IMR3031 405 grs hard cast

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Becks357

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Hello just recently switched to IMR 3031 for 45/70 405grs Bullet Barn Hard cast.
It's for a 1895 Marlin Guide Gun.
I will start at 35 grs.
What is your pet load with 3031?

cheers
 
I also use 50gr of 3031 behind a 415gr hard cast, gas checked bullet purchased from "Jethunter" here on CGN. It is a stiff load, but still safe, as the Lee # 2 manual lists 55gr as max for a 400gr cast bullet. My rifle is also a Marlin 1895 (Big Loop).

The 35gr which you suggest is a very light load.
 
There is a tendency to turn a 45-70 into a sub-.458 Win Mag. If that's what you want, buy one.

I've taken two large moose with a smokeless BP (420 hand cast/36 Varget at 1200 fps) with my Browning '86. Both heart shots. If the load was under powered, they didn't know it.

A pal has a scoped Ruger No. 3 carbine in 45-70. He shoots those sub-magnum loads, but not very well. I tried some of Paul Matthews ("Forty Years With The 45-70") loads and decided that I didn't like being assaulted by my own rifle.
 
Yes..........I stopped when the recoil ran around 50 ft lbs and I got 1/2" groups with jacketed loads in a pre safety Marlin with a wicked curved butt plate.A third more nasty than my .338 win mag.....run full throttle no....Harold
 
When I was reloading for my last 45-70 Marlin, Johnn Peterson sent me a spare copy he had of Reloader Magazine, Aug/Sept 2007, which has a tremendous amount of actually testing of Marlin 45-70 rifles. Thanks Johnn. It is laid out in "Pressures that do not exceed," tables, starting with 21,00 CUP, then not over 28,000, 35,000 and finally 43,500 CUP.
This has got to be the holy grail of loading information on the 45-70. They used the four modern models of Marlin in 45-70 and every load was fired in all four model rifles, chronographed and pressure recorded.
Just looking at 3031 with 405 bullet. 46 grains gives1489 fps and does not exceed 28,000CUP.
54 grains of 3031, 405 bullet, gives 1830 and does not exceed 35,000 CUP.
I'M going to start up loading for my present 22 inch Marlin, from the early 1970s, no cross bolt, no safety notice on the barrel and it does no even say micro groove rifling, but it is 12 lands and grooves, nicely cut with square looking shoulders. It should shoot good. But as I did with the last one, I judged pressure by felt recoil and loaded accordingly. There is just no end of lighter loads that will give excellent accuracy, using any one of many different powders.
 
As a light load I used to shoot those bullets with 40 or 41 grains of IMR-3031. I don't remember the muzzle velocity, but it was probably 1250-1300 fps out of the guide gun IIRC.

Chris.
 
Sharps '63 said:
There is a tendency to turn a 45-70 into a sub-.458 Win Mag. If that's what you want, buy one.

I've taken two large moose with a smokeless BP (420 hand cast/36 Varget at 1200 fps) with my Browning '86. Both heart shots. If the load was under powered, they didn't know it.

A pal has a scoped Ruger No. 3 carbine in 45-70. He shoots those sub-magnum loads, but not very well. I tried some of Paul Matthews ("Forty Years With The 45-70") loads and decided that I didn't like being assaulted by my own rifle.
Click to expand...

I've been loading most all my rifles on the mild side and never had problems dumping critters with cast. I just match the caliber and load to the game and shoot 'em in close. In my .458's I used Trail Boss to push 500 gr.
FMJ out at 1300 fps. and they shot well.

I'll be casting up some Lee 405 gr. for my 45-70 Pedersoli 86/71 and for my Steyr Big Bore in .450 Marlin and
will keep the MV around 13-1400 fps.:)
View attachment 19440
 
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