Rick R
06-13-2017, 06:28 PM
I'm sure this has all been covered before but my search fu must be weak. I have two Marlin Guide Guns and last year purchased a used H&R Buffalo Classic rifle for more than I should have paid, but it's a cool old rifle you don't see on the for sale rack often. I added a Williams target knob rear sight and a slip on neoprene recoil pad/cartridge holder. Basically I see the Buffalo Classic as a range toy. My area ranges are limited to around 300 yards and I'd have to change the front sight to use a 500gr boolit.
I normally use an NOE 360gr Ranch Dog bullet in the Guide Guns at a bit over 1,900 fps, they shoot sub 2" groups at 100 yards, slay deer and work pretty well in several friends guns too. I tried that load in the H&R and it hurt. Shoots decent groups but it makes my .458 Lott seem gentle. I then tried some 405gr bullets from a Lee mold and they shoot pretty decent groups (approaching 1" at 100 yards) over 24 grains of Alliant 2400. Life is good right?
When do we ever stop with "good enough"? I decided that I needed a better grade of 400gr bullet so I ordered an NOE 400gr mold and it drops purty boolits. They make real thumpers in the Marlins loaded over Varget, accurate and probably enough for Jurassic Park. They work well in all rifles using the 24gr/Alliant 2400 recipe except that when they are seated into the crimp groove as they should be for the Marlins they're too long for the throat of the H&R. It makes the gun hard to close and occasionally the round will get stuck in the chamber hard enough that the ejector won't eject the loaded round. The edge of the boolit nose shows where the leade begins to engrave as the action closes. Loaded short the NOE boolits do shoot better than the Lee boolits which don't engage the rifling when loaded to the crimp groove.
1) Should I have the throat of the H&R lengthened to accommodate rounds loaded for the Marlins? Or just segregate for each rifle?
2) Does it cause pressure problems if the boolit is jammed into the rifling at ignition or should it get a running start?
3) When using Alliant 2400 in the .45-70 I've seen advice to use a poly filler and then I've seen that it's not needed. What does everyone think of that? And can you substitute a half cotton ball for the poly fill? I hate the smell of burning plastic when I shoot.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
I normally use an NOE 360gr Ranch Dog bullet in the Guide Guns at a bit over 1,900 fps, they shoot sub 2" groups at 100 yards, slay deer and work pretty well in several friends guns too. I tried that load in the H&R and it hurt. Shoots decent groups but it makes my .458 Lott seem gentle. I then tried some 405gr bullets from a Lee mold and they shoot pretty decent groups (approaching 1" at 100 yards) over 24 grains of Alliant 2400. Life is good right?
When do we ever stop with "good enough"? I decided that I needed a better grade of 400gr bullet so I ordered an NOE 400gr mold and it drops purty boolits. They make real thumpers in the Marlins loaded over Varget, accurate and probably enough for Jurassic Park. They work well in all rifles using the 24gr/Alliant 2400 recipe except that when they are seated into the crimp groove as they should be for the Marlins they're too long for the throat of the H&R. It makes the gun hard to close and occasionally the round will get stuck in the chamber hard enough that the ejector won't eject the loaded round. The edge of the boolit nose shows where the leade begins to engrave as the action closes. Loaded short the NOE boolits do shoot better than the Lee boolits which don't engage the rifling when loaded to the crimp groove.
1) Should I have the throat of the H&R lengthened to accommodate rounds loaded for the Marlins? Or just segregate for each rifle?
2) Does it cause pressure problems if the boolit is jammed into the rifling at ignition or should it get a running start?
3) When using Alliant 2400 in the .45-70 I've seen advice to use a poly filler and then I've seen that it's not needed. What does everyone think of that? And can you substitute a half cotton ball for the poly fill? I hate the smell of burning plastic when I shoot.
Thanks in advance for any advice.