The new Marlin 45/70 22inch lever, classic,2017

[Crosseye]

Hello, I am just Louisiana man, love the outdoors, just recently purchased a marlin45/70 lever action with 22 inch barrel for local hawg Hunting and deer , I chose 300 grain jhps Winchester cartridges with new 6 x40 scope purchased from optics planet.com. I'm not looking to shoot at anything over a hundred yards. I like any input about my setup for this rifle.

 

[eastbank]

my favorite 45-70 load for deer is a the 300-350gr hornady with a starting load of 56grs of H-4898,working up to 60grs max. in my ruger #3 it kills like chain lighting and very accurett. eastbank.

 

[Crosseye]

Thanks for the picture ,and the info, I just shoot factory ammo, reloading is fine, there's a learning curve for reloading.

 

[Crosseye]

Open sights are out of the question for me, as my eyes aren't Sharp as they used to be. That's why I scoped it with 6x40 fixed. It's a free pleasure to get out in the woods and show grandson about deer ,hogs, and responsibility to the environment, respect for others, and safe practice.

 

[Crosseye]

We're getting tornadoes here around woodworth, and Alexandria, la.

 

[Varminterror]

As a lover of the Marlin levergun, one thing I have noted in any of them upon I have mounted a scope is the necessity for a cheek piece. The factory comb height, at least for me, is ideal for the factory irons, but leaves me far too low when running a scope. Below is one of my wife's 1895's, note the optic is about as low as it can be, but she needs almost a full inch of comb rise to center in the optic (makes sense, right? 40mm optic, ~1/8" clearance above the sights, that means the crosshairs are centered about an inch higher than the irons).

I'm a firm believer the optic is for the shooter, not for the rifle, so you'll note we have a 4.5-14x optic on top. With the turret cap removed, we can dial up for 300+ yards- which means we can access a lot more of the effective range than most folks typically consider out of the powerful 45-70.

Seldom few things in life do I enjoy more than carrying a short handling, scoped levergun afield after game.

 

[Crosseye]

Thanks

 

[dh1633pm]

For factory ammo out of my 1895G, I shoot 45-70 Government 325 gr FTX LEVERevolution. Not much this factory load won't kill. For roll your own I use Remington 300 Grain Jacketed behind AA5744. I also load 300 grain lead using the same powder.

 

[JeffG]

Don't rule out cast bullet handloads.

 

[MistWolf]

I personally feel a 6x is too much magnification for the 45-70. It will give you no advantage at the ranges you'll be shooting on the type of game typically hunted but will be slower to get on target than lower powered optics. For a fixed power scope, you would be better served with a 2.5x or less. A variable in the 1-4x range would be more versatile

 

[GooseGestapo]

Never heard of H4898 !!
Mean 4198 or 4895 ????

 

[eastbank]

sorry fat finger syndrom, H-.4895. eastbank.

 

[Bull Nutria]

6x is a little too much magnification for LA woods. I like a 1x4, 2x7 for LA woods. I keep it set on lowest power. if a long shot 100+ yards presents itself you have time to crank your scope up. I close shot in thick cover all you will see is hair and you won't know if the hair is on the butt, belly or shoulder!! I very strongly suggest a lower powered scope.

Bull

 

[LoonWulf]

I would also be inclined to go with a lower power vairiable, BUT from 30yds on out im comfortable with a 6x scope, closer and im slower but still confident.

It really l depends on the shooter and what they are comfortable with.

 

[cdb1]

As a lover of the Marlin levergun, one thing I have noted in any of them upon I have mounted a scope is the necessity for a cheek piece. The factory comb height, at least for me, is ideal for the factory irons, but leaves me far too low when running a scope. Below is one of my wife's 1895's, note the optic is about as low as it can be, but she needs almost a full inch of comb rise to center in the optic (makes sense, right? 40mm optic, ~1/8" clearance above the sights, that means the crosshairs are centered about an inch higher than the irons).

I'm a firm believer the optic is for the shooter, not for the rifle, so you'll note we have a 4.5-14x optic on top. With the turret cap removed, we can dial up for 300+ yards- which means we can access a lot more of the effective range than most folks typically consider out of the powerful 45-70.

Seldom few things in life do I enjoy more than carrying a short handling, scoped levergun afield after game.

I need a comb riser too on my 336.

 

[Dexter Winslett]

I have the Guide Gun and love it. Dropped a nice buck in a swamp bottom this year with it. With "old" eyes I did did put a Nikon 2x7 scope on it. I shoot the Hornady leverevolution rounds.

 

[jmr40]

Another vote against the scope. At 6X it is too much scope for that rifle. A 1-4X20 will be much lighter, compact and be a better fit. On 1X it is faster to use than iron sights and 4X is enough magnification for at 300-400 yard shots. After getting it zeroed you'll probably never take it off 1X.

 

[22250Rem]

Sounds like a woods gun to me......So I'm with those who have already suggested a fxed 2.5x or a 1-4X variable. Got a 1-4x on my Marlin 30-30 and its all I'd ever need on a woods gun. Got a 2.5x on my rifled barrel 12 ga. slug gun. They're both Leupolds, and with a woods gun don't forget that not all shots are gonna be out at 100 yds. or so. The 2.5 power on my slug gun gets sighted in at 100 and it's no problem whatsoever at that range. The thing I like about it is that it also gives me a bigger field of view than higher powered stuff when you get those closer range shots. For 100 yds. and under I could hunt the rest of my life with a 2.5 power scope and never feel any need for more. The 30-30 also gets sighted in at 100 yds. with the scope turned up to 4 power but usually in the woods its down about 2. So they're both a little high at about 50 yds. and right on at 100 and the smaller, lighter stuff just looks better to me on a lever gun or an 870 slug gun. Here's the Marlin in the woods. >

 

[RunninLate]

I reload for a Marlin and a Ruger 1 and like shooting a 405 grn lead bullet. I usually keep the velocity below 1400 f/sec. They used to hunt buffalo with that bullet.

I will shot and reloaded Hornady 350 and Nosler 300 JHP only if I want to top 1600 f/sec but do not like the recoil with out the limb saver.

The #1 has a 1x4 on it and the Marlin is iron sights

 

[76shuvlinoff]

I don't hunt, I just enjoy Marlin threads. Got a couple older 39As and a Model 60 in .22 cal. There's a 1894c in .357 too. Those are creme puffs.

Then there's a 26" barreled 1895cb 45/70 for when I really need a recoil fix.

 

[greenmtnguy]

I've got a Leupold scope on my 22" 1895 that I use for whitetail deer hunting up the the woods of northern new england. My scope is a variable VX1 1-4X and have also used a VX3 1.5-5X. Unless I am sitting on the edge of a big field, I generally have it set on 2X most of the time.

 

[Maj Dad]

For pigs I wouldn't use a hollow point - the soft point, or better, a hard lead slug will have a better chance of punching through a big one's hide. In my 1974 vintage 1895 I use 300 gr HPs & SPs interchangeably for deer and both are clones of Thor's Hammer. I also hunt in woods, and settled on a fixed Weaver K3W wideview scope a long time ago - it is compact and has good light transmission but is a little sensitive to eye relief. I agree the 1-4 variable would be a really good choice; if I were to take to the woods in earnest again, I would consider getting one. I went through all the powders over the years, and I found that 53 gr IMR 3031 under a 300 gr HP/SP is the cat's meow for my rifle. Since zeroing it in the mid-70's, I have never had to re-zero, even after dragging it all over the country in the military. It will shoot an honest .8-1.0 inch 100 yd group off the bench, at about 1800-1900 fps. I have used other powders - 4198 is good - but nothing has ever beat the 3031 load, so I don't fix what ain't broke...

 

[eastbank]

with imr 3031 i got unburnt grains of powder in the barrel, with H-4198 none. eastbank.

 

[SwampWolf]

My eyes will be 74 years old later this month and I've always had to wear glasses-but I still can shoot rifles with receiver sights accurately. Maybe not as well as with a high-powered scope but plenty good enough for the whitetail environs I hunt in-mostly shots taken in the Michigan cedar swamps and Pennsylvania brushy forests that don't go much past 100 yards.

 

[Timtoolman]

I had a marlin lever gun in 45/70. I used the old weaver flip scope mount on it. I had a 3-9 weaver scope on it . Animal to close for scope? Just flip it over and use iron sights. Hunted boar in S.C. While I was stationed there .