Home Forums Lever Action Central Cowboy Levers Anyone have a favorite 405 speer bullet load for 45/70?

Looking for a hunting type load but not the rattle my teeth level.
1600 fps ?

Rifles is a marlin cowboy. THANKS

Yea, when I clearly have no idea what I'm doing I ask for load information on a forum instead of reading a load manual.

Did you miss the part that reads "favorite" and "cowboy"
or are you always an ass?

Well, I think Speer's is a 400, not a 405 but ...

WW brass, Fed 210 primers, 52 grains of H4895. I didn't chronograph 'em but I think they were in the very high 1500s. Sub MOA out of both a Cowboy 1895 and a SS guide gun as long as the rifles were scoped, otherwise 1.5 inches. 'bout the same using the same brass and primers with 47 grains of 3031 under a 405 grain GC RCBS bullet ... lubed and checked with my alloy those were 425 grains. The cast bullet load kicked a bit more. No idea on velocity with it.

Hope this helps.


That's not a useful response. When I last checked my load manuals, not a single one of them had a column and check box for "rattles your teeth."

Tom

I have good accuracy with 50 grains of Varget out of my SS guide gun. 54 grains was also as accurate and I did not notice it kick much more but with the 50 grains of Varget the accuracy was the best.

For over 20 years i have been using 39 grains of IMR -4198 with the Speer 400gr JSP.. It goes out the door at about 1580fps. I shoot it out of my Ruger No.1 and a Browning 1886.

Maybe something else to think about but I have a couple of guide guns and shoot a lot of subsonic ammo. My favorite load uses 15.2 grains Unique powder with Remington 405 grain JSPs and averages 1100 fps. For general plinking I use cast 405 grain bullets and Trail Boss powder and load them to similar velocities. Either load is easy on the shoulder and accurate too.

kingstrider gives good advice. The other loads will kick you cross eyed. I shoot a Marlin 45-70 Cowboy with a cast Gould 340 grain hollow point or a 420 grain Lyman 457193 over 38.5 grains of 3031 for about 1300 fps. Both bullets are accurate and are very good killers of game. I haven't enjoyed recoil or a recoil headache for a number of years now.

Try 53 grains IMR 3031

I don't have my guide gun any more, but looking through my notes ...

52gr of 3031 has produce tight groups for me, that's about 1800 fps.

50gr of 4895 will get you your 1600 fps.

About all I shoot any more is Trail Boss. 12.5 gr is right at 1000 fps and makes for a pleasant afternoon of shooting.

My cowboy tends to run a 200 fps more than the Guide Gun.

At slightly quicker velocities (like exactly 1,750 fps) my Marlin kicks the snot out of me. One senses a good deal of torque as well. Bring it back down to it's original velocities (like 1,250 fps) and it's a peach. There is no reason to hot rod 405 grain slugs. Even at a snail's pace, they'll plunge through 18 to 20 gallon jugs filled with water. A 300 Win might make it through 4.

My Guide Gun seems to clover leaf slugs at 100 yds regardless of velocity. From memory, I think I'm using IMR 4895 at about 55 grains in the hot rodded rounds. No risk of ever generating a double load. I will be backing that down when I find someone to shoot up the remaining 85 rounds from that batch.

I'm using 54.0 gr. H335 with that bullet in my Marlin 1895. 1680 fps. It is the starting load in the Speer manual, and the only one I've tried. It shoots well enough, and I certainly do not want more recoil. My 1895 is an old one from 1976 with a hard crescent butt plate.

34 to 35gr of 5744 gives me ~1600fps out of a Cowboy (26").

So will 49-50gr of Varget. 37-38gr of RL-7 gives me ~1600.

40gr of H4198 (apparent recoil feels higher) about same.

These are loads I found in my "Bear Defense" cartridge box. Your results (and loading procedures) may vary. These are some of my loads and I do not recommend them to anyone other than myself.

Would recommend work ups for each powder.

These days only shoot cast WFNGC or solids for 1600fps +. Plain cast HSMs for under 1500fps loads.

Nice looking JMs. Kept them MINT !

Lol that one is already chopped and threaded to 16". Waiting on the stamp to convert another JM gun to a 12" SBR now.

Ah...ported barrel fooled me into thinking they were original barrel length.


Just like '55 Chevys...less of them every year.