RE: Marlin 1895 Guide Gun 45-70
 

I had rotator cuff surgery on my shoulder and was shooting again 9 months later. My surgeon forbid me to shoot earlier than that which was probably a good thing. You know how us guys are, always thinking we're Superman. Anyway, I bought my 1895 a year after my surgery and it shoots great. Of course it likes Winchester Supreme Partition Gold rounds which kick pretty good and I cannot find anymore. Anyway, I like shooting a lot and my advice is to only shoot a few rounds at a time until you work your way up. Most factory .45-70 loads are not that hot due to liability reasons unless you go with Corbon or Buffalo brand but then you know what you are getting into when you buy them. You can also hand load like HEAD0001 said and make some pretty mild loads.

SOOOOO, move that .45-70 to the top of the list!!!! :D

RE: Marlin 1895 Guide Gun 45-70
 

HEAD001 You must have a very good compression die if you can get 70 Grains of 2F Black Powder and a wad in todays 45-70 brass. Try as I might I can only get about 66 grains by volume without a wad. I do use a news print wad so the powder is not contaminated by the lube and then it still takes a fair amount of crunching to seat the bullet. However I am shooting a 500 Grain Governent bullet.

Another mild and accurate load is 13.0 grains of Unique with a WW Mag primer and no pad or filler. Thats a 405 grain cast bullet and it chronographs about 1150 fps.

RE: Marlin 1895 Guide Gun 45-70
 

Got one for a wedding present about 2 years ago......it's a newer guide gun thats not ported. The friggin gun is wonderful. It's all Iv'e carried the last two years (and i have a lot of guns to choose from) and far as a carry gun i'd rank it up there with my winchester 94....with a lot more power....I relaod but haven't yet for the 45-70....i still ahev a box of remington 405's left before i run low enough to force me to reload for it. even though the remingotn factory loads are low power compared to what one could handload...i've found no immediate need to do so because...it shoots cloverleafs off the bench at 50.....and 100....well my eyes are the problem there....i still havent decided whether toput a scope on it or some kind of peep sight....but i say buy one....ya never know they may stop making it.....dont know why as its a great seller....but ya never know.....the made a 35 remington in the guide gun fromat for a couple of years and i didnt pick on up......now ive never seen one again.....and then they made a 1894 44 mag in the guide gun style with i think a 16 inch barrel ....and i never have seen one of those around either.....god the list could go on and on about what i should ahve bought.

RE: Marlin 1895 Guide Gun 45-70
 

James, I am casting a 300 grainer, and loading a touch long. I am using it in an 1885 High Wall. I never use BP in my 1886, too messy to clean up my lever. I never tried the length in a lever Marlin. Also sometimes I cheat with a little less BP, and a little SR up front. Did you ever try oneof the brass drop tubes? Buffalo arms handles them. Tom.