45/70 Marlin Cowboy, what are some recommendations for stout loads?

[Big Boomer]

Title says it all...45/70 1895 Marlin Cowboy, what are some recommendations for stout loads?

But I'll add more...hehe

I am trying to narrow down some powder to get for my new addition to the family. So far I find that I like H4198 I think it is. What others and bullet weight combos are good for:

1. Hunting deer/hog/bear
2. Seeing if you can break your friends shoulder that wants to shoot it
3. Penetrating a Blue Whale
4. mega explosive loudenboomer that trips seismic sensors 3 counties away

5. Oh, did I mention accuracy?


I see bullet weights from 300 to 500 anything bigger/lighter? Let me know your favorites!

 

[dmftoy1]

I don't load right up to the maximum, but here's my "stout" load.

56gr. H335
Hornady 350gr FP Interlock bullet
CCI200 Primer
Starline brass
COL 2.539 COL

(That's not a max load, but start lower and work your way up as YMMV). The biggest trick for the 1895's is to get the COL right as they can be finicky about feeding. I think the "magic" number is 2.550 but you'd want to do some research. (Taffin has an excellent article that I used as a starting point . .I think it's "realguns.com" or something like that)

Good luck!

Have a good one,
Dave

 

[RecoilRob]

My favorite is a cast 425 w/gc over 48.5grns of RL 7. Good for over 1800fps and not much will stop one.
And, the recoil is 'energetic'.

 

[Cypress]

+1 for reloader 7. I buy bulk remington 405 SP. They are cheap and I have not found anything in TX that will stop them.

 

[ReloaderFred]

I also load the Remington 405 grain SP bullet, but use IMR 3031. Punched through both sides of my moose in Northern Alberta last October. I'd trust this bullet for most any North American game or predator.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[Cypress]

IMR 3031 worked pretty good for me too. Probably the most accurate but velocity suffered pretty bad in my guide gun. Might be a lot better in a longer barrel. Haven't loaded much 45-70 since the hotter load data came out so I was experimenting in the dark. I'm not sure my shoulder will stand testing anything hotter than what I am shooting. Looking pretty close at some cast performance bullets though.

 

[dwwhite]

For my standard 1895, 55 grains of Varget under a 400 grain jacketed soft point produces dramatic terminal ballistics on rampaging mesquite trees. It also generates recoil that can be described as somewhere north of "brisk"!!!

After loading up 50 or so of these elephant loads, and finding that I don't run across many elephants in this part of the country, I've gradually been shooting them up, though never very many at a time.

I also found that some light loads of Trail Boss under a 300-400 grain cast bullet results in a great cure for the flinch developed by shooting the rounds described above.

Thats the great thing about the .45-70 though, a handloader with a stout rifle can load to the extremes of the power spectrum. I second Cypress' reccommendation for Cast Performance bullets.

 

[Asherdan]

Joe at Real Guns has written up the 45/70 and 1895G pretty well. The articles and the load data gave me a good starting point.

 

[redneck2]

Lyman's loading book has your loads listed. I use the same ones with 55 of Varget as above with Speer 400 gr SP's. I have every confidence it's all the fun you want in a (relatively) small package.

 

[PowderApe]

In my Borschardt-Sharps (1878 falling block) rifle I like a 300gr FP in front of 53 gr 3031... Very accurate and relatively easy on the shoulder

I also do 56.4 gr Pyrodex Ctg behind that same 300 gr pill...
Black powder is mild and fun- once the smoke clears!

If I have to stop a locomotive or other thick skinned land tanks, I like to use a 300 gr bullet in front of 59gr 3031... Bring the ice packs for the shoulder but dang, it's sure is accurate from a 100+ year old buffalo gun!!

Them locomotives... they're kinda hard to skin but they do taste like chicken!!