Home Forums Lever Action Central Big Bore Levers I am back in the big bore lever biz:)

I just traded VAnimrod (terrific guy, good trade both ways) for a Rossi '92 carbine in .454 Casull. This model comes with a nice thick recoil pad, and it needs it! 300GR slug at 45/70 velocity in a 5lb. carbine... Trade came with one condition, I have to take it to Zimbabwe and see what kind of carnage I can whip up while in the midst of a troupe of baboons! I may also use it on warthog there. Here I am planning for it to be my 'chasin critters with hound dogs' gun. I can think of no better arm for that application. I will probably settle on 260gr Gold Dots and / or LBT's in 45LC cases at Ruger Blackhawk pressure levels as my overall go to load. Anyone out there in leverland with any experience with this gun?

Are you pushing that 300 grain bullet 2340 fps? If not, you are not getting 45-70 velocity based on the cartridge's potential in a Marlin lever gun. A 300 grain jacketed bullet at 2140 fps in the 45-70 is a 28,000 CUP load (20" barrel). So you are not getting 45-70 velocity, you are getting 454 Casull velocity from a 20" barrel.

Jackfish, it's dong about 1900 fps in that 20" tube: which is equal to or better than factory .45-70 loads as clocked in 22"-24" barrels.

Last time I checked, the .45-70 405 gr. load with BP killed one [bleep] load of buffalo...

BTW - as I used to own that little blaster, I can tell you flat out that another 400 fps out of that gun would put it in the danged near uncontrollable range. With factory .454s, she flat out WHACKS! Think 9lbs .338WM rifle recoil, in a 5 lbs. carbine, but the recoil hits faster - and that's as is.

safariman, thanks again for the kind words and the M70 I got is a beauty - she's gonna get some serious field time this fall and might be the final push getting me into handloading.

RE: .454 load data, try here: Legacy .454

VAnimrod, I'm sorry, if the new owner of that fine firearm had said "45-70 factory ammo velocity" I wouldn't have responded. I was just pointing out that the 454 Casull in a rifle cannot achieve the potential of the 45-70 in a Marlin lever gun. Perhaps I didn't have to as everyone understands that and knew he was referring to the 45-70 at 21,000 CUP. The PUMA 92 is still a damn handy package though.

Jackfish, I was indeed comparing to the old 45/70 loads. I did not mean to imply that I could approach mdl1895 ballistics in such a small case. You are correct, the laws of physics are what they are. Don't need more than what the little carbine offers for its intended purposes. I had a older m1895 (straight grip stock, no safety) and that gun with full house 405's was also brutal. Used it on a huge feral hog with great results. I am a big fan of those rifles, too.