Could anyone with reloading software on their computer give me a little help? I am trying to work up 45-70 loads for my Marlin 1895 CB with IMR 4064 and Hornady jacketed 350-grain flatpoints. (I also intend to try the same thing with 405-grain Remingtons.) In the 350-grain Hornadys, I will be working upward from a start load of 53 grains of 4064 to 60 grains. (I am using Winchester brass, because it has a little more case capacity than the others, and I need that capacity to get 60 grains into the case under that bullet without compressing it severely; and CCI 200 primers.) I think 60 grains should be plenty safe in my rifle. I am told that Hornady's manual, 3rd edition, gives 59.9 grains with a 350-grain roundnose bullet, at 1900 fps. (However, the 5th edition of the Hornady manual wimps out and gives only 57.6 grains as max, at 1800 fps.) Nick Harvey's Practical Reloading manual gives 60 grains as max with a 350-grain bullet at 1950 fps. It's a slow powder, by 45-70 standards, and I believe that at 60 grains it is nowhere near the 35,000-40,000 CUP peak pressures that I think should be the maximum in the 1895.

The question I would like help with is this. I think I have room in the case, with some more compression, to go up to 62 grains of 4064. What peak pressure can I expect from that load, using Winchester cases and the Hornady flatpoint bullet?

Have you checked the web-sites of the various manufacturers like Hormady? Or try the BigBore section of www.marlinrifles.com

Those are good suggestions, Bill; and yes, I have done those things. I am hoping that someone who has Load From A Disk or QuickLoad or some other software can plug in the numbers and give me a peak pressure and velocity for 60-62 grains of IMR 4064 with a 350-grain Hornady bullet and Winchester brass.

BigBrass

I have been using the 45-70 for over 15 years now, used all the powders suited for the 45-70 and the best I have found is:

45-70
350 Hornsdy FN
Reloader 7 @ 50.2
Fed Match 210GM Primers
WW Cases

Crimp using Lee Factory Crimp Die
Excellent load for game up too Moose and Bear
2000 FPS in the GG, w/MOA accuracy

posted this over at the big bore forum, might as well get another posting

Hodgdon manual shows you can get around 2000fps@30,000cup in 24" barrel 1895 and the IMR4064 is midway between the burning rates. Quickload struggles with straight wall calibers, so I poked around to see if the 4064 burn rate data is off. For the H powders, Quickload is about 14 to 18% higher pressure for the same velocity. For the 458 Wmag, the 4064 data was about 12% high, so from this, I assume 4064 burn rate is close and it is the straight wall calculation that is in error.

Given this, after calibrating quickload, the estimate for 28" barrel and the 350g Hyd, was
1828fps@26,000 cups for 55g. Kinda makes sense compared to IMR data of 405g Win, 25" and 55g for 1780fps@26700 cup.

Anyhow, this is all a figment of a computer's imagination, but I would be curious as to your measured velocity for the 55g IMR4064 and the 350g bullet.

rgds,

steve

Thanks for your comments, guys - they were helpful.

Over the weekend, I worked up loads in my 1895 CB (26" barrel) with IMR 4064 from 53 grains to 60 grains, using the Hornady 350-grain flat-point bullets, off of sandbags at the bench. 58 grains was the best -- 2.4 inches for five shots at 100 yards. This is pretty good accuracy, considering that (1) I shoot that rifle without a scope, and (2) my eyes are not very good. A better shooter with better eyesight could have shot much smaller groups, I have no doubt. I do not have a chronograph; but I think that load is probably giving me about 2030-2050 fps out of my 26" barrel. 60 grains produced a 3.4" five-shot group. There were no signs of undue pressure from the brass at 60 grains (no sticky extraction, and case stretch was only about .002"); but I don't think I can recommend that 60-grain load to others, because the recoil was enough to kick open the action. (I had trouble keeping the lever fully closed when the gun discharged.) This may mean that 60 grains is too hot, despite the absence of other pressure signs. I will continue to test whether the slow powders are more accurate in my long Cowboy barrel than the faster ones like Reloder 7 and IMR 3031. I plan to try try 53-60 grains of Varget next.

BigBrass

[ 08-12-2003, 01:09: Message edited by: BigBrass ]

49grns of RE-7. The uper group was at 100yrds and the lower is 50yrd. Both with AO Iron sights. The flyer was a sighter.

CuriousGB: That's nice shooting, with a peep sight. Were you using a Marlin 1895CB (26" barrel)or some rifle with a shorter barrel? I have a theory, which I am trying to confirm, that the long-barreled Marlin 1895 models like my CB do better, accuracy-wise, with powders (such as IMR 4064) that are slower than Reloder 7.

Big Brass,

Thanks. I am using the 1895 with 22" barrel. I was surprised seeing as it was the first time I had used the AO ghost ring site. I bought them from from a friend that had them on a guide gun. He couldn't get a decent group with them. Though with a scope his guide gun is very accurate. Re-7 was the first load I used. I think it is 49grns at roughly 1950fps. My moto is if it works don't f with it.

George