Shooting 1895GS 45-70 Long Range-Practical at 405gr ormust be 500+gr?

[Walstr]

Greetings;
A new motivation is altering/expanding my shooting goals. My 2 sons decided to engage & invest in 'friendly' competition with nearly identical 6.5 Creedmoor 'black rifles'; 3-Gun competition getting too arduous for them.

I'm not super competitive by nature, love my JM Marlin big bore, so, I've been sniffing 'round for guidance, examples, etc.

What's been your (successful) max. range with cast 405gr or 500+gr boolits in this specific rifle? Before I invest myself emotionally and otherwise, think I can get this 18.5" micro groove barrel to reach out to 600yds & smack a 2ft. target? If so, then I see a mold & tapped tang for ladder sights in this Winter's budget, eh. Hmm, how high should I stack Velcro'd leather pads for a 'new' cheek piece? Thanks & play safe.

[Nobade]

Works fine. I've shot the white buffalo at whittington with mine, around 1100 yards. You just need a tall enough sight and it will go as far as you want. If you can find a buffington sight off a trapdoor they work amazingly well.

[Don McDowell]

In a longer barrel the 405 gr bullet should shoot to your requirements with blackpowder loads, but I'm not sure if the velocity loss from that short barrel will serve well. Certainly with smokeless loads it would providing you have sights adequate to give you the elevation needed.

[FredBuddy]

What about s Skinner ladder sight ?

I have a 1895 cowboy, 26" barrel.

300 yds would be my goal.

[Walstr]

Works fine. I've shot the white buffalo at whittington with mine, around 1100 yards. You just need a tall enough sight and it will go as far as you want. If you can find a buffington sight off a trapdoor they work amazingly well.

HI & thanks for responding.
Just to be clear, you sent a 405gr pill out to 1100 yds, smokeless, with a Marlin 1895, & a 18.5" barrel?

[MATT HELM]

I congratulate the 45-70 Govt. Any shooter of that cartridge , regardless of the loading, homemade or custom self made. That gun and that load requires practice.
Today's shooters rarely become marksmen , because of lack of practice,

My shooting of 45-70 in TC/ Contender pistol has been revisited after many years . Not a pleasant challenge. Want to get one more big Wild Hog using that bad boy. (12 inch hunter)

[missionary5155]

Good morning
To shoot 300 yards you only need a good tang sight for your rifle. A Receiver sight with a long elevation staff will also get you to 300. Add a short front sight and pick up another 100 yards. But start shooting off cross sticks and enjoy it all much more.
We put a full buckhorn on our 1876 45-60 (original) and that would maybe get us to to 300 with a shorter front sight. This is with 3F Goex off cross sticks.

[Nobade]

HI & thanks for responding.
Just to be clear, you sent a 405gr pill out to 1100 yds, smokeless, with a Marlin 1895, & a 18.5" barrel?

Regular 1895, not the short one. Ladder sight on the barrel, smokeless black powder duplication loads. It's really no big deal once you learn where to hold. I had almost enough elevation but was holding about three buffalos off for wind at the moment. A good spotter is key.

[TCLouis]

FredBuddy
3 of us successfully shot my scoped remlin with 22" barrel, 8.7 Unique, 340 grain boolit (RCBS 325 weighed in at 340 with that alloy) at 366 yards off of cross stix.
Admittedly it had only been sighted in at 25 yards, but with of us fiddling with some windage/elevation guestimations to get on target.
Once we found some firing solutions, I sure would not have been the target.

Why shooting at366 yards is sticking in some readers minds . . . .

Cause that it is how far it was to something we could all make out on the hillside across the pasture.
Shooting was not meant to precision riflery, but fun plinking to burn up some ammo loaded with the last of that batch of boolits.

10.5 of that powder/boolit combination gives me about 1100 fps.

[Drm50]

I have a 1970, Marlin 1895. I got it on a trade in 1980. I had no use for a 45/70 modern rifle. I loaded 300gr JHPs and put a Lyman reciever sight on it. I have witness plate marked for return and have do some respectable shooting on Steel Silos with it. 400yds is furthest I’ve shot it and that was off bench. I’ve had a couple others and they don’t shoot as good as my keeper. One guy offered to buy me a Ruger #1 / 45-70 for it. I like #1s but for a cruzin rifle the 1895 is better choice. I say it depends on individual rifle but very unlikely you will do much with long range with 45/70 Guide gun.