45-70 Load 500 Grain HELP!

[Big Boomer]

I am scouring the web and my books but cannot find anything for my Marlin 1895 Cowboy. I am have bought some 500gr Jacketed Round Nose and had considered also buying the FMJ flat nose but cannot find any load data for them.

I'm not recoil shy I'm looking for some good stout arse kickin loads to make me bleed a little then laugh later

Anyhow, I have some H4198 and some IMR 3031 these seem to be the most common powders but all my data is for lead or hard cast at the 500gr mark. These seem a little long in the nose are they going to be an issue chambering? I know that I cannot use the big ole 500gr Barnes X as they are waaaaay to long or at least they seem to be. I'd load those if I could.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


Edit: Finally found this:

Rifle: Browning 1885 High Wall, falling block single shot, 28" barrel.

Bison handload: 500 grain Hornady InterLock RN bullet, 50.1 grains of IMR 3031 powder, CCI 200 primer, Federal case. Estimated MV 1,700 fps (based on the Hornady Handbook, 7th Edition).

Can anyone verify? I am assuming this is a bit to stout for a Marlin Cowboy.

 

[ReloaderFred]

The round nose bullet is going to be problematic in your Marlin, since there's the possibility of a detonation in the magazine tube when you fire a round in the chamber. The round nose rests against the primer of the round ahead of it, and hot loaded .45-70's generate plenty of recoil and enough energy to set off those other primers.

Flat nose or hollow point bullets are called for in tube fed magazines. I won't use round nose bullets in any of my many Marlin rifles or carbines.

Hope this helps.

Fred

PS: I took my first moose with my Marlin 1895 .45-70 this past fall in Northern Alberta. I couldn't ask for a better round for the job. It's going elk hunting with me this fall.

 

[flashhole]

I have used the Hornady 350 grain RN bullet for several years and sent several hundered of them down range without incidence in my lever gun. If they were a danger Hornady would not sell them in loaded ammo for the 45-70 or 450 Marlin.

 

[MMCSRET]

The problems already discussed are all valid, in addition is the fact that you will have to seat the 500 so deep in the case that it will severely diminish your capacity for powder. All the 500's on the market are for bolt guns and single shots, in order to cycle thru the action you have a very short max. length. Lyman 47th ed. lists the 500 for Ruger #1's starting at 44 gr. IMR-3031. Back down and try 35 gr. in your Marlin and see what you can work with or start lower, it's your baby with a lot of problems and potential.

 

[rcmodel]

You will find the Hornady and other brand 500 grain bullets to have the crimp cannulure in the wrong place to feed through a Marlin, or any other lever-action.

Suggested OAL for the 500's is nearly 3", and the Marlin will only work with a loaded OAL of about 2.550".

That is one of the reasons they don't list any load data for that bullet in the chapter for 1895 Marlins.

They have to be crimped for use in tube magazines, but there is no crimping cannulure on the 500 grain bullet to give the correct length.

rcmodel

 

[Water-Man]

Just use Barrett Ammo.

 

[MMCSRET]

If you are interested in cast bullets take a look at Cast Performance Bullets web page and see what they have to say. Might be to your advantage.

 

[Big Boomer]

Well I have already bought a box of 500gr RN Interlocks from Hornady...they were kind of expensive. Not sure if I can return them. I bought them while out of town.

I'd like to be able to use them. I will be trying out some Cast Performance later. I have loaded those in many other calibers and have been happy with their performance.


Soooo STILL looking for ANY LOAD that I can use. I know it will have to be seated deep to feed with a low powder charge. But hell I can load my 500 with a 500gr and a 700gr. I should be able to pull off a 500 in the the 45/70

 

[MMCSRET]

You can work up a load and single load them to see what they do when fired, all my Marlins will chamber a longer round than will feed out of the magazine.