My favorite load works equally well in a marlin 1895SS with a 22" barrel and a NEF handi rifle with a 22" barrel. Using Hornady 350 RN or 350FP bullets its 45.0 of IMR4198 The marlin handles 350 grain bullets the best 400's are ok and doesn't like 300 grain bullets at all. The NEF however shoots the 300, 350 and 400's all with great accuracy

I am sure your load is a good one, i use the same powder and bullets, although I go to 47.1 grains with the 350 and 50.9 with the 300 grain hornady in my 1895. i used to use RL-7, and it was good also but the recoil went way up.
My eyes are not what they used to be, so i put a VX2 1X4 power leupold scope on it, that was an eye opener, My marlin whth the 350 grain hornady flat point gave a 3 shot group of 1.10
and the 300 grain Hollow point gave 1.5 off the bench.
I am thinking of taking it along in a mule deer hunt in early october, as an opisate number to my .257 roberts...j3006

I've been using 48.5 of H4198 with the 350 FN..Sure is a killer,and a brush cutter

I shoot 420 grain Gas checked cast bullets out of my Marlin 1895 with a 22 inch barrel and it clocks in at 1706. The charge is 40 grains of IMR 4198 and Winchester LR primers were used.It cloverleafs 3 shots at 100 yards.

What brand 420 grain gas check bullets are you using? What is the bullet diameter? Casting yourself? If so, what mold?

If you want to try something a little different, try AA2230C. Works great in my Handi.

I've had excellent results with IMR-3031 @ 53 grains using 400 gr speers in my guide gun. have 2.5 x 8 leupold as optics. shoot 1" at 120 yds. Nice thing about this load is no meat damage. You can eat right up to the bullet hole. Really thumps hogs and whitetails.
GWB

In my 1895S (not SS) Marlin, I have tried several powders with 400 grn bullets both cast and Speer 400grn JSP and mine prefers H322 by an edge. I load 53-54 grn over an F210 primer and it will shoot under an inch at 100 yds consistently. I like IMR4198 for the 300 grn Hornady HPs. Layne Simpson published an article on the 45-70 with load data in one of the gun rags some years back and he was pushing the 400's over 1900 fps in the 1895 Marlin. Great article for reference if you can find it. Yes, I have a copy somewhere... you know how that goes! Good Shooting!
Jeff P

I agree, have had 3 Marlins that would cut a ragged hole with 53 gr. IMR3031 and the 400 gr. Speer FP. Velocity was always between 1,800- 1,900 FPS. I think the Speer is a little soft for game larger than Deer though. With 400 grain hard cast, I find 48 gr. Accurate arms 2495 works great.