Sugested Mold for Marlin 1895 .45-70 with Microgroove Barrel

[RG1911]

I thought I'd try boolits again in my Marlin. When I used commercial hard-cast sized to .459, the results at 100 yards wouldn't even make a good shotgun pattern.

So if anyone has real-life experience with the microgroove barrel and boolits, I would love to hear how you solved the problem.

Also, I suspect I should slug the bore. Does anyone have a pure lead ball/boolit/etc. that measures greater than .459 you'd be able to sell me? The largest RB mold I have is .454.

Many thanks and Happy New Year!

Richard

[longbow]

My old 1895 liked the Lyman 457124. I was lucky I guess because back in those days I had no clue (I still get called clueless sometimes!) ~ I never slugged the barrel or really new much about cast boolits except I cast them. I got very good accuracy from both my Marlin with microgroove barrel and a custom Siamese Mauser I had converted to .45-70 using that same boolit. The only difference was that I got minor leading near the muzzle of the Siamese Mauser at top end loads (I loaded to Hornady Marlin specs for "J" bullets). I solved the leading issue by using a .410 fiber wad over the powder.

In any case, as long as the boolit is at least 0.001" over groove diameter it should seal and shoot well. I never had an issue using PB boolits except as stated in the long Siamese Mauser barrel. Never had a leading issue in the Marlin and accuracy was as good as I could shoot.

I also shot quite a bit of BP in the Marlin using the same booolit and got good results.

Do you have a boolit mould for the gun? If so then just cast up a soft boolit of pure lead or even ACWW and use that to slug with. If not take a look for a fishing jig/weight a little larger than the bore and use that. You could also plug the bore and cast some lead into it then rap on that to ensure full swaging to barrel. Or maybe someone can send you a ball or boolit of correct size to use. I would but I do not have any guns in that bore size anymore.

Longbow

[jh45gun]

The Lee 405 grain .459 Hollow Based Bullet has worked well in three 45/70s I have shot the first a Handi Rifle the second a custom made Remington Rolling Block which both I got rid of in favor of the Marlin model 95 I own now which has the Ballard rifling but due to the hollow base I cannot see why it would not work great with MG rifling.

[Keyston44]

I have a Lee 457-405-F that drop them at .459 with wheel weights so I shoot them as cast.
Just get some lead egg sinkers from Walmart or a fishing store and use them for slugging your barrel.

Key

[Indio]

I have a micro groove 1895 that slugs out at almost .459. I shoot nothing but cast out of it sized at .461 and it will shoot a variety of my cast bullets touching at 50yds if i do my part.

I have found a lot of the molds by lee/rcbs/lyman will drop bullets too small for these oversized barrels. If i was you i would pick one you like from the Accurate Mold (http://www.accuratemolds.com) web site and make sure they make it to drop .461-.462 bullets with the alloy you will be using (they charge no extra to make it too your spec).

Slug your bore and use +.002 IMO

[missionary5155]

Greetings
I am headed out to shoot a 1873 44-40 made before 1881. The throat area will accept a .435 loaded boolit and that is what I will feed it.
Check your throat diameter, fill it and all other bore conditions will fall into place. A too small diameter boolit in the throat is asking for problems. A too fat for groove but right for the throat will shoot nicely.
Mike in ILL

[RG1911]

I have a micro groove 1895 that slugs out at almost .459. I shoot nothing but cast out of it sized at .461 and it will shoot a variety of my cast bullets touching at 50yds if i do my part.

I have found a lot of the molds by lee/rcbs/lyman will drop bullets too small for these oversized barrels. If i was you i would pick one you like from the Accurate Mold (http://www.accuratemolds.com) web site and make sure they make it to drop .461-.462 bullets with the alloy you will be using (they charge no extra to make it too your spec).

Slug your bore and use +.002 IMO
Thank you for this very useful information! As I mentioned, the commercial .459-sized cast did not work well in my Marlin. I'll slug the barrel just so I don't miss something, and see about getting an Accurate mold that will throw .460-.461. And, of course, a new sizer die for my old Star lubricator.

Richard

[SgtDog0311]

I have a micro groove 1895 that slugs out at almost .459. I shoot nothing but cast out of it sized at .461 and it will shoot a variety of my cast bullets touching at 50yds if i do my part.

I have found a lot of the molds by lee/rcbs/lyman will drop bullets too small for these oversized barrels. If i was you i would pick one you like from the Accurate Mold (http://www.accuratemolds.com) web site and make sure they make it to drop .461-.462 bullets with the alloy you will be using (they charge no extra to make it too your spec).

Slug your bore and use +.002 IMO

My microgroove barrel slugged out one and half thousands bigger than my STBL so pretty consistent with Indio's experience. Guess a guy could use the same mold but adjust size with the sizer process and be out the expense for just one mold??

[Piedmont]

Also, I suspect I should slug the bore. Does anyone have a pure lead ball/boolit/etc. that measures greater than .459 you'd be able to sell me? The largest RB mold I have is .454.


Richard

Squeeze your round ball in a vice or whack it with a hammer on an anvil or concrete floor until it is around .470, then proceed. Use soft lead so there is no spring back when slugging.

[Ramslammer]

G'Day
Look under closed group buys at the .462 hammer. Mihec has just finnished these but normally has extras.
Juddy

[bigted]

Thank you for this very useful information! As I mentioned, the commercial .459-sized cast did not work well in my Marlin. I'll slug the barrel just so I don't miss something, and see about getting an Accurate mold that will throw .460-.461. And, of course, a new sizer die for my old Star lubricator.

Richard

just to be on the safe side meassure the mouth of a fired case from your rifle...first run it over a case flair plug to take the crimp outta the case mouth and meassure it for diameter...this is your max throate size...as missionary stated...fill the throat and life is good.

also ill second the accurate moulds...the brass mould came to me for around 125.00 as memorie serves and that WITH shipping...very good prices and VERY good workmanship in these moulds...they cast fine boolits every time...get em while they are cheap as im bettin the price WILL go up eventually.

[RG1911]

just to be on the safe side meassure the mouth of a fired case from your rifle...first run it over a case flair plug to take the crimp outta the case mouth and meassure it for diameter...this is your max throate size...as missionary stated...fill the throat and life is good.

Thank you. Shall check that, too. If I did it correctly, the bore measures exactly .458. Those grooves are, indeed, micro.

Richard

[monge]

Try to find a ranch dog 350gr mold Lathe smith can make you a .460 die for your luber sizer or hone out lee .457 push through sizer to .460 SIZE IS THE KEY! 45-70 is a magical cal. the possiblites are endless to 200yards!

[GARCIA]

RG1911
I had Tom over at Accurate Molds redesign the RD350 for me.
We changed it from a tumble lube design to a normal grease groove design.
I have sold a couple of pot loads of them to the guys over on the Marlin forum.
All have reported excellant results with that bullet. They are being shot out of both the micro groove and ballard rifling.

Tom

[WinMike]

Recently, I bought a mid-90s vintage '95, which, of course has the MG barrel. I haven't really bothered my pretty little head about it, but I also haven't shot it.

I'm trusting I won't have any issues with it mostly because of my excellent experience with two '94 Marlins, both with MG barrels (.357 and .44 Mag). But in retrospect, most of the bullets I used had gas checks.....maybe that made a difference? Anyway, you might think about a GC design.

[TAMU74]

My micro-groove 1895 shoots well with cst bullets sized to .460 in a Lee sizer and expander I got from Track of the Wolf. I have used it for Ranchdog 350 gr., Lee 405 gr. hollow base, and Lyman 292 and 405 gr.

[bigted]

i patch all my 45-70's and run the diameter final to .460 for the smokless rounds...i patch to .450 for blackpowder. knowing what diameter your rifle wants is key...the rifle will tell you what it wants to be fed.