Home Forums Lever Action Central Cowboy Levers QUESTION ABOUT THE MARLIN COWBOY IN 45-70

Is the 1895 Cowboy in 45-70 drilled for a scope? My dad is of the age that he can't use open sights anymore and he wants the 24" barrel in blue and walnut. I have an early guide gun but he doesn't like the short barrel mine's even shorter because I had them d___n ports removed. At 6.6# and a 16" bbl. Ashley sights what a woods gun. Its accounted for more than its share of Pa vension. [color:"blue"] [/color]

Yes it is D&T'd

Thanks Cariboujack

I was not sure since it was a cowboy model.

If your Dad wants a 24 inch barrel, you will have to crop the Cowboy model as it comes with a 26 inch barrel and full length magazine in .45/70.

Try it first though, as it is really a nice rifle to handle.

AGW

Thanks Aussie

I think once he gets one he probably won't mess with it. I hope he gets one soon I'm tired of hearing all the excuses!!!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I've been looking at that rifle.
I don't know anything about a 45-70. Would the effective range be shorter than say a 30-30?

No. The effective range will vary greatly depending upon your load and its trajectory-both of which generally vary a lot more than a 30-30. Some of the "Express" loadings of the 45-70 will shoot surprisingly flat. If you know your trajectory, you should be able to close to double the range of the 30-30.

As mentioned the 45-70 Cowboy is D&T'd and has a 26" barrel. HOWEVER, even with that length tube, the rifle weighs 6.76 lbs. That's 3 oz less than the 24" Cowboy in 38-55.
If your Dad is fond of recoil he'll love the 45-70. But as far as I'm concerned, it's strictly a 300 gr bullet rifle. Anything heavier turns my shoulder to pulp.
Adding scope and rings will likely bring it up a pound, but that's still not a lot for the caliber.

SOS

Mine kicks harder than my 1895SS but it is such a beautiful thing that I don't care and just use a slip on recoil pad if my shoulder needs it.

If worst comes to worst, since it is not a collectors item, tell your Dad to just cut the stock and add a Pachmayr or Limbsaver recoil pad, then it's an accurate pussy cat (haven't seen an '86 Winchester or Browning that shoots as well).

Goodluck

Snow.

Just to add my 2 cents . . . If you are shooting off the bench with the Marlin 1895CB and are shooting more than a few rounds, you (and your dad) will want some shoulder protection. If you are hunting with it, you won't even notice the recoil. I shoot a pretty stout smokeless load under a 405 gr RNFP cast lead bullet with very good results from the bench and open sights. It is D & T'd for scope mount. BTW - Marlin's website lists this as an 8 pound gun and by the time you put a round in the chamber and 9 more in the tube, it will weigh closer to 9 pounds.

Not trying to hijack the thread.
What scope would you suggest on this gun for an elk hunter?
I want a Leupold brand, not too large since it is a fairly slender rifle.

Alamosa I'd go with something like the 1.5-5 or the 2-7
nice slender scopes.

Davidsons a few years ago did a limited run
of 24" barrel 45-70's. Nice guns, various versions some had
the pistol grip, some straight grip, there was both the
octagon and half/octagon barrels. You might find those
on one of the auction sites. For long range shooting you
will need the tang sight but they are good for quite a
distance as noted by history.

as much as i like bolts the cowboy is the nicest swingin' gun around.. man that thing just carried as nice as pie and came up like a shotgun...

woofer

I just don't like the idea of a tang sight so close to my eye with a 45-70. I know people have done it a 1000 times probably more, but that was the reason I went with a receiver sight on my 1895.

I always like the fixed 4x on the 45-70. Nikon used to make a 4x40 that was a great scope for the $.

tang mounted sights are not a problem on an 1895cb even when using garrett or buffole bore cartriges which have ample recoil.mine has a lyman no.2 tang sight which is pretty short,sometimes i can feel it touch my eye brow,i've put about 100 rounds of magnum grade cartriges thruogh this rifle with no facial damage.

Savageak, be careful when aiming uphill.

I have the 1895 Cowboy in 45-70. There are likes and dislikes.

The likes: It looks good, carries great, and is ACCURATE. No, make that REALLY accurate with a 457193 Lyman 420 grain cast bullet and 65 grains of Goex 2f Express black powder. It will absolutely pour them into one hole at 50 yards with the standard barrel sights.

The dislikes: It kicks, and kicks hard. Real hard. If you want to shoot it a lot, you will need to install a recoil reducer, and will want to shoot 300 grain bullets. Mine shot the 420 grain cast bullets so well, I didn't try anything else, but slowed them down to take the edge off the recoil.

Another thing is that the lever loop is too small, and puts a nasty cut on the middle finger of my trigger hand. It is on the knuckle joint and was slow to heal. The gun needs a larger loop, but I padded mine with surgical tubing wrapped with leather. Looks like crap, but it makes the gun shootable.

You simply can't beat the rifle/caliber for woods hunting, and it would be the perfect gun for bear over bait. In fact, that is why I got it. This rifle has no problem dropping a bullet down the ear canal of a bear at 50 yards, and has the horsepower to do anything you need it to. It will reach 400 yards if you know how to use it.

Simple solution;
You can get a Pachmayer slip on in Walmart for $18 that work well in the field and doesn't detract from the loks when you handle (fondle) it.

Secondly, try grasping the outside of the lever loop after you chamebr a round. It is actually quite comfortable and prevents the extortion rates applied to retro oval loopes being fitted to your rifle.

JW

If your Dad really wants the 26" cowboy, then I'd suggest having him try a rifle with an aperture sight installed. If he's not familiar with the type, explain that you focus only on the front sight and let the rear aperture blurr. Just put the front bead on-target and the rear kind of takes care of itself.

Most guys with "old eyes" can use these and grow to like em and appreciate the accuracy and quick target acquisition they provide.

IMHO, the cowboy is kinda "spoiled" by putting a scope on it.

If a scope is still desired, then I'd suggest going with the standard 1895 with it's 20" barrel. It will look and balance better for him.

I've got one of the 24" Davidson's LTD's described up thread and even that looks strange with a scope - to me.

Wimps I shoot my 1895 CB with my handloads a 405 Grn cast GC bullet at 1700 FPS yes it will out shoot a 30-30 recoil is not as bad as a 12 Ga with 3" and i also shoot a lot of them every year to. Yes it weighs close to nine lbs loaded but it balances so nice you really do not notice.

I have been useing a 1895 CB since about 01 or 02 Had to wait a year to get mine becuase of supply. I handload all my ammo and don't really have any problems with a 300 grn JHP loaded to 1850 or my 405's loaded to 1600 they are stout but no worse than a 12 Ga pump, with slugs. I am fixin to scope mine as well my eyes just ain't what they were forty years ago. Think I will try a smith enterprise ladder sight first though. BTW 600 Yards or better, can be got with practice out of the 45-70. But not with the factory sights. you need 4 or 5 degrees inclination to get past three hundred consistantly

Might try a fiber optic front sight with a Williams guide peep on the back. Dat's what I put on my 1895. Works GREAT for my 56 year old eyes!
Virgil B.

I had a 22 inch barrel 1895, now I have a guide gun. Like the looks and feel of the cowboy. Curious why people think it kicks so much. More than a guide gun? The cowboy does not have a pad? Is the the whole reason or is there stock geometry?

I put a limbaaver on my guide gun and with factory Remington ammo, is is very mild. The hot reloads...well a couple shots is fine.

Eric

The Marlin 45-70 is an awesome saddle gun, a great big bore caliber and shoots really well. The action is smooth and the 26" barrel is not really to long to carry well. The recoil is an issue, but if you want a big bore it is part of the price you pay.

A similar rifle,the Browning 1886 reproduction.I hunted with for a few years.At 13 lbs fully loaded it was a tad too heavy to tote around the elk hills. I did kill two elk with it and the loads were 405 gr bullets.

The recoil was stiff, and I finally a carved a new stock for it that fit me better and put a good recoil pad on it,but a stated I eventually a gave it up as too heavy. I did put a Williams peep sight on it that worked dandy for my old eyes.
I beive you can also get them chambered for 38-55 and 45 colt. These both would be more than adequate for whitetail and cut there coil down considerably.

Another option would be the 44 mag,marlin 94, It is D&Ted

And I thought I was a wooze regarding recoil of my 1895 cowboy. No more after reading all these threads.

I did add a limbsaver pre fit, then sipped a kick eze leather pad over that. It increases surface area of buttplate area helping also. I then added a DRC( David R Clay) large lever loop. That helped the battered hand issue. With some heavier 405 gr loads you still know you have some serious power, especially off a bench. O yes, I aalso added a set of Skinner aperature sights.

I honestly wish Marlin had made a slightly larger conture barrel, maybe adding 8-10 oz of weight.

I think I am going to drop back to about a 300 -325 gr cast bullet so I can enjoy it more.

I finally shot my new to me 1895 LTD III this weekend. It is basically a CB in guide gun length 18" barrel and full length mag tube. At about 6# it is mighty light and I loaded up some Missouri Bullet Co Buffalo bullets that are 405 gr over what I thought was a mediocre loading of IMR 4198 and all I can say is WOW...

The rifle has been fitted with a kickease pad (I think the brand) and with the light weight it still seems to have more backthrust than my previous 1895 based CoPilot with a 16" barrel. I have 250 Barnes through 350 Hornady jacketed bullets and will be using those for deer this coming year.

I tried one of my patented "snotflinger" 350gr Hornady RNFP's and also a 300gr Hornady that was in my kit and both shot higher as one would expect however even the 350 at a very near max loading was tolerable and the 300 was not bad at all.

Them 405's really have some oomph and I am going back to trapdoor loading's for them (at least a 25% drop in charge weight) for the cast boolits. When those are eventually gone I will look for some 325-350 or so cast bullets.

I am likely going to swap the XS sights off of it and re install the original sights on it but have no plans to scope it. It will see use as a woods rifle...

The linky below is to a write up I did elsewhere. Also contained in it is a blurb agout a 5% discount off the already great prices from Missouri Bullet Co...

http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/index.php/topic,44956.0.html

Be safe and shoot big honking rifles

Patty

I watched a guy shoot one on Saturday. He had a scope on it and a big fat recoil pad.
We were shooting pop cans full of water and some bowling pins.
This guy demolished everything he could see!
He was shooting a flat nose 405 gr jacketed bullet @2200 fps!
The muzzle was almost straight up after the shot.
Very awesome display of shooting!
whelennut

My grandson shoots mine a box of 20 shells at a time with 300 grain loads at 1900 fps. My 1895 rifle has a Sims Limbsaver recoil pad though which is a good investment if you are going to shoot heavier loads with it, especially from the bench.

I want one of these guns bad!! Yes, the loop is too skinny, but shooting them holding the outside of the loop takes the knuckle banging away. I love the straight grip and no checkering. I have an H&R Buffalo Classic in 45/70 and love it. It has a 32 inch barrel, so I know the 26 inch barrel wont bother me. As far as the kick, that is what makes them so much fun along with a 405 grain bullet!! Honetly though, I shoot mine 99% of the time at Trapdoor loadings-1250 FPS.

Now for you Boys complaining about the small loop on the 1895 Cowboy, no big deal just install a Big Loop! Now for the KICKING part, just get yourself a PAST RECOIL PAD for $38 dollars (magnum pad) and this rifle will feel like a 270 Winchester with 150 grain loads, when you shoot 405 cast bullets.

Sorry, I can't help you one bit ifin your eye sight has gone SOUTH on you......Just get proper mounts and good Leupold or Bushnnell 2 x 7 power and you can go fetch home the elk steaks.