Questions; Anyone tried Heavy-400+gr. bullets in the .450? Am presantly debating between Barnes/Speer jacketed, and Cast Performance 430gr.
Thinking of giving RL-7 a try, others who've used 7 in the 45-70 have reported good results in their Marlins.
Mind that the 350gr. factory load is fine, but I'm partial to heavier bullets at lower velocities.

I've been using Kodiak 405's with 52rains of H322. I haven't had time to chrono them, but they seem to group pretty good. The most accurate load I've found is with the Hornady 350's and 46 grains of H4198. One ragged hole groups are the norm. I have some Barnes 450 grain solids that I've been wanting to give a try and may use RL-7 for those.

when you find good loads useing those 400 plus grain weight cast gascheck bullets, please post your results, Im still working up loads for my 450 marlin caliber BLR

I've been looking for good cast bullets, so far, the only ones I've liked are from cast performance. I won't mention other brands, cuz they may work just fine for somebody else with different needs.
I've looked at different Hodgdon powders. some of which are not available locally. I can get RL-7, guess I'll have to play mad scientist by my lonesome. I've asked alliant to pressure test data for the .450, but so far no go. May take a while, if I find anything of note, will type it in here.

Mak-Here is some data for the .450 Marlin with the Speer 400 and the Swift A-Frame and a few others.I have the 18.5 inch data also if you need it.Hope it helps.


Good luck..Jayco

Thanx.
Can't find that unpronouncable Finn powder, but do have small selection of accurate. A-frames are pretty pricey. Some love 'em, some don't.
To the guy with the Kodiaks-ever used em on big game?
Imagine 18.5 bbl would loose around 150fps from 24 test bbl. Not significant. 450 is best at 200 or less yrds, give or take. Get enough velocity to thump em good, .450 never will be a long range deal.
Guess this project will take even longer than thought. Lots of components n powders to get thru..

Brian Pierce wrote on the 450 Marlin and the 405 grain Kodiak bullet.

I use it in my 45-70 also.

Jayco

You might give the Beartooth Bullet site a look see. Order the bullets sized to .460 if you are shooting a Marlin. You might also look at LoadSwap and Shooters Forum on the same sight.

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/bulletselect/display.php?catagory=23

I've just started working with the 425-grain WLNGC and will post my results but it will be several weeks before I finish. I use the BTB in my 444 and believe they are the best offered.

OK, thanx.
Guess Kodiak is internet free. 1.5 is good enuf accuracy, but at what range?
Beartooth looks good, if their alloys are up to par. Know from past that alloys too soft/too hard are target fodder, not for game.
Interested to hear results from folks experiments.

The BTB is a big game bullet, like I said I have used them successfully in my 444s. The FAQ's get into the alloy and other issues...

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/faq/index.htm

I have all the Marlin Big-Bores and have started using the software program "Load From A Disk" to help me come up with loads for these rifles and cast bullets because of the lack of data out there. I feel it has done a great job of selecting powders and loads for the cartridge and bullet.

For the 1895M with the BTB 425 WLNGC the software suggests an optimal load of 41.8-grains of H4198 and like powders. It should push that bullet out the barrel at 1651 FPS. A little more velocity for my 95MR with it's 22" barrel.

Never tried any 'puter loading programs. Myself simply lookin for loads with best balance of power/accuracy.
Will spend more time perusing beartooth.
Cast Performance bullets stack up pretty nicely as well. One thing about lead vs. jacketed, lead really is easier on bores. Course jacketed probably offers most consistent expansion.
Let us know how that 425/4198 load works out.
Thanx again.

Logcutter--Interestingly I also use 52.5gr of 322 in my Marlin. A 444ss with 270gr gold-dots. It will shoot 1-1.25" groups with it. The knockdown power and wound channels are awesome to say the least. You can obtain slightly higher velocities with a couple powders, but for accuracy, I like H322 best---2MG

I use H-322 in my 45-70 also for the 405 Kodiak and my 420 and 550 grain cast bullets from JB Young.Seems to work the best in heavier bullets atleast in my rifle.

Jayco

I shoot several 400+ loads in the 450 (1895M). I use RL 7 for the 300 to 390 grain casts, but I use 322 for the heavier ones. They all work well.

got a 450 marlin??


http://www.accuratearms.com/data/PerCali...rlin%20data.pdf

http://www.speer-bullets.com/pdf/ReloadingSupplementalDATA/450MARLN.PDF

http://www.hodgdon.com/data/rifle/450marln.php

http://www.imrpowder.com/data/rifle/450marlin.php

http://www.loaddata.com/members/recent_detail.cfm?metallicid=2292&recent=1

http://www.loaddata.com/members/recent_detail.cfm?metallicid=2305&recent=1

there ARE pointed cast bullet moulds available that can significantly flatten the trajectory if used in a BLR with its box mag

Mak...

I did get a starting load shot out of the Marlin '95MR with the Beartooth 425-grain WFNGC and both H4198 and H322. That's all the time I had to shoot that given day.



Based on this start, I suspect my conservate max loads will deliver the following...

41.5-grains H4198 1755 FPS
47.5-grains H322 1740 FPS

A little faster than what Load From A Disk suggested but I will be more interested in the accuracy.

Recently had a guy tell me that belted brass will separate and fail before 45-70s will.
Had me scratchin my head.
Dont think anyone should push the brass to the limit in high performance reloads, but don't see how .450 brass any more suceptable to failure.
Still gettin' my components together.

Heck if it last 5 to 10 loadings I'm happy. I'm reloading some 444s today that are on their 13 load!

"Recently had a guy tell me that belted brass will separate and fail before 45-70s will."

on incorrectly resized cases where the shoulder pushed back durring each reload like a 300 mag case that may be true but on a strait wall case like a 450 marlin, thats B.S.
ESPECIALLY at the pressure levels a 450 marlin opperates at (43,000psi)VS the similar 300 mag belted cases(at 55,000-60,000 psi)

Now, my daddy used to say that he only went to school the days his brother was sick, but I think even he could figure out that these aren't any of the bullets I use. I mold mine, and I have to tell you that throwing 300 to 405 grain lead bullets at anything with the accuracy of either my 1895 or BFR will get the attention of any animal on this continent. The ranges I shoot things at don't require pointed bullets, and I like the accuracy of the molded lead ones.

Do most of you guys shoot these expensive jacketed "store bought" bullets? What do you guys prefer?

I guess part of what I'm saying is that I'm not usually concerned about getting the absolute most speed out of either my 444s or 450 1895. The 444 is more pleasant to shoot, and very accurate with the molded lead bullets I feed it, and I would trust it for anything I wanted to shoot at (I'd let T-rex go by if he'd leave me and mine alone, but anything on this continent could be in a hurt inside of 200 yards with either one). The penetration is excellant and I'm not afraid to pull the trigger without a sandbag between me and the butt of the gun.

I mold a gas check 295 grainer for the 444 that gets-R-done. The wheel weights I normally use (hey, I'm cheap, okay?) usually weigh out at about 302 to 305 grains on my scale (non-sized). For paper targets I prefer the flat nosed bullets anyway because they punch cleaner holes.

Speakin only for myself here.
Would like at some point to expand use of cast bullets, a matter of time n daneiro. Jacketed are (usually) available locally without havin to deal with shipping, cc charges, delays, and wonderin if theyll get the address right.
No present interest in castin my own.
Got enough to take up my time, hard enuf to find time to reload, much less cast as well.
Not moanin, just statin.

I thought I would add this photo of that group shot with the my starting load of 43.5-grains of H322.



Oh, they print targets on our feed sacks around here. Shot at 50-yards.

Mic McPherson wrote an article for "The Accurate Rifle" magazine in which he talked about loading cast bullets in the .450 Marlin lever-action.

One of the loads used a 460gr cast bullet from Cast Performance, RL7 powder and the CCI-BR2 primer. He also mentioned that he had turned his expander down to 0.453" to improve bullet pull since the loads were heavily compressed.

46.0 gr of RL7 gave 1764 fps and he called it "mild".
47.0 gr of RL7 gave 1809 fps and he called it "Maximum".

Both these loads were loaded to OAL of 2.550".

He also talked about shooting this combination in a lever-action that had been modified to handle an OAL of 2.665" and in THIS MODIFIED ACTION he went to 49.5gr of RL7 and got 1882 fps.

I shoot a custom 450 Marlin bolt-action and have loaded this combination a little longer and got even more velocity (more powder and 22" barrel) but it isn't for the faint-hearted as the recoil, even at 1809 fps is really "stiff". I never used it on any game but it sure does bust up big rocks into much smaler ones.

The article was in the May 2002 issue of "The Accurate Rifle" magazine.

Would guess mild/max=cuz of felt recoil?