45-70 govt 420gr/500gr. load advice

[sigarms226]

Good day all, I want to try cast bullets in my 45-70. The two grains I will be trying are 420 gr and 500 gr. The rifle I'm using is a Marlin Guide Gun and I cannot find any info in my current load manuals and am wondering if anyone can point me in a direction for powder.

From what I've seen the 4570 seems to favor powders along the lines of IMR4198 and some of the fast Accurate powders.

Just a little lost here. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[Bassmaster]

Cruise around on the Ranch Dog site...he's got some 45/70 stuff there that might be relevant for you.....also cast boolits dot com

 

[hk33ka1]

I would look at the starting loads for IMR 4198 405gr lead in the Trapdoor rifle and work up for your 420gr. 31gr and up

500gr boolit with IMR 4198 starts around 28gr in Trapdoor levels and work up to low/mid 30's for 1895 rifles. The shape of your boolit may or may not cycle in the Marlin for this weight.

 

[phishroy]

here is a bit of compiled info i posted a while back in regards to shooting my 45-70 GG
the 415 grain bullets are lead bullets.

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4961987&postcount=28

owder: IMR 3031
Bullet: 415grain leadTLG BB
Primer: win LR

Charge mzl vel fps vel spread fps
34 grain 1225 115
1134
1153
1148
1175
1149
1110

35 grain 1130 39
1131
1105
1122
1144

36 grain 1135 125
1116
1224
1241

37 grain 1304 111
1220
1224
1236
1284
1254
1193

38 grain 1274 54
1220
1230
1236

 

[H4831]

I have the longer barreled Marlin, the 1895. I have used 8 or so, different powders with the 420 grain cast, both gas check and plain.
A really nice calibre to load for and the only rifle I ever loaded for, where it isn't the rifle that limits higher loads, it's Me!
For medium loads two good powders are 4198 and 4895. With 4895 you can safely load higher than you can stand, I will bet.
Good, medium loads are about 33 to 40, or so, grains of 4198.
Or, 40 t0 50 grains of 4895, but the 50 is likely more recoil than you want.
The 45-70 and cast bullets has a tremendous range of accurate loads, with various powder.
I have never used 3031 in it, but some real experienced reloaders on here, say it is the best.

 

[blackie9999]

try marlinowners website tons of info there for anything 45 70 and marlin.have the same rifle .another website is handloads.com.they have alot of loads as well with different weights and powders.going to reload as well.seems alliant rl-7 is very popular in this caliber for the guide gun

 

[tigrr]

My favorite website http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm
It has 4 bullet weights and all there powder combinations.
My Favorite is Any 400 - 500 grain bullet with 12 grains of IMR 700X. This gives me 1200 fps with both bullets.
My 2 45/70's are my fun guns!!
Happy reloading!

 

[H4831]

here is a bit of compiled info i posted a while back in regards to shooting my 45-70 GG
the 415 grain bullets are lead bullets.

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4961987&postcount=28

owder: IMR 3031
Bullet: 415grain leadTLG BB
Primer: win LR

Charge mzl vel fps vel spread fps
34 grain 1225 115
1134
1153
1148
1175
1149
1110

35 grain 1130 39
1131
1105
1122
1144

36 grain 1135 125
1116
1224
1241

37 grain 1304 111
1220
1224
1236
1284
1254
1193

38 grain 1274 54
1220
1230
1236

Some of the top reloaders on here tell me that 50 grains of 3031 is a great load with 400-420 grain bullets in the Marlin 45-70.
Do I trust their judgement? Yes.
Would I load their load in my rifle and shoot it? Yes.

 

[gunlaker]

Good day all, I want to try cast bullets in my 45-70. The two grains I will be trying are 420 gr and 500 gr. The rifle I'm using is a Marlin Guide Gun and I cannot find any info in my current load manuals and am wondering if anyone can point me in a direction for powder.

From what I've seen the 4570 seems to favor powders along the lines of IMR4198 and some of the fast Accurate powders.

Just a little lost here. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Many powders work well in the .45-70. I've used IMR-3031, H-4198, Reloder 7, SR-4759, and Trail Boss. All of them can be used to make decently accurate loads. If I had to pick a favorite for the .45-70, it'd be IMR-3031 (well, that'd be my favorite if you didn't include black powder . I've found that it works well with cast bullets from 1200fps right on up to heavy loads. You do get some incompletely burned powder kernels in the lighter loads though.

Chris.

 

[Logan_Lamothe]

420 grain hard cast from Mt.Chamber with 45 grains of IMR4198 gives me 1850fps. Using my guide gun, note this is a very hard kicking load.

 

[ben hunchak]

With the same 420 gr Lfn gc I worked up to 50grs. of RL-7, I stopped due to a headache.

 

[sigarms226]

Thanks for the replys guys this gives me something to go on here.Ben when I get the bullets from you I'll ask you about some of your data. As for the recoil, it can't be worse than my 375 H/H would it? Thanks.

 

[unstableryan]

I agree with H4138, 50gr of 3031 with a 400-420gr bullet is a safe ass kicker.

I've shot about 150 total, 50 hornady 400gr jacketed and maybe 100 420 hard cast at that level..

I made up 50 350gr jacketed at 52.5 the other day and they stomped pretty good too.

 

[crazy_davey]

My "hunting" load for the Marlin 1895(22" barrel) and Guide Gun is 53g of 3031 behind a 405g rem.. I have also used that load with a 405g cast. That load has proven very accurate in all of the 1895's I have owned(six in total I think).

Right now I am using 52g of 3031 and a 405g in the 1895 cowboy with a 26" barrel, again very accurate but the recoil is a bit much for enjoyable range sessions. For plinking and gopher shooting with this rifle I have been using 25g of SR4759 and a 405g cast.

Elmer Keiths 1895 Marlin loads using a 405g JSP were 53g of 3031 or 54g of H4895. Both of these loads work very well for sure and are the hammer of Thor on animals, I have done a bit of testing !

 

[crazy_davey]

As for the recoil, it can't be worse than my 375 H/H would it? Thanks.

Depends on the load. Out of all of the heavy loads I have shot from both I would say the 45-70 is worse. Probably mostly due to stock design, recoil pad and weight. JMO...

 

[TwoTone]

I've used up to 50.0gn of RL-7 with the Cast Performance 420gn bullet in a Marlin Guide Gun.

48.0gn of RL-7 with this bullet will shoot just under an inch at 100 yards in my Guide Gun with a compact Leupold 1-4 x 20 and is over 1,800 fps.
Recoil at the bench is 'snappy' but not nearly so bad when standing.


This load works great on Coyotes at 30 yards. Some might even suggest that it's overkill:

I find RL-7 to be a great powder in the 45/70 (but I've never tried 3031).



.

 

[Brutus]

I've used up to 50.0gn of RL-7 with the Cast Performance 420gn bullet in a Marlin Guide Gun.


I find RL-7 to be a great powder in the 45/70 (but I've never tried 3031).



.

When I wish for 'top velocity' in my 458x2 inch American (pretty much a 450 Marlin) I myself use Reloader-7 and 300 grain jacketed. But if I go heavier with 350-500 grain bullets, I find IMR3031 gives me slightly better accuracy more consistantly, with these heavies at a wider range of temperate variance. (1:16 barrel twist) Reloader-7 was a less consistant at one end, or the other end of temperature ranges, but I did not write down local weather conditions unfortuneately.
These are the only two powders (okay, Red Dot for plinking loads) I keep around for this 45 rifle cartridge.

 

[Pathfinder]

here is a bit of compiled info i posted a while back in regards to shooting my 45-70 GG
the 415 grain bullets are lead bullets.

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4961987&postcount=28

owder: IMR 3031
Bullet: 415grain leadTLG BB
Primer: win LR

Charge mzl vel fps vel spread fps
34 grain 1225 115
1134
1153
1148
1175
1149
1110

35 grain 1130 39
1131
1105
1122
1144

36 grain 1135 125
1116
1224
1241

37 grain 1304 111
1220
1224
1236
1284
1254
1193

38 grain 1274 54
1220
1230
1236

Ive shot similar loads in my bolt gun...lots of fun....nothing like hearing the bullet trundle downrange (I was using a 405 gr. cast bullet)

Ill be cranking things up this year with an upgrade recoil pad. (I still had the brass one on my No.4 Mk1)

 

[junkdude]

This is a good link to check out, some interesting food for thought.

http://www.realguns.com/archives/117.htm

I started to work up a load with benchmark (using the pressuretrace system, not the system he used) and the pressure measurements I was getting were consistent with the article. I didn't finish my testing as I didn't have a sissy pad and my shoulder couldn't take it any more. When I wrap it up this spring I'll post the results.

 

[sigarms226]

This is a good link to check out, some interesting food for thought.

http://www.realguns.com/archives/117.htm

I started to work up a load with benchmark (using the pressuretrace system, not the system he used) and the pressure measurements I was getting were consistent with the article. I didn't finish my testing as I didn't have a sissy pad and my shoulder couldn't take it any more. When I wrap it up this spring I'll post the results.

Thanks for posting the link. Interesting read.