45-70 Reloading

[micro911]

I just bought a Marlin 1895 Cowboy with 26" Octagon barrel. I have shot factory ammo before, but I am thinking about reloading with 300 grain JSP bullets. Does anyone have experience with that load? Sierra manual shows some loading data, but not much variation.

Maybe I should try lead bullets, also for fun of it.

[MongooseV8]

Yes I have loaded several hundred but much prefer a nice 405 lead bullet. Oregon Trail Lazer Cast were my preference. Thats a nice rifle I regret turning an especially nice one down for $1350 a while back.

[JagerDog]

Loading to SAAMI or Marlin pressures?

My Marlin pressure jacketed is 350 gr A-frames for T-rex.

I run 305 and 405 cast at SAAMI pressures for fun.

Hodgdon shows a pretty good selection of powders for 300 Sierra in SAAMI and Marlin loads.

Very versatile from trap door loads to Marlin loads.

[God Bless America]

IMR 3031 gets respectable velocities at moderate pressure with a 405 gr bullet.

[koehn,jim]

Get a limbsaver recoil pad, it helps a lot with full power loads. The gun is a lot of fun. I cast my own 405 grain lead and powder coat them, nice big holes in the target.

[micro911]

IMR 3031 gets respectable velocities at moderate pressure with a 405 gr bullet.

Are you talking about lead bullet?

[micro911]

Get a limbsaver recoil pad, it helps a lot with full power loads. The gun is a lot of fun. I cast my own 405 grain lead and powder coat them, nice big holes in the target.

I have shot factory 300 grain and 405 grain jacketed flat point ammo, and it was fine. I would like to duplicate it.

[elk hunter]

First don't use my load data in your rifle work you own load up. I shoot a Marlin 1895CB 18-18 1/2 in barrel (depends on how you measure it) from time to time. I like the rifle a lot, anyway I assume (probably wrong) that the 300 grain loads your referring to are the factory Winchester X4570H loads. I have shot them in my gun and they are ok for most use. I do have a load (disclaimer^) and it is 40.5 gr of IMR 4198 with the Sierra 300 gr. FNHP slug and WLR primers, it shoots great in my rifle. I have not run them over a chrony to see what they are doing and honestly I don't care. They shoot good and that's most important to me at this time. I do have some 400/405 loads waiting for testing and some of those are BP loads along with smokeless powder loads but until I get around to doing that I couldn't tell you about that weight. I also have some more 350 gr cast plain base lee FN loads to shoot. I don't have the load data at hand. I really like to make my own cast slugs as I can make them as hard or soft as I want and don't have to depend on anyone else to do this for me. I don't imagine anyone cares here including yourself about what lube or dia. I make them so I wont post that. HTH
elk hunter

[God Bless America]

Are you talking about lead bullet?

No, the Rem 405 JSP.

[aklon]

I use IMR3031 for both 405 grain and 300 grain bullets. For my rifle, a range of powder weights between 44.0 and 51.0 grains using 300 grain JSP has delivered four good accurate loads; the high end is obviously for hunting. For 405 grain flat nose, 44.0 to 50.0 works out to three good loads.

My rifle is a Browning Model 1886, one of the Miroku builds from the mid-eighties.

[RNE228]

I need to start too. Same rifle, have a set of dies and brass.

I've shot it with a box of cowboy type loads in 405. Also shot a box of Hornady Lever-Revolution 305. The Hornady load definitely had more umph to it. I also noticed the Lever-Revolution brass was a smidge short.

[mjmagee67]

I highly recommend Accurate 5744. The powder was designed for high volume cases. I have used it for both trap door loads and lever gun 45-70 loads in my C Sharps. I have loaded 300gr to 510gr bullets and have always had great accuracy no matter the load. Yes it a kinda expensive powder, but its versatile.

I also highly recommend using coated cast bullets. They work great in 45-70.

[micro911]

Winchester 45-70 brass (100): $74.40
Barnes 300gr FNSP (100): $86.68
IMR3031 (1 pound): $24.25
total: $185.33

I have primers for large rifles.

Federal Power-Shok 300gr JSP (20): $32.00 x5= $160

Maybe it is cheaper buying the ammo.

[mjmagee67]

Winchester 45-70 brass (100): $74.40
Barnes 300gr FNSP (100): $86.68
IMR3031 (1 pound): $24.25
total: $185.33

I have primers for large rifles.

Federal Power-Shok 300gr JSP (20): $32.00 x5= $160

Maybe it is cheaper buying the ammo.

Star Line makes great 45-70 brass....

[MrB63]

I love using IMR4198 in my loads. For whatever reason it works great in my 1895.