoulder when benching those. Standing up shooting at wild hogs, I have never noticed a kick or even a sound with all that adrenaline going. It's real good out to 150 yds. and I mean just knocks the critter right down. I think it's a bit overkill but not really the equal of the 45-70 for the longer ranges the guys use those things for.