Marlin 45 70

[rhead]

I finally caught a break in the weather and got to try a few loads in my new (to me) marlin 45 70. The two molds that I got were the Lyman Gould hollow point and the Lee 405 hollow base. I started with some H 4198 at 30 grains and at 35 grains. The Lee mold shot pretty good at 50 yards. (As far as I can see the aim point with the factory sights) The 30 grain load gave a group or 1.5 x 2.5 and the 32 grain mold shot a 1x 2.5 inch group. Both showed verticle stringing. The hollow point boolit was erratic with both molds.

The Lee cast .463 dia. on all the bands. The hollow point throwa a .458 dia. My bore slugged out to just a hair over .458. The alloy is 50 50 lead and wheelweights with 2% tin added. both were loaded as cast with no sizing.

Iam hoping that the verticle stringing will fade away with more powder. I would rather avoid a filler. Just one more thing to keep the same. Will a faster powder maybe bump the hollow point up and improve accuracy with it? I keep Unique and 2400 on hand and have a little red and green dot around somewhere. Thanks in advance

[Scrounger]

A little more powder might help but I'd also make sure the screws that hold the buttstock to the receiver are tight. This is very critical in rifles with two-piece stocks. Glass bed it if you know how.

[GooseGestapo]

I suggest more powder.

I've found that with my RCBS 300grFNGC (throws 318gr w/lube and gc) it's best with 47.0g of H4198. I got stringing and noticeable recoil/muzzle blast variations till I got to 47.0 (45.0gave some light stringing). Groups were an impressive 1.0" @100yds 3-shots. 48.0gr is as high as I went. Recoil and velocity are getting above what I was looking for. 1,900fps is enough from the "little gun" (with a big hole in the barrel!) 48.0 ran to 2,000fps.

With the 405gr Hollow Base, I ran it up to 40.0gr, with 36.0 being my favorite. This is running about 1,600fps. I used this same charge under a Lee 405gr HP to kill one deer this year. The other two I killed with this gun, fell to 39.0gr of H4198 under the Lee 340gr FN (cast to 350gr w/lube SPG). No where near as accurate as the RCBS mould w/gas check.

I have tried 30.0gr of Alliant #2400 under the 300gr FNGC. This gives a tad over 1,600 from my guide gun. It groups to about 2", but does have some fluctations due to ignition issues. I plan to try some dacron filler with this load as I like the power level. Enough without abusive recoil from the light rifle. Something of a "Plinking/hunting thick stuff" load. Not for the longer ranges of the 47.0gr H4198 load.

I too don't care for fooling with fillers, but sometimes they make a problem load shoot wonderfully. I only use dacron (pillow stuffing) over the powder as it's consumed with the rest of the powder without the likely hood of buldging anything. (dacron is used as a filler and binder in the powder itself).

I've found that RL15, Varget, and my favorite -IMR4064 work wonderfully with the 405gr Hollow Base with lightly compressed loads. Velocities run to ~1,750-1,825fps from the guidegun. My brothers 1895M runs close to or above 1,900fps. These are amazingly accurate. I have a quantity of IMR3031 I plan try later this spring.

Sized to .459" and lubed with either 50/50 alox or SPG. I can't tell any real difference in lube over smokeless powders.

A friend owns the 405HB mould and I cast them for him, hence the SPG lube. He shoots them though a Sharps Repro in .45/90 over BP replica powders. They shoot equally well through his gun over ~80-90gr "measure" of Pyrodex or 777 for about 1,500fps.
I lube "mine" with whatevers in the lube/sizer when I run off a batch.

[MtGun44]

Rhead,

I have had by far my best luck with the RCBS GC 405 and 57 gr of W748.
This always shoots < 2" for 5 at 100 yds and often into about 1" for 3
in my SS Guide Gun. Substitute either the Rem or Speer 405 and get the
same results, took a record wildebeeste and nice zebra with that load,
one shot each. PH was impressed with the penetration, but I'd use a
trifle harder bullet, probably a cast if I ever do it again. Oh - Fed 215M
primer with that load. Chronos about 1750, recoil is real tolerable. I got
poor results with the Lee 405 in mine with same alloy, lube and diameter
as the RCBS, not sure why. I also used annealed GCs (heat red hot and
quench to soften so they crimp more consistently). Use the Lee factory
crimp die for the most consistent crimp.

Here are a couple of groups, note that the jacketed one is at 200 yds,
and I wasn't on my bench, just a cardboard box which probably accounts
for the flyer. I was trying out drop at 200 for Africa in "field positions", rarely
shoot at 200 with this gun but wanted to know where it hit 'just in case'.
8" drop at 200 from a 1.5" high at 100 zero.

Bill