billt, I am surprised you are using 3031. Of course the heavy bullet might make it work but when I tried it, unburned powder would fall out of the gun and cases. Accuracy was very good, but velocity was low. I tried 4198 and it works good with the condom bullets but not so good with cast. I now use 4759 and velocity is good and accuracy is extreme. I have no trouble hitting at 200 yds and have clanged steel at 500 yds. I love this gun above all the other ones I own and just can't seem to make boolits fast enough. I have to wait for a rainy day and cast 1000 so I have more to shoot. I spent the day yesterday shooting my friends Freedom arms .454 and it is not any more accurate then my BFR. The noise is very bad with it. It is a nice gun and I would love to have one but can't justify the extra cost. I could buy 2 BFR's for the price. Looking at the .480/.475 for the next one. Will not kill deer any deader though. I got 2 with the BFR 45-70 last season and was impressed with how fast they went down. Of course the ones I got with the Ruger old army cap and ball and the Ruger SBH didn't go any farther. Only way to hunt!

I am curious about the BFR in .450 Marlin and 45-70.I see the .450 Marlin rated at a much higher pressure level than the 45-70.Is this because of SAAMI which I think it is.Are the two BFR guns capable of the same pressures in other words can the BFR 45-70 be loaded safely over SAAMI pressures like the Marlins and Winchesters in leverguns can?

Jayco.

The .450 BFR will safely handle loads up to 45,000 CUP (ie, factory). Since the guns are identical with respect to construction, the .45-70s can be pushed just as hard (actually, the .500 S&W BFR safely handles factory ammo up to 49,000 CUP).

Lee Martin
www.singleactions.com

And the 500 S&W has thinner chamber walls than the 45-70. Magnum Research officially says to not use anything but factory loads and wouldn't comment on the safe pressure range. I have the 45-70 BFR and have loaded it with 405's up to 1750fps and the cases just fall out when the gun is tipped up or they need just the slightest touch. The gun is no longer fun to shoot at that level but will still turn in 1.4" groups at 50yds with open sights. I would suggest a padded shooting glove if you intend to shoot very many at that level. Also work up to it in terms of shooting style. I don't know if you shoot the big ones or not, but if your not careful they can get away from you. I relaxed a bit too much on one shot and bumped the bill of my ball cap. Also the shorter BFR is chambered in 475 Linebaugh which has the same case head as 45-70 and is loaded to much higher pressures. I think I've seen published load data for the 475 in the 55ksi range. So I don't see any reason that you couldn't safely run the 45-70 BFR at 450 marlin pressures.

On the Magnum Research site under faq it is asked how much will it take or something like that and they say to use 45-70 #2 loads which is Marlin-Winchester levergun loads to 40,000 CUP but they go on to say on another part that factory ammo and 25,000 PSI or handload to 30,000 PSI??????If they are made the same ie .450 Marlin and 45-70 then 43,500 would be the SAAMI and Hornady factory loads are around 42,000 PSI for the .450 Marlin.

I have a .454 and would like to get a Pistol-Rifle combo and would rather have the BFR to go with my Guide Gun than a .454 Puma levergun.And if the BFR can take loads to .450 Marlin pressures, reloading would be much easier.On there chart the 450 Marlin generates just slightly less recoil than the .454 with the 45-70 being much less with factory loads of course.

Thanks,Jayco.

One thing to keep in mind here is that the 45-70 BFR weighs in around 5 #. If I was going to be walking around the woods with a levergun/wheelgun combo, I think the lighter weight of the 454 would be a definate advantage. A buddy of mine has the Puma in 44mag and it shoots really great.

Jayco, this has been my beef also with the 30,000 psi limit. Since a cylinder can be bought for the .450 and it will be thinner in the head area due to the belt, I can see no such limits for the 45-70. Brass strength should be the same in either. However, I just hunt deer with my 45-70 so I don't need a lot of power. I made a mould for an LBT style gas check boolit that weighs 317 grs. I use 31 grs. of SR4759 and get 1535 fps. It is a pleasure to shoot and poleaxes deer like no tommorrow. I see no need for a heavier boolit or more velocity. This thing shoots accurately to 500 yds. The drop from a sight setting at 75 yds is 8" at 150 yds and 16" at 200 yds. At 500 it drops about 26 feet.
I do know that no animal on this continent will stop the boolit. I loaded heavier boolits and they didn't kill any better. Most deer I have taken go from 30 feet to 30 yds.

Has anyone tried shooting any bullets over 405 gr's out of this gun? I have this gun in the 10" barrel and wonder how the 450gr. soft points or solids would do out of it with less than hot loads.

I've shot 500gn cast out of mine at around 1500ish. This was at the end of a long range day with the gun and my hand had taken a beating already, so the only thing I remember was that it hurt. I may have it written down somewhere, but I think the groups were in the 3" range at 50yds.

Sounds like a real nice carry load for those big western prairie dawgs I keep hearing about.
May be crazy but I wanted to and probably will someday try either the 500gr. Speer or 450gr. A-Frames. Should be one hell-of-a elk, bear, elephant, woodchuck kinda load.
I had not planed on trying to get 1500 out of it more like 1350-1400 or so.
I have also been looking at the 480/475 combo to try out with a 7.5 barrel.
Dave

I was looking for just such a conversation.
Are the people who have a BFR or have shot one like them and are they accurate?

Extremely accurate and well fit......many will do 1.5"-2.0" at 50 yards with iron sights.

Lee Martin
www.singleactions.com

I like my BFR and yes it is accurate. With a 405 cast at 1750fps going into 1.5" at 50yds with open sights. The only downside is the weight for carrying.