Last week I got my 1895 Marlin guide gun back from Turnbull restoration LLC. It was re-barreled in .470 Turnbull.

Ballistically its a .450 Marlin shooting a .475 bullet. I have three bullets that I will be loading, a 350 barnes hollowpoint that could double for an ashtray! a 400 grain Hawk soft point, and a 420 grain cast WFN that I cast myself.


The 420 WFN, will be my main bullet as the other two are over $1.25 a piece, fine for hunting but with the amount of shooting I do, I would wind up in the poor house right quick!


The only changes to the rifle I made was a Wild West big loop lever, trigger, and one piece extracter. The trigger breaks clean at around 3 pounds, and the rifle feeds everything from HP's to WFN's flawlessly. I mounted a 2-7 Vortex Viper on it.


I loaded the 350 Barnes 1/2 a grain under max.I am useing IMR 4198 and chrono'ed velocity was 2050fps with a 12 fps extreme spread. That load is shooting an inch at 50 yards. Recoil is stout, but very managable.


The 420 WFN cast bullet is still a work in progress, I'm getting 1800fps and two inch groups at 50 yards, I know I can tighten that up some. Recoil gets your attention real quick with this load!


I have more work to do on the loads, I am still waiting for the 400 grain Hawks to get here. But I know I can tighten the groups up with a little more tinkering, and this little lever gun will be a real thumper on hogs, deer and the stray coyote. I am going to use it for deer this year, Im going to use the 350 Barnes hollowpoints and hope for a neck shot!


All in all I am real happy with the way it turned out, Dougs guys did a real nice job, and I have sweet, quick handleing, slick feeding little brush gun. I will figure outhow to post pictures soon, next update will have pics.

Steve.

Steve

I can take that rifle off your hands any time you dont want it...lol,

I can vouch for the quality work the rifle is a tac driver

Gonna be a great opening morning with that rifle in the stand.

Matt