Marlin 45-70 shooting cast bullets

N

Neilm

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
62   0   0
I just bought a new? 1895 in unfired condition. It is supposed to be an older manufacture. Took it home and dissambled it to clean lubricate etc. It has shallow rifling and the serial no begins with a 93 so I believe this is a 1993 manufacture. With this shallow (micro-groove?) rifling can I shoot cast bullets accurately and if so does anyone know of a source for cast bullets.
thanks Neil
 
1895

Neilm said:
I just bought a new? 1895 in unfired condition. It is supposed to be an older manufacture. Took it home and dissambled it to clean lubricate etc. It has shallow rifling and the serial no begins with a 93 so I believe this is a 1993 manufacture. With this shallow (micro-groove?) rifling can I shoot cast bullets accurately and if so does anyone know of a source for cast bullets.
thanks Neil
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure the 93 would indicate a DOM of 2007 not 1993. Yes, you can shoot cast with it. Check our CGN member Ben Hunchak on the forums here, he makes great cast boolits.
 
I agree, get some advice from Ben. I had a 1970s manufactured '95 that I couldn't get to shoot with cast, and at the time blamed it on the micro-groove barrel. But in his book, Veral Smith of LBT said he believed the micro-groove rifling was the best there was for cast bullet shooting, and pointed to the very accurate .22 micro-groove barrels Marlin produced to support that argument.
 
Most folks prefer a slightly oversize bullet in microgroove barrels of say .460 -.462", if this doesn't make the loaded round too big for the chamber, so some trial and error may be necessary.
 
Welcome to the 1895 club. I have the 1895 Cowboy and I am impressed with how accurate it is, even with iron sights. I just cast my own bullets using wheelweights and 4 different Lee molds.
Have fun!
 
I bought mine used and have only used cast in it.
Lately I've gone to paper patching to keep the lead away from the steel so no more leading problem's!
 
Thanks for the info guys. This will be my first venture into the field of shooting cast bullets other than in handguns. As to the date of manufacture i was under the impression that Marlin switched to the deep Ballard type rifling long before 2007 but I could be wrong. It doesn't really matter as the gun has not had any rounds cycled through the action.
Neil
 
Neilm said:
As to the date of manufacture i was under the impression that Marlin switched to the deep Ballard type rifling long before 2007 but I could be wrong.
Click to expand...

They still used Micro grooved barrels in 2007 on some models apparently.....but I would have thought a 2007 45-70 would be the "ballard" type as well.
Found this though.....

As of fall of 2007, Marlin still makes a number of guns that have Microgroove barrels on them (according to the 2007 Marlin catalog posted on their website; http://www.marlinfirearms.com/). All of their .22 LR and .22 Magnum rifles still have Microgroove barrels. The 336s in .30-30 and .35 Remington are still made with Microgroove barrels, however the stainless 336XLR in .30-30 and .35 Remington have Ballard rifled barrels. All of the big-bore Marlin leverguns (e.g. 444, 1895, etc.) are now fitted with Ballard rifled barrels (both blued and stainless guns)
Click to expand...
the serial no begins with a 93 so I believe this is a 1993 manufacture.
Click to expand...
With "newer" marlins....after 72 I think you subtract those first two digits from 100......
This apparently gives you the year of manufacture. 100-93=07......2007 !
 
FWIW my 1895SS (manufactured in 1994 I think) has MICROGROOVE BARREL stamped right into the barrel between the model number and the calibre. Would lack of this stamp on your rifle indicate it was not microgroove rifling??

I run 420 gr cast almost exclusively through mine. It's very accurate with these bullets.
 
Take note of what Ben mentioned about the bullet diameter. You should slug your gun first, as there is some literature that states that the micro groove tended to be larger than the nominal .457-458 inches. Even my 1895 with Ballard style rifling needs a bullet in the .459 range. Many of the LEE bullets tend to cast at .457.
I make them work and they are great in the .45-70. I just have to clean up some leading every 20 rounds, even shooting them as cast.
 
It's actually fairly difficult to find molds that cast oversize, like .462" for the 45/70, most molds cast undersize instead!!
 
At present, I have two 45-70s, 1st a Marlin 1895GS. 2nd, and I hope to eventually purchase but presently I have the 'unlimited' loan of a Pedersoli Sharps.

Marlin1895GS45-70.jpg


Pedersoli1874Sharps45-70.jpg


There are a few jacketed bullets I use for the heavier hotter hunting loads and usually save the cast bullets loads for the lighter load and paper punching applications. There are five cast bullets I use, and primarily in the Sharps;
  • 325gr RFNGC
  • 345gr LFNBB
  • 405gr LFNBB
  • 420gr LFNGC
  • 530gr LFNGC
Some of the best light load accuracy I've been able to get, and out of both rifles, is with the 345gr and the 405gr bullets above. For bullets of 44, 45 and 50 cal, if possible, I like to have them hard cast and sized at 0.001" - 0.002" over bore diameter. Measurement of both of these bullets with a vernier micrometer and they both come out at 0.4595".

45-70lightcastloads.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom