Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Marlin Guide Gun - tell me about yours...

With the news that Marlin was doing something with it's levergun plant (we can just leave it at that...) I decided that this was the perfect excuse to purchase a new gun - a Marlin Guide Gun. This is the standard, non-ported, blued model. It should be at my dealer's on Tuesday.

I have some loads that I use for plinking/target shooting in my other Marlin, a Davidson's 24" LTD and I have some factory equivalent loads made up as well using Remington 300gr HP's going about 1800fps.

I've heard the load of 405 cast with 45 Grains of IMR 3031 mentioned several times - about 1500fps.


So, what do you guys use in your Guide Guns? And while you're at it, what do you hunt with yours? How about sighting? Irons or glass?

And I'm thinking about getting a replacement magazine tube and installing it - to fit to the end of the barrel to allow for another round or two... anybody do that? I notice that the new SBL models have a full-length tube...

I shoot 31 grains of IMR-4198 under a Georgia Arms 405 grain hard cast bullet. I also have a Lee 405HB .459 mold but I haven't tried it yet. For factory ammo, I prefer the Remington 405 grain loading. I also have a 1974 and a 1992 vintage 1895 with the 22" barrel. I use Starline brass because it's the cheapest by far.

Well, my go to load for hunting, with my GG is H4198 and 300 gr. nosler partition to about 1950 fps. I've had the gun since about 2003. It's ported. I have a 1-4x leupie heavy duplex shotgun scope on board. I've killed bear, wild hogs, and took it to RSA in 2008 for my plains game safari. Here is a few pics.














There's more, but you get the idea. The 45-70 guide gun is one of my favorite hunting weapons.


maddog

Use 36 grains of 3031 and the 405 cast bullet for about 1300fps. Tack driving accurate, low recoil, and will knock the socks off of anything in North America, including the big bears. Install a ladder rear barrel sight and learn how to use it, and elk at 400 yards becomes a gimme.

Disclamer: I don't have a Guide Gun. I DO have a 45-70 Marlin Cowboy, and it is the Real Deal.

Mine is a ported model with micro-groove rifling and sits under a VX-II 1-4X20. I bought it second hand several years back in a pawn shop at a fair price just for something to tinker around with. I shot some 405 Remington core-lokts thru it right after I bought it and they did OK. Nothing to write home about. My brothers and I booked a bear hunt in Maine so I decided to wipe the dust off the Marlin and take it. I tried making up some Hornady 350 grain interlocks with IMR 4198. I settled in on 45 grains with Remington brass and primer. I can almost get 3 shots to touch at 100 yards with this combination. I haven't chrono'd it but I'm about 11" low at 200 yards. FWIW... Rob

Thanks guys! Looks like everybody likes theirs!

Maddog! You've been busy with your Marlin! I guess there's no real need for anything over 300 grains if a premium bullet is used... great pics!

And Swampman - I've seen that pic somewhere before... hmm

Another question: How do you like the stock recoil pad? People seem to be happy with them...

I run one with a Leupold 2.5X scout scope pushing 405 grain slugs out at 1,750 fps with 55 grains of H4895. That load does get ones attention. I'm fond of the scout scope because it's well away from the action area. One can manipulate the hammer etc with boxing gloves on. I do not care for unsightly doglegs affixed to ones hammer. It's an easy carry and quick pointer.

Given the low power scope, it's about a 1.5 moa unit at 100 yds. I think it would tighten up a bit with either a higher power scope or a target that fit that specific scope.

If I had a do over, I would go with a stainless model simply because I or it might tolerate a bit in the way of nasty weather without some attention. Primary use = a dark timber elk rifle and perhaps moose if I get up north again. Also the obvious choice if I were to go on a bison shoot. No desire for ports as they catch snow, ice, twigs, etc and are quite loud if one is around any type of structure like trees or rimrock.

I'm pretty sure none of the Guide Guns had Micro-Groove rifling.

I find the stock recoil pad to be fine, but I'd consider adding a better one (LimbSaver) if it would fit without grinding and not increase the length of pull.

I run the 405 hard cast with 3031. Can't remember the powder weight, but it make my ears ring, shoulder hurt, and nose run when I light it off. But I don't have to track critters.

rldr 7 and 405's for my s.s. g.g. !

I like my GG. Have taken many deer with it. Carried it elk hunting but didn't connect. Here are some favorite loads from mild to wild:

405gr cast, 11gr Unique, around 1000fps.
400gr Speer FP, 41gr Re7, around 1400 fps.
300gr Speer Uni-Cor, 45gr H4198, around 1900 fps.
350gr Hornady RN, 55gr H322, around 2000 fps, MARLIN AND RUGER #1 ONLY!

A common name for the stock Marlin recoil pad among Marlin aficionados is "brick." It is not very soft, but it does help some. It is much better than the hard, semi-cresent buttplates on the 1895s made in the '70s.

My GG has a pachmyer deceleratore recoil pad mounted on it.


maddog

+1 for Reloader 7 with a 405 grain bullet! My ported GG will shoot sub MOA groups with the Remingotn 405 gr pill and the Beartooth Bullets 425 "Piledriver Jr" slug as well......

I've shot most commonly available bullets and used several different powders. Worked on targets from 100yds to 300yds.

The Hornady 325gr gummy-tipped bullets are very accurate and shoot flatter than most others. They do require shortened cases to cycle through a Marlin lever action.

My favorite load shoots consistently into < 1" @ 100yd. Its is the 300gr Barnes TXS-FN bullet loaded over 48.0gr H4198. Velocity is 2,040 ft/sec on my Oehler 35P. Bullets expand to nearly double diameter and retained about 98% of their weight after slamming into the dirt and rock berm. Even the bullets that hit large rocks directly remained intact and weighed about 295gr.

I used a Leupold 1x5 illuminated scope on a Marlin 1895SBL and shot from sandbags off of a concrete bench.

I have the blued, non-ported model, added a set of XS sights. Also replaced the stock recoil pad with a Decelerator (w/ the basket weave texture).

Very accurate, just like the others here.

I now use RL-7 with all my loads from a 300 grain Nosler Partition at 2300 fps/350 North Fork at 2100+ fps/420 Cast at 1850 fps and the 525 grain Cast at 1550 fps with other brands in between.

I have two Guide Guns,one ported and the other not..Can't tell much of a difference between the two in noise or recoil.

Jayco

I love mine, easy swinging and very accurate.

42grs RL7 + 405 Rem
47grs RL7 + 350gr Hornady RN
59.0grs H4895 + 350gr Hornady FP or RN - 1922fps - 1"-1.5" @ 100yds

Great plinker or light deer load

25.0grs Alliant 2400 + 405gr Cast - 1300-1400fps. Here's 5 shots at 50yds

I use 51 grn Re7 with 300 grn Speer UniCors, and get right at 2000 fps. I too get about 1.5" groups at 100 yards.

With heavier loads the recoil does get noticeable, but what bothers me is the muzzle jump. It's hard to keep the scope out of my face with max loads, but not so much a problem with open sights.

I've never had any luck getting an accurate load using cast bullets, but maybe I just never tried hard enough.

Try 46 grains of RL-7 with a 420 cast in Starline brass..In a Guide Gun you should be right at 1850 fps/right at 35K with 1" or better at 100 yards.Use the Lee Crimp die..

Jayco