Those of you who have been using the Marlin .45-70 Guide Gun, what reloading powder and bullet combination have you been finding accurate?

Thanks,

Sam
eclemmons@hotmail.com

check out http://www.marlinowners.com/

plenty info here

I use H-322 with 400-550 grain bullets and RL-7 for my two 300 grain Hunting loads and RL-7 for my 350 grain load also.Most powders and bullets for the 45-70/450 Marlin can be worked up to excellent accuracy..

Many swear the Remington 405 is one of the most accurate bullets for the 45-70.I just don't like it.The Nosler/Barnes/North Fork and the Hornady FP and RN also get great accuracy infact I haven't heard of one bullet that doesn't.To each his own on bullet choices for what he hunts..

Good luck...Jayco

Thanks guys! I've gone to Marlinowners.com and posted there also.

It would seem to me that RL 7 is one of the more popular powders.

I am looking to use 300 to 350 grain jacketed bullets with Starline brass and Federal Gold Medal Match primers.

Cheers,

Sam

quote:

Originally posted by jaycocreek:
I use H-322 with 400-550 grain bullets and RL-7 for my two 300 grain Hunting loads and RL-7 for my 350 grain load also.Most powders and bullets for the 45-70/450 Marlin can be worked up to excellent accuracy..

Many swear the Remington 405 is one of the most accurate bullets for the 45-70.I just don't like it.The Nosler/Barnes/North Fork and the Hornady FP and RN also get great accuracy infact I haven't heard of one bullet that doesn't.To each his own on bullet choices for what he hunts..

Good luck...Jayco

The Rem 405 would not be my 1st pick to hunt
but at 60 bucks or so for 500 they is good shooters

quote:

Originally posted by BIG SAM:
Those of you who have been using the Marlin .45-70 Guide Gun, what reloading powder and bullet combination have you been finding accurate?

Thanks,

Sam
eclemmons@hotmail.com

43.5gr of H4198, Remington 405gr JSP, WLR primers, Remington NP brass, Lee FC die. Runs right at 1800fps.

You can spend a lot more on bullets for the 45-70, but you won't gain a thing over the Remingtom 405gr JSP. Everything from Deer to Bison. All that you need in a bullet for the 45-70 is embodied in the Rem 405. What you don't need is $2 a bullet price tag and magazine pictures of pretty mushrooms.

When loaded to 1800fps, it has identical momentum, better penetration and bigger wound cavity than .375H&H 270gr SP. When you no-longer feel comfortable with a .375H&H with 270gr soft points (within 50yds), then you probably need a different bullet/load combination for your guide gun.

DLA-You haven't changed much.Here is a 405 grain Remington recovered from a 300# Caribou..Just think if it was life or death or something larger than a Deer.The Remington 405 was made for 1300 fps in Remington 45-70 ammo.


Jayco

I am a fan of H322, starline brass, and 405gr bullets in my guide gun for 1925fps. I really like the 405gr Remington bullet too, I have never hunted with it but wouldn't think twice using it on deer or carabou. I normally use the kodiak bonded bullet when after moose/bear. The great thing is that I use the same load for both, and they print in the same group. The kodiak tends to clock a little faster and is a tad more accurate. WHat I really like about the remington 405 is that I bought 2,000 of them a while back when I thought they were going to stop making them, so I have a seemingly endless supply of them for practice. I really enjoy shooting my guide gun so its nice to be able to do it cheaply.

quote:

Originally posted by jaycocreek:
DLA-You haven't changed much.Here is a 405 grain Remington recovered from a 300# Caribou..Just think if it was life or death or something larger than a Deer.The Remington 405 was made for 1300 fps in Remington 45-70 ammo.

Jayco

I note that it was recovered from a very dead Caribou. Note also that that it expanded to nearly an inch. That bullet was driven to nearly 2000fps (I know because I remember the story). Imagine the wound channel that bullet made!

Slow that bullet down a little and he wouldn't have recovered it. Actually the fellow that did that shooting also did some penetration tests with leg bones and showed that the lowly Rem 405 out of a 45-70 outperformed the venerable .375H&H.

If you want to spend $2 a bullet so that you can get a box with pretty mushroom pictures - go ahead, this is America. But the Remington 405gr JSP is the thinking man's bullet for the 45-70.

A good idea might be to try some of the 300 grain bullets out. You have the Remington 300, Sierra, Hornady, Speer and Nosler in order from soft to really deep penetrates. You can get a reasonably flat trajectory without being kicked out from under your hat and good on game performance. I have had good performance in the past out of the Remington bullet on deer and small feral hogs and I am going to give the bullet another try after trying severaql heavier bullets.

I have used the Barnes X 300 grain bullet and the 300 grain Nossler Partition. Both pushed by 45 grains of R 7. They do 1830 fps. It shoots 1/2 inch groups from the bench at 100 yards!!!

I have used the sucesfully on deer and black bear and have not recovered one yet. I am planning to load it a little hotter and get it closer to 2000 fps and still remain accurate. I have also decided to stick with the Barnes X based on the superior performance in other callibers over the nossler.

My brother uses 53 grains of IMR 3031 with a Hornady 350 gr FN. At 100 yards [with a scout scope] 3 shots will almost all touch.
We have used this bullet on game in the 45/70 [I in my No1 with 56 grains of 3031 and in my 450 No2 double at @ 2330 fps, I use the older RN version as I have a lot of them on hand] with excellent results.
It feeds great in the Marlin.

My favorite is 50 gr. H 4198 over a speer 400gr fnsp with CCI large rifle primer.

I have shot this load at 25 yards into wet newspaper and got 35" of penetration. The recovered bullet weighed 382 grains and expanded to .74 caliber.

I can't provided any other real world performance data since I don't have a chronograph but it has never failed to completly penetrate anything I have aimed it at except a 1" hardened steel plate.

I use 49 grains of R 7 with a 300 grain Barnes X
Is does 1915 out of my guide gun and groups under 1 inch at 100 yards. OH YEAH, and everything I have ever shot with it had died real fast!! (1 Black bear, 1 moose, 2 deer and a lot of little things that I had no business shooting with such a big round)

Big Sam, I use 52gr. of H322 with a Beartoothbullet a 425 WLNGC-I'd prefer not to recover a bullet and have a great exit. If I can find some at 325wt I would shoot caribou, I have used my 1895G for short range shooting/hunting here. Good shooting.

I have had excellent success with the following, including a Muskox in the Arctic.

Nosler 300 gr partition
54 grains H4198
Fed 210 primer
M.V. 2150 FPS
Taylor K.O. factor 42.2

I like 52.0 grs IMR-3031 under a 350 Hornady flat point. It whacks deer and the bullet is tough enough for something larger as well.

45 grns of IMR 3031 under NEIs mold # 346
( think CBP 460 gr WFN )boolit wheight 475grs.
also 41 grs IMR 4198 under Lymans 457643 . boolit wheight 420grs cast of WW alloy and lubed with FWFL winny brass and primers.
both loads do 1600-1650 fps.
when heattreated the NEI will penitrate 24in cottonwood trees .