A pleasing load workup with the 45-70 Marlin.

[bobnob]

Having just exhausted my supply of 300g Sierra HPs I found myself yesterday needing to come up with something new.

On hand I have 400g Speer Flat Points and 325g Hornady FTXs. The FTXs present a challenge because they have the cannelure located for shorter Leverevolution brass.

No matter. I loaded up both Speers and FTXs to standard OAL and Lee FCDed both. Shooting off full six-round tubes of cartridges there was no set back of the FTXs so that is a work around for those of you worried about the FTX in full length 45-70 brass.

I used H4198 (called AR2207 here) in both loadings. With the 400g I used 47g and with the 325 grainers an even 50g. Velocity was 1800-1830fps with the 400 grainers and a neat 2020fps for the FTX.

Accuracy was very good. Groups at 120y (that's the distance my load workup target is set at) ranged from 1 to 2.2 inches. With my last three rounds of each I shot this target before packing up, the bottom three are the Speer and the top three the FTX.

The average of these two groups works out at 1.25moa. Not bad for a mass produced 1895GBL with not a spanner put to it.

Heading out for a week on the hogs at the end of the month, so I will report back on how the FTXs go which incidentally were a very mild load - in 45-70 terms anyway!

 

[bobnob]

Here is a file photo of the little cannon...

 

[OU812]

Looks like that little thumper is shooting quite nice. I'm thinking the 3 little pigs need to fear the 45-70 more than the big bad wolf.

 

[DrMike]

Looks like that little thumper is shooting quite nice. I'm thinking the 3 little pigs need to fear the 45-70 more than the big bad wolf.

Hear! Hear! Yeah, I'd agree that that particular rifle/load is thumping 'em quite well.

 

[SJB358]

Very nice. You just have to love how accurate those 45-70's are. Perfect pig pile uppers!

 

[bobnob]

They are remarkably accurate really. I bought this GBL in August 2010; it is a 2009 manufacture, one of the last of the JM ones. I lucked in and got one with perfect finish before the QC went guts-up.

Pleasing to hear the Remington owned Marlins are now starting to improve the quality. I can see a 336 in 30-30 in my future.

 

[tim629]

i think you will like those ftx's I bought a cheap box for fireforming 338-06ai, threw a few at a steel i-beam and put a nice hole in it

my buddy had some very good luck with the ftx's in his 45-70


very nice looking rifle by the way

 

[bobnob]

Hope some of that luck rubs off on me Tim!

To date I've mainly used the Sierras on pigs. Devastating to say the least, if a little on the soft side.

 

[JD338]

Nice shooting. Those 1895's are shooters.
The best group I shot with my 1895G went .400" at 100 yds with the N0sler 300 gr BST at 2200 fps.

JD338

 

[FOTIS]

I can live with that!

 

[1Shot]

You have a shooter there. I hope you try out those old school 400 Speers on a pig. They are real thumpers with their softer construction and heavy weight and at the velocity you are getting they should be awesome. Yep those 300 HP Sierras are wicked on deer size game but these days you have to use what you can get.

 

[Charlie-NY]

There isn't anything wrong with the Speer 400gr FN bullet in my opinion.

That's the entry hole that can be seen through the exit hole on this bear's shoulder.

 

[bobnob]

Hmmm. That's emphatic wounding.

I know a lot of people hate bullets that cause large wounds. But I would rather an excessively wounded animal that drops on the spot than one that gets away. Not just from a point of view of recovered meat, but more so re excessive suffering for the animal and that horrid feeling you've wounded and lost it.

I shot these two pigs on the run one morning, the top one about 20m away and the bottom about 30m - Texas heart shot style in the case of the bottom one. Using 300g Sierra HPs at an MV of 2250fps...

No tracking was required.

 

[SJB358]

Ha! Great example of big bullets moving out at a decent clip Bob!

 

[DrMike]

Those shots were assuredly decisive! Lots of power in that big bullet at what many consider a modest velocity.