Reloading the Modern 45-70

12132 Views 16 Replies 10 Participants Last post by heelerman, Sep 26, 2008

[Smoke]

Discussion Starter · Jan 21, 2005

A few months ago I bought my first lever gun, the Marlin 45-70 1895GS. I looked at others but I couldn't get my eye off the marlin.
I put a Nikon 3-9x40 on it and after a long hour of sighting it in, I was getting 2 1/2" groups at 100yds. with Winchester 300gr. JHP.
Now that I've broken the beast in, I am currently attempting to handload for better accuracy. Going with 425gr. FNGC with 37.6gr of IMR 4198. Does anyone else reload the 45-70, and what loads do you use?

1 - 17 of 17 Posts

huntswithdogs

· #2 · Jan 21, 2005

Smoke,

I've loaded for this beast and didn't have any problems. I don't remember the powder charge or type,but do remember that we used 300gr HP bullets.

The first time that we loaded it, I found out an interesting fact about myself. I DON"T LIKE SHOOTING THIS GUN!!!!! When the Hammer dropped,my eyes went crossways! I told my buddy that I'd just fired that gun twice with one pull of the trigger. MY FIRST AND LAST TIME!!!!!

HWD

[Smoke]

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 21, 2005

Did you have one go off in the tube, or just didn't like the kick?

huntswithdogs

· #4 · Jan 21, 2005

Turns out that the load he had loaded was right at the top of the scale. Not having a recoil pad may have also had something to do with it. Just that cresent piece of.....? whatever it was it HURT!!. Same guy sold it after getting the big idea to put a 4x12 on it and crawl the stock to see out of said peice of optical equipment. I think it was after they took the stitches out.....HEE HEE! (well,he laughed at me when I complained, so I laughed at his stitches)

HWD

[Smoke]

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jan 21, 2005

ok...your scaring me. I just put a scope on mine.

huntswithdogs

· #6 · Jan 24, 2005

Just make sure that you've got plenty of eye relief. If you have a fixed lower power scope,you won't have to get to close to it and should be fine. Those goose eggs can be pretty painful and the little stars....while kinda pretty,not something that you really want to see.

HWD

G

· #7 · Feb 4, 2005

45-70

You would enjoy that beast a lot more with lighter loads. Try something like 30 grs of IMR 4227 or 26 grs of SR 4759 to start off with. Both of these loads are a pleasure to shoot and powerful enough to get the job done.

deerdown444

· #8 · Jul 31, 2005

Here is a load thats not bad to shoot.I make these for my dad he is 65 years old and has had heart surgery.And he can still shoot this load.

powder=IMR 4198 = 48.0 grains
bullet = remington 300 grain HP.
primer = CCI 200
COL = 2.545

Here is my hunting load not real hot but the most accurate load out my 1895G that I have tested.

powder = IMR 4198 = 43.5 grains
Bullet = 350 grain hornady RN.
primers = CCI 200
COL. = 2.550
case length = 2.095

I have loaded the 45/70 with IMR 4198,IMR 4064, IMR 3031,H4895 and RL 7. And I have had my most accurate loads with IMR 4198.
I have a shotgun scope on mine it keeps me from getting black eyes. :shock:

DD444

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john humphries

· #9 · Dec 6, 2005

4198 is my favorite powder and a shotgun scope is on my Guide Gun for those "starless" shooting days. I load 350 gr lead gas check bullets.

[Smoke]

Discussion Starter · #10 · May 4, 2006

For deer season this year I loaded up 450gr gc. I tested these at the range using IMR3031 in my stainless guidegun with incredibly surprising accuracy. Not at the bench but I think I used 41gr. What ever it was, it is a SLIGHTLY compressed load.
The deer I shot was a doe on the last day of the season. 1st deer with this rifle. I was surprised when I noticed the entry and exit wound was smaller than that of my 30.06. I asked the store keeper at the local reloading supply store about it. He says .45/70's just do that. So he must not have known either. I've heard people say that these guns arent accurate but I must disagree.

[Smoke]

Discussion Starter · #11 · May 4, 2006

by the way, I let my dad shoot this load. he was sitting at the shooting bench sighting in on the target. I told him these kick pretty good so expect it. he's 5'7" 140lbs and i knew it would "get" him pretty good. when he fired, it knocked his hat off and almost put him on the ground. he didnt shoot it again. :lol:

Acenturian

· #12 · May 17, 2006

I have not had any reloads done up for my Marlin Guide gun in .45/70. I just got back a couple days ago and fired off a few rounds of the Buffalo Bore .45-70 mag loads which are 405 gr Jacked flat Nose at 2000 FPS.

WOW what a load. Here is the best part, I expected a heck of a lot more recoil. Don't get me wrong its not no .22 but not all that bad.

I was standing so when I shot that helped. Im sure on a bench it would be much worse. I also replaced the stock recoil pad with a pachmyer de-accelerator which being soft and mushy takes out much felt recoil. my only complaint is I was only wearing a T-shirt and the recoil pad tended to rub along my shoulder when I fired causing some purple bruising but overall very tollerable to me.

WyrTwister

· #13 · Dec 20, 2007

[Smoke] said:
A few months ago I bought my first lever gun, the Marlin 45-70 1895GS. I looked at others but I couldn't get my eye off the marlin.
I put a Nikon 3-9x40 on it and after a long hour of sighting it in, I was getting 2 1/2" groups at 100yds. with Winchester 300gr. JHP.
Now that I've broken the beast in, I am currently attempting to handload for better accuracy. Going with 425gr. FNGC with 37.6gr of IMR 4198. Does anyone else reload the 45-70, and what loads do you use?

My marlin MicroGroove load is 13.5 - 13.6 grains of Unique for 300 to 405 grain bullets . About 1150 FPS , nice easy load .

God bless
Wyr

1gsplover

· #14 · Dec 21, 2007

That little boy who :roll: lives in each of us must not be denied when we begin reloading! After lighting up the sky with redline loads for a bit, hopefully we then mature and begin loading sanely.
I now shoot middle strength 45-70 loads and like 'em!
Just what I've observed and experienced.

Shoot sanely and safely.
///old 8) pharte///

rangersr71

· #15 · Apr 3, 2008

To my load in: I love my 45/70 Guide Gun and Ruger #1. I loan a Seirra 300 on top of 49 grains of IMR 4198. It really works good. I used this load on deer, black bear and a moose. Good clean kills, but you have to practice and get use to it. It does bite, but it shoots a good one in group at 100 yards.

Smoke 'Em

· #16 · Apr 9, 2008

We use Speer 350 gr SP for ROOSEVELT ELK (Not Rocky Mt. Elk, which is a bit smaller.) 45-70 bullets don't need to be fancy. They're big and relatively slow as high powered rifle bullets go. They do the job with diameter and weight, not fancy partitions.

350 gr bullet is plenty unless you're going after Grizzly Bear or Kodiak.

Hodgdon 4895 -- I start in the middle of the load range from the Hodgdon manual and work from there. 1.5" to 2" group at 100 yds.

Scopes we're using on these rigs is a Leupold 33mm 1.5 - 6 X, heavy duplex reticle because we're hunting in heavy woods at nomimally 75 yds. Many prefer the open "buckhorn" sights that come std on the Marlin. Yeah, watch the eye relief. Scopes bite.

There are a couple issues on group size:

One is that the trajectory is "loopy" -- The 45-70 is not a flat shooting trajectory. We get a lot of "atmospheric" stuff going on here -- wind gusts. That and a loopy trajectory affects the group.

The other is "flinch."

I'm a "recoil junky" and like shooting heavy loads, large calibers. The 45-70 Govt. is one of the few calibers I find myself "pulling away from" when I squeeze the trigger.

That's why people call it "The Thumpinator."

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heelerman

· #17 · Sep 26, 2008

A dear old pard of mine loaded me some 45 70 a few years back. My gun is a 1895 that has been chopped and had the rediculous safty removed. As I recall the load is a 500 grn bullet backed by 3031. I think (dont' hold me to this) 40grns?
Anyway, the 500 grn bullet is pretty devistating. Stuff falls over pretty good. As to recoil, its not bad. In fact once you peel your bottom lip off your forhead and your eyes come back around forward and refocus, everything is fine.

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