Marlin model 1895

[koehn,jim]

I just got a modern Marlin model 1895 in 45/70 and need suggestions on bullet wt and load data. Thanks. I am not new to casting but usually shoot bolt action or semi auto so this is a bit new. Any help is appreciated,

[gon2shoot]

I lean towards 405 gr. boolits in the 14/1500 fps range, using 3031 or 4198. I have some heavier loads, but they're not somthing I'd want to shoot all day.

There's lots of data on the powder company's sites.

[NickSS]

I like my RCBS 45-325-F bullet in my 95 Marlin. With the alloy I use they cast at 338 gr and shoot accurately in my rifle. I usually load it with 29 gr of AA 5744. This is not a hot load but I have killed pigs and a deer with it and the bullet punched a nice big hole clean through them.

[giz189]

Gould 330 gr with 50 grs of 3031 is a good hunting load for our smallish whitetail here in Ark. Also 50 grs of 3031 with Lyman 457193 is a good load. Kix a little though.

[jh45gun]

I lean towards 405 gr. boolits in the 14/1500 fps range, using 3031 or 4198. I have some heavier loads, but they're not somthing I'd want to shoot all day.

There's lots of data on the powder company's sites.

What he said with the 405 grain bullets and velocity range only I use 24 grains of 2400

[pdawg_shooter]

My 1895g likes a 430gr paper patched bullet over 52gr of AA2495. CCI LR primer.

[jlchucker]

Mine shoots very well with the Lee 405 gr pb boolit. It's even more pleasant to shoot when that boolit is backed up by AA5744 powder. For reasons I've never been able to figure out, that powder produces noticeably less recoil than others when loaded to comparable loading-data velocities.

[6pt-sika]

There are several good bullets for the 45-70 IMHO !

The first what I call a really good bullet that I've used is the Lyman?Gould 330 grain HP PB bullet . I've loaded that one with both SR4759 and XMP5744 .

The original Ranch Dog bullets in 460-350GC and 460-425GC are also good performers . I first used these with XMP5744 and then later changed to H322 with both .

I have now gotten intrested in another mold made by BRP 462-465GC . I've shot a few of these bullets that came from BRP and have the mold on order . I shot this one with H322 also and in my testing it shows alot of promise !

Last but not least I ordered a Ballisti Cast 462-550GC mold that hasn't arrived yet . I can't honestly say how this one will do , but the gentleman who recommended it to me spoke highly of it .

[Zim]

550 grains - what, pray tell, will you be using this on? 500 yard range shots?

I like the 405 and have some of Lymans 350 gr bullets lubed and waiting. If you can predict the rainbow, shooting past 100 yards is no problem at lower velocities. I went for the lighter bullet in order to flatten trajectory. Not much difference under 100 yards.

Zim

[6pt-sika]

550 grains - what, pray tell, will you be using this on? 500 yard range shots?




Anything I choose ;)

Actually I'll probably kill a couple deer or black bears with it and then loose intrest :lovebooli

[45r]

I've used rcbs 300gc,405gc,saeco350gc,brp465gc and 330gc hammer,mtn mold 400pb.They're all good,the heavies kick more and the saeco is very accurate.I like brps 465gc a lot.I got a 420gc on order so I can put more powder in and push it to around 2000 fps.His molds are as good or better than other molds I've used.The rcbs 405gc is accurate but since it's a one cav it takes a while to get a pile of boolits,BRPs 3 cav will make more faster and I like the look of the LBT style 420gc with the .325 metplat.It should work great in my XLR.

[koehn,jim]

Thank You to everyone who took the time to reply. The weapon was my best friends and he died so I bought part of his collection at prices he set. he knew it was coming. It will probably be a paper puncher or plinker but I want an accurate one. I now have several ideas thanks to all of you.

[thx997303]

15 gr. Unique with the 350 gr Ranch dog boolit gives me 1300 fps and is a pleasure to shoot.

It also is accurate in my gun.

Now, if you want some velocity, you could start at 45 gr H322 and work up. I went to 50 gr but that was not published max. I would use it as max because it kicks like a mule.

46 gr gave me 1750 fps.

[6pt-sika]

The rcbs 405gc is accurate but since it's a one cav it takes a while to get a pile of boolits,BRPs 3 cav will make more faster .

I looked at it the same way as you up until recently !

In the past I wanted to get 100-200 bullets from a mold PDQ !

Now I try and get maybe 40-50 per mold when I cast . While I have a nice selection of 4 , 5 and 6 cavity molds I am slowly going back to single and double cavity molds .

For my load work ups and such this is working well for me !

Now if I had one or two weight bullets for a specific bunch of rifles I totally agree [smilie=w:

[jtaylor1960]

I shoot a 420 gr. cast with 50.0 grs of H-4895.Not a mx load but it is very accurate.

[9.3X62AL]

Before plunking down any folding money for a mould, I would DEFINITELY make a chamber cast or slug the throat and grooves of that fine rifle you've acquired. (I've owned 2, and only the acquisition of a Ruger #1 prompted the sale of the second example. I miss it!)

No 45-70 I've ever fooled with has EVER had throat of grooves at the supposed .457" specs. Throats in the 2 Marlins were .461" and .460", the current #1 is .459" with grooves very close to that. I would have a mould made to at least meet (if not exceed by a couple thousandths) my rifle's throat dimensions. About the best you are likely to get from Lyman or RCBS is .458".

I favor the 400 grain-class boolits in the 45-70. Most of them I run right at 1873 ballistics, about 1300 FPS with either duplexed 4198/WC-860 or 28.0 Grains of IMR-4198. A plain-based boolit does just fine at that velocity, though I think that approaches the upper limit of pressure suitability for castings.

Some day, I'll grab another Marlin 1895. These can be good for about 1800 FPS with the 400 grain castings, though recoil on one end about matches the other end's punishment standard. For that a flatnosed and gas-checked 400 grain design will be ordered, with tangent ogive and about 65%-70% meplat. I want that ogive to just kiss the abrupt rifling origin in the short throats featured in rifles of this caliber.

[45r]

I looked at it the same way as you up until recently !

In the past I wanted to get 100-200 bullets from a mold PDQ !

Now I try and get maybe 40-50 per mold when I cast . While I have a nice selection of 4 , 5 and 6 cavity molds I am slowly going back to single and double cavity molds .

For my load work ups and such this is working well for me !

Now if I had one or two weight bullets for a specific bunch of rifles I totally agree [smilie=w:

I can make a fair amount of boolits with a 1 or 2 cav saeco or rcbs mold with a fan and a wet towel using bruce B's speed casting methods to keep the mold at the right temp but after getting use to BRP's 4 cav 30-30 mold turning them out real fast with just a little fan I'm spoiled.

[JesterGrin_1]

15 gr. Unique with the 350 gr Ranch dog boolit gives me 1300 fps and is a pleasure to shoot.

It also is accurate in my gun.

Now, if you want some velocity, you could start at 45 gr H322 and work up. I went to 50 gr but that was not published max. I would use it as max because it kicks like a mule.

46 gr gave me 1750 fps.

What do you mean kicks like a Mule lol. :redneck:

I would like to throw in that the 45-70 can be loaded for anything you need it to do.

As for BOOLITS size them .460 and the weight of 330Gr or better. But I tend to like the 350Gr class as I get less drop. If you are not as worried about distance then the 405Gr will serve you well.

[JesterGrin_1]

The original Ranch Dog bullets in 460-350GC and 460-425GC are also good performers . I first used these with XMP5744 and then later changed to H322 with both .

I have now gotten intrested in another mold made by BRP 462-465GC . I've shot a few of these bullets that came from BRP and have the mold on order . I shot this one with H322 also and in my testing it shows alot of promise !

I thought I felt the world tremble lol. Glad to hear you like the H-322 :).

[rhead]

Ditto on the chamber and throat fit. I get the best results with the Lee 405 grain hollow base. It is listed as .459 but mine throws them out at .462. That is the diameter I shoot them at. I tried the Gould bullet also. In my rifle the Lee did better. Unless you just like the noise and recoil keep the velocity at around 1400 to 1500 fps range. Where ever your rifle likes it. You cannot make these rifles into a flat shooter.

[45 2.1]

You cannot make these rifles into a flat shooter.

Well, that depends. I have a 225 gr. mold that will shoot very flat IF you load it up. And that depends on your tolerence to recoil. It is possible if you can stand it.

[Tazman1602]

Thank You to everyone who took the time to reply. The weapon was my best friends and he died so I bought part of his collection at prices he set. he knew it was coming. It will probably be a paper puncher or plinker but I want an accurate one. I now have several ideas thanks to all of you.

Hey Jim,

I've got a couple of molds for 45-70. First is an RCBS 405gr GC bullet that shoots 1.6" groups at 100yds consistently over 31 grains of 4198 and around 1200fps -- you can shoot it all day too.

I also have a bunch of BRP's 420 grainers cast that I am going to get loaded and tested for this fall. I shot some last spring before things got crazy in summer and they seemed to be at least as accurate as the RCBS mold but haven't done any chrono or bench rest testing yet.

No reason to pound your shoulder to death trying to shoot punkin' balls at 2k a second although a lot of these guys around here are a lot tougher than I.

Had good luck with Lee's 405 grain mold also but it is not one of my favs compared to BRP's or RCBS's molds.

Slug that barrel, I happen to be lucky and have one that slugs right at .457 so .458 slugs work real nice in it, my .444 Marlin slugs at .4305 so I had to hone a sizer die out to fit those bullets.

Anyway have fun, be safe, and SHOOT!

Art

[45r]

Shot some saeco 350gc's today and they went into ragged hole 3 shot groups with 50 grains 3031 and 49 grains VV-133 at 60 yards,Mtn mold 400pb's went 1 inch with 28.5 grains 5744.Some of the saeco groups with 3031 could be covered with a nickle.I'm surprised at how accurate this 45-70 XLR is shooting.

[JesterGrin_1]

Shot some saeco 350gc's today and they went into ragged hole 3 shot groups with 50 grains 3031 and 49 grains VV-133 at 60 yards,Mtn mold 400pb's went 1 inch with 28.5 grains 5744.Some of the saeco groups with 3031 could be covered with a nickle.I'm surprised at how accurate this 45-70 XLR is shooting.

Take a chance I am sure the 45-70 will reach 100 yards lol. :bigsmyl2:

[missionary5155]

Good morning
An old timer once told me to match the boolit weight plus powder charge to the weight of the intended critter with the large bore rifles using black powder. But that was just a generality. I think he used the 300 grainer with a case full of 2F for everything that walked the shores of Lake Michigan.
But what I have seen is that unless you are gonna go shoot a bison or Brown bear a 300 grainer at 1500 fps cast from 50-50 is going clean through any critter I have ever seen. Pop any deer in the shoulders with that and it is Supper Time real fast.
It is all about accuracy with any firearm. Know where to hit the critter and most any modern caliber .25 and above is well deadly enough to hunt with.
I have an origonal 1876 in 45-60. A 270 grain near 30-1 lead boolit with just 54 grains of 2F will complete penetrate a 270 pound whitetail doe from a rear quartering shot. Granted it did not go through a shoulder blade. But that doe did not run any farther than if it would have been wacked with a 300 grainer at 1500 fps.
Critters today are no different than they were 300 yeras ago. Millions of corn crunchers and garden raiders were dispatched with the mere caliber .36-.40 some round ball and modest loads of balck powder. Why fellers used to hunt Blackbear with just a .36 and up conical
bullet rifle and about 85+ grains of blackpowder. Bullet weights ran about 220 up to 300 grains or so.
What we use today to hunt with would be looked at with wonder & awe by the pioneers that did so many years ago. But we have yet to see the day when lead was a good bartering comodity for food or wares.
I try to remember those facts when I start cranking up the 414 Super mag Revolver or any of the caliber .45 rifles. As the British admiral told the battleship captain who was directing the movement of his firing ship against the Bismark... " Get Closer ! Get Closer! "

[6pt-sika]

270 pound whitetail doe


I'd like to see that !

[45r]

Take a chance I am sure the 45-70 will reach 100 yards lol. :bigsmyl2:

It's hard to shoot at 100 yards since I have to get close to my neighbors house,his wife bums out and it's very windy where I'm at most of the time,when the wind dies down the skeeters will eat you alive.I shoot in my yard using large hardwood stumps for a backstop,everything else is good for hunting being hardwoods,spruce,foodplot,corn or soybeans.When I can shoot at 100 the groups open up to double.One half inch at 60 equals 1 inch at 100.The last time I went to a 100 yard range my 45-70 loads went 1 to 2 inchs.I like shooting at 60 since I have targets set up to where I can shoot a few,walk 5 yards to the house load some more.That lets my barrel cool off in the shade.I set my stands in funnel areas and most of shots are around 60 yards or less anyways.I like powerfull loads so I don't have to go far to get what I shoot.I hunt on my 41 acres.I've always liked the 45 for that reason plus others.It may be overkill but I never have to worry about not having enough gun.The 45-70 doesn't kick that bad to me with a good recoil pad and a long barrel.

[JesterGrin_1]

I wish where I hunted I could get a shot at less than 100 yards lol. But with my 45-70 I try and keep my shots at between 100 and 150 yards.