Marlin 45/70

How bad will one of these knock you around? Anyone ever shot one?

Shot one with some Hornady Leverlution Ammo, bout like shooting 12ga slugs.

I have one of the Cowboy 1895's that isn't to bad with the lighter loads , like a 405gr lead bullet @1200 fps , but it gets a "little rude" the hotter you get . If you are going to shoot the hotter loads I would suggest getting the ones with the curved(pistol grip) rear stock as it is easier to hold on to and doesn't "rap" your knuckles like the straight stocks do . The lever guns are a lot of fun , I just got a Marlin 1894CB .357 mag that I shot today with .38 spl. bouncing tin cans around ,some fun . Good Luck

The factory loads are pretty wimpy. Warm handloads with H-4198 ara good (and clean). Heavy loads with IMR-3031 and A-2495 will require a shoulder pad.

My mother and I bought my father a guide gun for Christmas 4 or 5 years ago. I shot it some before he sold it, it wasn't much worse than a hot turkey load in a 12 gauge.

It was nothing compared to the sharps I used to have.

I’m a HUGE fan of the .45-70 – but most factory loads are for Trapdoor pressures (ie: wimpy). If you reload, then the .45-70 world will be your oyster. The .45-70 will turn “cover” into mere “concealment” in VERY short order with proper loads.

I own a classic Winchester 1886 takedown that I love dearly for what it is and represents. Lever-gun “purists” tends to laugh-off folks that look towards building a “tactical levergun” – I consider such people as closed-minded. Here’s my classic->

http://i311.photobucket.com/albums/kk445/snot-rocket/1886.jpg

It breaks down to fit in that small case along with either a Trapper .44mag or .357mag lever. So…

Why should all my guns be reminiscent of the 1800’s??? Well, they’re NOT. Here’s my Marlin 1895 SBL sporting an Aimpoint (2 MOA) Comp ML3 in a LaRue Tactical RAS II QD mount->

http://i311.photobucket.com/albums/kk445/snot-rocket/Marlins2.jpg

Few assailants would be hard-pressed to make me feel “under-gunned” with this ass-kicker in my capable hands…

I plan to pick up a 3x magnifier (in another LaRue QD mount), and move the Aimpoint further forward on that tactical rail, then coat the “too shiny” stainless with a flat-gray CeraKote.

I’ve posted this on sites that cater to levergun folks and no one could really “talk shit” about it – so I figure that they appreciate that I like classic levers and still know how to whip up a rifle that would strike fear into the bravest heart (depending on the depth of their cover).

I would NOT want anyone shooting at me with one of these... :eek:

If that shit fails, then there's the "PSL-54c"...

http://i311.photobucket.com/albums/kk445/snot-rocket/psl.jpg

ammo is *still* cheap for this ungainly bastard! :laugh_sma

...and yeah, I finally got a Butler "flip-up" to replace the "medicine-cap" lens cover.. :tongue_sm

I just shot my Marlin 1895G again last Sunday. I got it all dialed in for 100 and 200 yard work on Coyotes off the patio . :D

Load is 38.5 grs of IMR 3031 under a 405 cast flat point. From a well bagged rest it will shoot into 2" with factory sights and my old azz eyes.

I will be procuring a Lyman # 2 in the next few weeks.


That 405 grainer just fuggin ROLLS a calf eatin coyote no matter where you connect on him. :skull:


20 rounds of practice with that load from the bench leaves me not sore, but I can tell I been shootin'. Offhand or rested in the field on a tree or fencepost and I never even remember the recoil.

20 rounds of practice with that load from the bench leaves me not sore, but I can tell I been shootin'. Offhand or rested in the field on a tree or fencepost and I never even remember the recoil.

I ran 40-rounds of fairly hot reloads the first time I took my 1886 out and my shoulder looked like it had a giant hickey on it for a week...

I picked up one of those "Bob Allen" pads that you can wear on your shoulder and I can shoot all I want with no bruising anymore. The nice thing is you only need to buy one and can use it for any of your guns and not have to modify them.

I shot a guide gun with some really hot loads in it. The checkering on the
forearm tore the skin off my fingers. I sighted it in for the guy and told him
good luck with it. I don't think he ever shot it again. Too light of a gun to be
launching 4000+ ft lb. projectiles. With original 45-70 loads it would have been
a nice little rifle.

I have shot a lot of 45-70 over the years. It's a great round for a person that reloads. As others have said low power rounds are gentle on the shoulder. When you start using hot loads with heavy bullets you will notice the recoil.

Hornady makes some 350 grain jacketed bullets that can be pushed at decent speeds without much pain. I have had good results with them. They even stay together in moose.

For a Marlin rifle with a "micro groove" barrel. I get the best accuracy using jacketed bullets and VV130 or VV133 powder. Younger eyes than mine have shot some very tight groups with a Marlin and VV133.

Skeeter!