With Marlin barrel lengths from 18 to 26 inches, using the same bullet, is there any advantage to faster powders in shorter barrels? Slower in longer barrels?

Thanks.

I don't think. 3031 worked best for me,but there may be better newer ones on the market today. I have never seen a loading manual list different powders for differnt barrel lenghts in a 45-70

No. What generally works best in the longer barrels will also work best in the shorter barrels.

The .45-70 does tend to like the faster powders, though, with IMR4895 being towards the slow end of things. Saddlesore's recommendation of IMR 3031 is an excellent one.

If you are looking for just one powder that can cover a lot of bullet weights, take a look at the Hodgdon Load Data website. H4198 covers just about everything from 300gr Trapdoor level to Modern Lever to Modern Bolt/#1's.

That was the reason I've been using it - 300gr to 465gr in 45-70 and 458 Win Mag.

Another good recommendation.

I've use a bunch of H4198 in the .45-70, with 300 and 430 grain bullets. The only time it starts to really give up anything is when you get over 500 grains in bullet weight, and then some of the slower ones help alleviate pressure.

Yep, H4198 is all I use in my 45-70 guide gun.


maddog

+1 on H4198. Fine accuracy, good velocities.

RL-7 has been the best of the best for me.

Gunner

RL7 and H4895 for me.

Been successfully using 50.0 grains of IMR3031 and either a Remington or Speer 405/400 grain jacketed FP in my Marlin for a few years now. I remain amazed at the accuracy of the CT mfg Marlins.

Hell, the 45/70 does well with several powders. I've used IMR 3031,RL7,AA5744 and FFG Blackpowder and ALL of them shoot well. I haven't hotrodded mine for several years now as I have found how hard it hits and how far it will do so at low to moderate vels. Use a 400 grain-480 grain bullet from 1250-1500 and there ain't anything I can think of that it wouldn't knock for a row of azzholes. Don't be afraid to experiment with several powders. That is one very flexible cartridge.

RL7 and Benchmark. Covers it all well.

No. Use the same powders you would use with a longer barrel. The real issue that is a benefit with the .47/70 is that it will consume a huge range of powders.

.45-70 Government 22 inch Barrel Marlin 1895 SS

Bullet Load Powder O. A. L. Velocity Energy Comments
300gn Hornady HP
48gn IMR 4198 1977
50gn IMR 4198 2049 Good Load
53gn Rel 7 1944
54gn Rel 7 1967
44gn 2400 2078 Good Load

350gn Speer FP
59gn IMR 3031 1880
60gn IMR 3031 1927
59gn AR 2206 1827
60gn AR 2206 1864
50gn Rel 7 1871 .620 MOA Most Accurate load

400gn Speer FP
56gn IMR 3031 1837 Best allround load
57gn IMR 3031 1880 3140 Compressed Load
46gn IMR 4198 1870
47gn IMR 4198 1914 3256 MAX - Case head expansion
55gn IMR 4320 1694 Mild
56gn IMR 4064 1754 Mild
36gn 2400 1730
37gn 2400 1769 Mild recoil - accurate
39gn IMR 4227 1704
40gn IMR 4227 1752

405gn Remington
46gn IMR 4198 1793
46gn Rel 7 1709
47gn Rel 7 1729
55gn Rel 12 1617
56gn Rel 12 1693
57gn IMR 3031 1903 3258 Top Velocity

500gn Hornady
50gn IMR 4064 1491 SINGLE LOADED ONLY
46gn AR 2206 1416
48gn AR 2206 1434
44gn AR 2207 1550 2668 Good Load
45gn AR 2207 1576
45gn Rel 7 1531
46gn Rel 7 1564
48gn Rel 12 1366
50gn Rel 12 1439





Note the differnece in velocity with the longer 26 Inch Barrel.

.45-70 Government 26 inch barrel 1895 Cowboy

Bullet Load Powder O. A. L. Velocity Energy Comments
250gn Barnes X
54gn VARGET 1928
60gn H 4198 2650 3900 Compressed Load
46.5gn H 4227 2507 Barnes #4 MAX
47gn 2400 2554
48gn 2400 2616 3800

300gn JHP W-W Factory 1833 Mild


300gn Remington
54gn VARGET 1745 Mild
55gn H 4198 2322 3593
57gn H 4198 2396 3825
58gn H 4198 2454 4013 B. Pierce top load for 38,000 PSI
59gn H 4198 2476 4085
35gn 2400 1791 Practice load
44gn 2400 2354 3692
45gn 2400 2381

300gn Barnes X
52gn H 4198 2287 3484
55gn H 4198 2322
41.5gn H 4227 2220 Barnes #4 MAX
44gn 2400 2318
45gn 2400 2333

300gn Barnes TSX
42gn H 4227
55gn AA2230
56gn H 4198
58gn H 4198

405gn Remington R-P Factory 1228 Very Mild


405gn Remington
50gn H 4198 2058 3810 Good Load
54gn VARGET 1772 2825
37gn 2400 1922

405gn Woodleigh
50gn H 4198 2026 3692 Great Heavy Game Load
37gn 2400 1861 Mild recoil heavy timber load

405gn Plain Cast
40gn H 4198
42gn H 4198
46gn H 4198 1902
36gn H 4227
40gn H 4227 1903
50gn VARGET
54gn VARGET 1755
46gn H 322
50gn H 322 1922

I been using IMR for years for my 45-70 and it seems to work great for me

I use RL-7 exclusively for loads from 300 grains to 550...Pressure wise it is hard to beat although 10X shows promise in the lighter bullets and a good "Flash Bang" on the 525's.

Jayco

I tried IMR 4198 in my Guide Gun and stopped looking. Velocity and accuracy were both what I was looking for.

RL-7. Tom.

imr 4198 works great with 325 gr ftx in my 1895gs.

I can't recall that I ever had a bad load in a 45-70. My favorite smokeless powders however, were IMR 3031, IMR 4198 and RE-7 with a slight preference for RE-7.

I'm going to try 59 grains of W-748 with a 405 grain remington.
Its a compressed load to keep the bullet from moving back in the case.

I use RL-7 with a Hornady 300 gr. bullet in my H&R. Very accurate and performs well on game.

The most accurate load I ever found in the most accurate guide gun I ever owned was 41 grains Re7 under the 400 grain Speer. They all went in the same hole at 100 yards. The limiting factor was definitely how steadily I could hold and fire the gun.

Vihtavuori N120, 53.5 gr. behind a Barnes 250 gr. TSX FN at 2,550 fps. Barnes 45-70 Marlin accuracy load for this bullet.

I shoot this combo in my Browning BPCR 45-70 with 30" Badger bbl, set up with a Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x40 CDS, the turret calibrated to this load, 100 yd. zero. It will shoot close to a 1" group at 100 yds, and puts them all on a pie plate (4-5") at 300 yds. My not so primitive deer rifle for the Primitive Weapons season in Louisiana.

I haven't actually tried these in my Marlins, but think they'd do well. Pretty hot load, would probably kick pretty hard in the lighter Marlins. Not bad in a 12# BPCR 1885, John Moses Browning single shot.

DF

No. But it gets better than that. The .45/70 cartridge is an incinerator and just about anything that burns will work fine.

22 Inch Barrel

.45-70 Government 22 inch Barrel Marlin 1895 SS

Bullet Load Powder O. A. L. Velocity Energy Comments
300gn Hornady HP
48gn IMR 4198 1977
50gn IMR 4198 2049 Good Load
53gn Rel 7 1944
54gn Rel 7 1967
44gn 2400 2078 Good Load

350gn Speer FP
59gn IMR 3031 1880
60gn IMR 3031 1927
59gn AR 2206 1827
60gn AR 2206 1864
50gn Rel 7 1871 .620 MOA Most Accurate load

400gn Speer FP
56gn IMR 3031 1837 Best allround load
57gn IMR 3031 1880 3140 Compressed Load
46gn IMR 4198 1870
47gn IMR 4198 1914 3256 MAX - Case head expansion
55gn IMR 4320 1694 Mild
56gn IMR 4064 1754 Mild
36gn 2400 1730
37gn 2400 1769 Mild recoil - accurate
39gn IMR 4227 1704
40gn IMR 4227 1752

405gn Remington
46gn IMR 4198 1793
46gn Rel 7 1709
47gn Rel 7 1729
55gn Rel 12 1617
56gn Rel 12 1693
57gn IMR 3031 1903 3258 Top Velocity

500gn Hornady
50gn IMR 4064 1491 SINGLE LOADED ONLY
46gn AR 2206 1416
48gn AR 2206 1434
44gn AR 2207 1550 2668 Good Load
45gn AR 2207 1576
45gn Rel 7 1531
46gn Rel 7 1564
48gn Rel 12 1366
50gn Rel 12 1439


26 Inch Barrel

.45-70 Government 26 inch barrel 1895 Cowboy

Bullet Load Powder O. A. L. Velocity Energy Comments
250gn Barnes X
54gn VARGET 1928
60gn H 4198 2650 3900 Compressed Load
47gn 2400 2554
48gn 2400 2616 3800

300gn JHP W-W Factory 1833 Mild


300gn Remington
54gn VARGET 1745 Mild
55gn H 4198 2322 3593
57gn H 4198 2396 3825
59gn H 4198 2476 4085
35gn 2400 1791 Practice load
44gn 2400 2354 3692
45gn 2400 2381

300gn Barnes X
52gn H 4198 2287 3484
55gn H 4198 2322
44gn 2400 2318
45gn 2400 2333

300gn Barnes TSX
42gn H 4227
55gn AA2230
56gn H 4198
58gn H 4198

405gn Remington R-P Factory 1228 Very Mild


405gn Remington
50gn H 4198 2058 3810 Good Load
54gn VARGET 1772 2825
37gn 2400 1922

405gn Woodleigh
50gn H 4198 2026 3692 Great Heavy Game Load
37gn 2400 1861 Mild recoil heavy timber load

405gn Plain Cast
40gn H 4198
42gn H 4198
46gn H 4198 1902
36gn H 4227
40gn H 4227 1903
50gn VARGET
54gn VARGET 1755
46gn H 322
50gn H 322 1922


John

I really like IMR-4198