Hey gazors,
first of all let me explain that i�m not "used" to see to many LeverAction (LA) Guns here in Germanyand that�s why not realy "in" with Lever Action guns , actions, systems,..goods and bads..and and and..
So i need some hinds from the pro�s !
Of what i�ve heraed the marlins are one of the best concerning shooting precission and the strongness of the system..is that a rumour or truth?
Which Modles would be your favourite?And why?
Some time ago i was interested in a LA, but because i realy don�t needed one...i haven�t bought one.
Now i have seen some different MArlin LA Guns in the used gun Market in 45-70Govt, .444MArlin and 450.Marlin and thinking of get me one.
Maybe just for plinking on the stand but maybe as a back up Gun for "NAchsuchen" or for dfriven hunts on wild boars, reds and fallows.
Where is the difference between the single (listed above) calibres ? Is one realy better as the other or one more accurate or more "friendly" to shoot for the shoulder as the other?
Or are they all nearly the same and will give the same results if used on boares and other game?

By the way..the gun i�m thinking to buy is a Marlin 1895 G,

how much is such a gun in the states(new) and how much would u spend for a nearly new modell?

So if u can "provide" me with some hinds and your oppinions!
If u need some more information to answer my questions...i will give them, just ask for.



Thx�s in Advane

From Germany
Konstantin

Konst#1, if it were I, I'd buy the 1895 in .45-70, as it will do anything the other two will, and ammo might be easier to find, although I don't know the availability of ammo in your area.

I suggest you go to www.marlinfirearms.com and click the "Marlin Talk" thread. You'll find many, many Marlin shooters there, with a lot of information... and a lot of different opinions.

Good luck. L.W.

konst#1



For plinking I would look to a 45 long colt or a 44 mag. The cost is simply cheaper. Also, both rounds are capable of taking deer sized game at about 100 yards. Though if you hand load, there are some relatively inexpensive loads for the 45-70 that produce almost no recoil. Hot loads on the other hand will really whack you. A lot of which has to do with the stock design of the lever action.



For an article comparing the 3 cartridges you mentioned, take a look at: http://www.chuckhawks.com/compared_444_45-70_450.htm



Marlin's cost about $400 to $700 depending on the caliber and barrel configuration. I have a Marlin in 45-70 with a 26 inch octagon barrel that has been magna-ported. In general the Marlin guns can handle about 40,000+ psi which is the maximum pressure of the 450 marlin.



The 45-70 is a nostalgic round for americans. In the late 1800's it was chosen as the offical round of the US Army. This was based on penetration tests at 500 yards.



The 45-70 is about a 125 to 150 yard round depending on load and sites. It will take most all north american game. The only time it becomes problematic is with large Brown Bear. These large slow moving calibers are very efficent on game, if you do your part. I have used mine on deer and russian boar. With a well placed lung shot at 45 to 50 yards, the animal goes down very quickly, usually within a few steps. In part this is because the bullet will penetrate both lungs and keeps on going.



You might also look at the Winchester Trapper model for a plinking rifle, as they are a bit cheaper.



A lever action will never win against a good bolt gun in bench rest competition However, my own experience is that lever action provides for a very quick second shot should the need arise.



Hope this helps a bit.



Regards,



Pete

Konst,

I would get a marlin 1895 in 45/70 and use it for your boar hunting. The 45/70 will flatten the biggest pig out there. You will need to reload to get the best from your 45/70.

I have the 22" barrelled Marlin 1895 with the pistol grip and with a 2.5x compact leupold in warne fixed mounts. I have shot a lot of game with the 300 gr sierra prohunter HPFN and am now using the various 405 gr weights the 300 gr bullets where a bit soft for my likeing.

Konst, the 1895G cost about $435 new in my area. See used ones going for close to $400.
Like PC, I have the 22" model and love it. It loves cast bullets. These are very strong and very accurate lever guns. The 22" model is very handy and I would imagine the 1895G would be just the ticket for Boar and Stag.
I prefer the 45-70, but any of the calibers you mentioned will work. The 45-70 is probably the most versatile as far as store bought ammo goes. All 3 calibers you are looking at will work great, though.

David

The one and only advantage I see to the 444 is if you have a 44 mag pistol and cast your own bullets or reload and have a tight budget or just like to keep things simple. If you do, you can use the same bullets (not the same cartridge, just the bullet)in your rifle as in your handgun.

David

David Thomas has a point about the 444 and 44 bullets. But I'd like to add another point abit favorable to the 444 over the 45-70.

Normally I am not recoil 'concerned' I've shot my 338 mag with my T-shirt on.

I have shot 'heavy' handloads from 45-70 in a Marlin/22" and that 45-70 is damn near BRUTAL....so much so I looked for parts of the rifle to be down range.

I would have liked to shoot the same load out of the 26' Cowboy model...

my 2-cents worth!

The heavy loads are bad in the 7 pound 1895. I loaded a hand full of Reloader 7 under a 400 gr bullet and WOW. Talk about getting your attention.
I am saving the rest for when company comes over...
But the standard loads are a lot of fun and the medium loads are extremely effective!

David

Before you make the leap, you might consider which ammo is more readily available to you. I think the 450 is a waste of time so there's two likely suspects left.

Guten Tag!

I have a 45-70 Marlin 1895 SS (22" barrel). With factory loads, recoil is very moderate. Using carefully developed handloads, the 45-70 demonstrates it's large game potential with more than enough power for European game, including red stag and boars, not to mention fallow and roe deer. Recoil with some of these loads will get your attention (ask me how I know ). I prefer a moderate-heavy load consisting of 405 gr Remington JSPs or hardcast over a 50 grains of IMR 3031. That load should spoil any boar's day...

I've had 3 Marlin .444 rifles and 1 .45-70. I seriously doubt you will be able to tell any real difference in the field between any of the three. They all have plenty of spunk for what you want to use them for. Care has to be taken to choose the proper bullet for any of the three (if you handload). Most .444 bullets are made for .44 Magnum velocities. Some are not made for .44 Magnum velocities and are quite tough. Similarly, many bullets designed for the .45-70 are made for trapdoor velocities and will explode at Marlin velocities.

I really enjoy both calibers but if I had to keep one, I would pick the .444 Marlin. A 265g Hornady FP at 2250 fps drops anything I have ever aimed at and feels like it kicks considerably less than my .45-70 does with a 300g load.

Price wise they seem to go for about $425 NIB here.

I'm going to agree with everyone, the 1894 .45-70 is most likely your best bet. Standard loads for the 405 grain are modest, and velocity is barely above a handgun. I generally shoot the 300 grain jacketed hollow points in my .45-70 and they don't hurt much, more like a shove than a punch.

I used to own a .44 magnum Trapper model from Winchester and that was probably the most FUN gun I have ever had! Something like that should do well for pigs, and with plain iron sights it is lightning fast, and you won't even notice you are carrying it. My only problem was that I was 19 when I had it, and laws prevented me from buying 'handgun' ammunition until I was 21, and yes I tried to explain it was for feeding my pet rifle but no luck.

I have the first version of the "new model" 1895 Marlin in 45-70, the one with the buttplate designed by, I believe the Marquis de Sade. Recoil with the more stout loads will get your attention, there's no doubt about that. However, that's generally when shooting from the bench. Offhand or from most hunting positions it's not all that bad. I shoot only my own home cast bullets with SR-4759, which the rifle likes. My usual load is the 330 gr. Gould bullet by Lyman (#457122, a hollow point bullet) with 28.0 gr. of the above mentioned SR-4759. (Max load for the Marlin according to Lyman's loading manual.) Groups run around 1.5" with a receiver sight and that is my general hunting load.
For boar, I use a 400 gr. hollow point from a Lee mold. Load is a stiff charge of IMR-3031. That one is a bit of a bruiser. I could cut off a bit of the stock and put a decent recoil pad on the gun, but as it is the original remake of the 1895 Marlin, I choose to leave it alone.
I have shot a 500 gr. cast bullet from the rifle loaded to about 1550 FPS but that load is a bit more fun than a man should have to enjoy. However, in heavy black timber, it's one hell of an elk stopper.
Paul B.

PaulB, there is one other you could do about it and that is order just an unfinished buttstock that is inletted and refinish it yourself and put a decent recoil pad on it. That way you could have the original buttstock and do your real shooting with the other.

Thx�s to all who responded onto my question!
Now i know much much more than before.

Funny thing is, that we get the MArlins 1895 G only with one barrel length and a 4 shot magazin. The "G" Model do have a "magnaport" too.
Of what i have heared this absorber ( i don�t know the engl. word..the thing that a lot of military weapons "wear" to reduce the recoil)will make the gun unshootable without hearing absorber (mickey Mouse�s ).
Otherwise you will hear nothing for a long time.
So maybe th epeople i saw on our shooting range wheren�t that old...just shot a strong 45/70Gvt without hearing protection .

Would u think a 450 MArlin will be beeter than a 45/70?

Is the MArlin 1895 ation strong enough for hot "handloads"?

Thx�s and Auf Wiedersehen,
weidmansheil

Konstantin

The .450 Marlin is basically a hot loaded .45-70. That said, they are the same action so the .45-70 can be safely loaded to .450 Marlin velocities. These loads are peak for what the action is designed for.

I have three Marlin levers: A .44 mag, a .30-30 and the .45-70 CB. In many ways I feel the .30-30 is the best but, I'd opt for ether the .44 mag or .45-70. My .44 is by far the most fun to shoot. The .45-70 is fun too but I feel it is also more versatile. In the end, I don't think you'd go wrong no matter which Marlin you buy.

I avoided the Guide gun specifically to avoid the muzzle brake. I hear that hearing protection is a must. The standard model with the 22" barrel is a very nice rifle, I got the cowboy because I wanted the 9 round capacity and really like the octagon barrel. Both rilfes balance the same to me.

Any Guide Gun made in 2002 or later does not have ports. Marlin had so many complaints about the ports that they discontinued them. Mine (a 2002 model) is unported.

The ports are nothing to worry about. It's plain BS when they say that it makes the gun louder. It is negligible. Now as to the 450, the brass is almost twice the price of the 45-70 brass. Plus, I don't like the cut they have to make on the receiver to accommodate the belt. It is basically much cheaper to shoot 45-70's all the way around. Like they say, it is your choice. As stated previously, look to the availability of ammo in your part of the world. I'm willing to bet you a stainless GG that 45-70 ammo and brass is much cheaper and easier to get. Since you are new to hot-loaded Marlins, your shoulder will give out before the gun will. Replace the stock recoil pad with a thicker solid one.

konstantin, have you checked out Frankonia Jagd? I don't don't know if they are in Berlin, but I know of their stores in Wurzburg, Munchen, and some up north. Shooting supplies here in Germany are certainly more difficult to find than in the US. Maybe .45-70 would be easier to find.