I just got a Marlin in .45 long colt, what is the best factory ammo for deer hunting.

I'd look long and hard at some of the +P offerings by Buffalo Bore, Double Tap or Grizzly. Most of the over the counter factory stuff is pretty anemic for hunting purposes.

Thank you

SC's right if you're looking for commercial ammo.

Otherwise, 25 gr's of Imr 4227 pushes a 250 XTP to 1250 fps in my 7.5" barrel handgun.

Does Hornandy make a Flextip load, that might be an option.

buffalo bore.

Cool rifle.....

I'm not an authority on 45LC ammo so no help but if it's a pre safety I'm green.

Buffalo Bore makes a 325 WFN that scoots around 1300+ out of a revolver. I don't think you'll find a deer that'll catch one.

45 LC going from a handgun to a rifle is significant. Really turns that cartridge in to something amazing. Even the standard 250 Round nose will be a substantial bullet. Be careful as some of the Marlins only take a certain OAL of cartridge. 325 may be a little long for it. Wish I still had my 45 LC Marlin Cowboy back.

The 225 gr Lever-Evolution is rated at 1000 fps out of a rifle. Might be a decent option for a readily available factory load. The "Boutique" loads, while expensive, are certainly better options.

This is the rifle, the fancy Limited Edition. Should I shoot it or just hang it on the wall.

Dang,it's purdy. I would hunt it but just not take it on the roughest hunts.

yep...she is purty............

but they were built to shoot.............

I second that motion!

+3. You gotta shoot that rifle!

Use something with a stout bullet. A carbine-length barrel will get you 2-300 fps more velocity than a revolver does, and lightly-built bullets can fail.

I shot a deer with a Marlin lever gun in 44 Magnum using American Eagle factory ammo, which normally does about 1,250 fps out of a 6" revolver. It was doing close to 1,500 fps out of the lever gun and made a complete mess of the little blacktail that I shot with it.


Okie John

Shoot it,that is what they are made for.

Buying a rifle to hang on the wall just to look at would be like getting married just to look at her.....crazy

Handload..............I like Trailboss plinker loads.........

6 grs Trailboss.......Titegroup.......or Universal........

200 gr RNFP Dardas cast boolit..........

bang some steel..........

Here's a safety delete from Beartooth...........

Really cleans up the receiver looks..........

https://beartoothmercantile-2.mysho...fety-replacement-pin-basic-safety-delete

Will deleting the safety devalue the rifle?

Yup. If you want to collect something buy baseball cards or coins....

Maybe to some.............it takes 10 minutes to replace.........

save the OEM X/bolt....replace it IF the rifle ever leaves the family.......

8.0gr of unique and 250 or 255gr bullet is all you need.

these brass magazine followers are nice too.............

toss the OEM plastic POS........

always a good time to push a couple patches down the mag tube too......

you'd be surprised the crud that will come out...even one as new as yours...

https://beartoothmercantile-2.myshopify.com/products/magazine-follower-brass

I'm not planning on selling it anyway. It's a good Companion gun to my Marlin .22 Century Limited 1897-1997 hundred years gun

Those are really nice rifles.

Best .45 Colt load in my Marliln Cowboy has been Sierra 300 gr. Sports Master over a max dose of 4227.

DF

I just ordered some Buffalo Bore Deer Grenades, 260gr, medium cast hp

that should knock your hat sideways.........

Funny this should pop up...

I'm actually tossing the idea of a splurge/impulse buy of a 1894 45 Colt. I have always like the cartridge and have a couple Ruger revolvers chambered for it so I'm set-up to load for it...

Anyway, I think it would make a nice 50-100 yard deer/hog gun with XS sights or maybe a low powered scope using 250-260 grain bullets over a moderate charge.

Tough on 'dillers, knocks their nose in the dirt...

The Sports Master is about the hardest bullet made by Sierra.

It reportedly will shoot thru a hog like hard cast.

It's the most accurate bullet I've shot in my Marlin Cowboy.

They're currently hard to find.

DF

I use to have this Uberti Schofield in .45lc. One of the many guns I sold and wish I hadn't. It would have made a good companion piece to my rifle.

Those look good. I read their info. BB 260's should do about what you're wanting them to do.

I got some 255 gr. Beartooth flat nose, gas check bullets, am trying near max loads of H-110, Power Pro 300-MP, Vhitavuori n-110 and IMR-4227. Burn rates are pretty close, will see how they shoot. The H-110 powder is 50-60 yrs. old, smell good, no sign of deterioration, preforms great. It came in paper bags. The bags started to crumble, powder now in used powder cans with new labels.

Out of my 24" Cowboy, I'm looking for MV's of 1,700 fps or better.

I finally found some Sierra Sports Master 300 gr. flat nose bullets. Those are some of the hardest bullets Sierra makes, terminal performance reportedly about like hard cast. At 50 yds, they shot a clover leaf group out of my Cowboy over near max load of IMR-4227. Didn't clock them, probably running around 1,500 fps. These 255 gr. Beartooth slugs will have to do pretty good to keep up with the Sierras.

A .45 Colt rifle with optimal loads isn't anything to sneeze at. It'll put a WT's nose in the dirt pretty fast, hogs, too. Just not a long range set up, mean killing machine out to around 150 or so. In the woods and over small food plots, should do well.

DF

I got my Marlin Cowboy used from a fellow cowboy action shooter in NH. He had gotten Rusty Marlin (Rob Zimmerman) to do an action job and is it slick...

Like other CAS beginners, I didn't know. The stiff .45 Colt case isn't good for low powered CAS loads, Those loads don't produce enough pressure to expand the big case for good gas seal in the chamber. Thus, blow back. Well, I moved to '73 clones like about everyone with CAS experience, made a 'diller killer out of this gun. I mounted a Bushnell Holosight, put blanks in the sight slots. Because the Holosight is so high, I got a leather cheek piece from Brownells. Sorta ugly, but it works. BTW, NO blowback with the loads I'm now shooting, plenty of pressure for a good case/chamber seal.

When I converted to scope, I went with high rings so I wouldn't have to remove the cheek piece. Bonus, high rings allow room for the thumb to operate the hammer, no hammer extension needed. And, I hate hammer extensions. And, I can swap back to the Holosight.

This gun has a super trigger thanks to Rob, who was a Production Engineer at Ruger in NH, since moved south. I think he may be a production engineer for Beretta in MD.

DF



I wasn't kidding when I said "UGLY"... But it works, great at dusk when the 'dillers come out. Those big bullets do a job on 'dillers...

You should replace the sights and go with see through mounts.

Nah...

That would be way too cool...

DF