I've had this pre-safety 1895, 45-70 for many years, bought it used at a gun show for $185, was missing the rear sight. I killed deer with it back in the day, just now got it out and am working with it again.

Many moons ago, I cut off the top of the factory stock on a table saw, glued pieces of wood to build a cheek piece and comb. After I got is shaped to suit, I painted it with Brownell's crinkle paint. The finish has worn over the years and it isn't the prettiest gun. But the action is really slick and it has a very good trigger.

Recently I mounted a Bushnell 4200 2.5-10. It had a VX III 1.5-5x20 in the Redfield rings. The Leupold is an excellent scope. I already had the 4200; I like 2.5X for quick shooting, 10X for range work. The larger objective should be better in low light. 4200's have very good glass and a good duplex reticle. I'd put it even with or ahead of the VX-III. 4200's have a shorter ER than Leupolds, but with solid cheek weld and a good hold, no problem. Recoil isn't that bad, although the scope was slipping in the rings. I clean them with acetone, applied rubber glue and reassembled. It's holding.

Over the years, I had used a number of powders such as RL-7, 3031, 4198, Vv 133 and 120, my current favorite is John Taffin's 52 gr. H-322 load with 300 gr. jacketed bullets at around 1,875 fps. H-322 is an Australian powder. I got some Combined Technologies 300's at SPS for a good price. I had a few Hornady 300 gr. JHP's on hand. The Hornady 300's out shot the CT 300's Here's the best Hornady group at a hundred. I can fairly consistently shoot 1 1/2" or better with the Horn, nearly that good with CT's. I'm using W/W brass, Fed 210 primers, Redding dies and Lee Factory crimp die.

I took it hunting this past weekend, didn't shoot anything, but it's ready and I'm ready. It's sighted 1 1/2" high at a hundred and I have a printout for holds out to 250 yds. It's not a long range gun, but it'll do pretty good with a drop chart.

DF

Mine doesn't have the character or personal touches yours has but I hope I get to use mine as long as you have yours.

Moose, mine looks like yours.. Haven’t shot it a lot, but killed whitetails, and antelope.. May try a buffalo next winter.. Don’t use it a bunch, but when we head to grizzly country, it is a comfort to have this in the camper..

I have been reloading 405 grain bullets for mine.

I have taken 4 white tails with the hornady factory Lever Whatever ammo.

I am really liking the Marlins and am thinking long and hard about focusing my efforts on the marlin line of cartridges.
Thanks for sharing.

Lot prettier than mine...

Those are nice guns and shoot very well.

DF

From all reports, factory Levermatic ammo is good, but the cases are shorter to accommodate the ogive on that bullet.

Thus, for me that brass is useless. Due to it's shorter length, I can't use the Lee Factory crimp. And, I like the LFC. You could load those cases without the crimp, but with thin necked brass in a kicking round, the LFC makes a lot of sense, may produce more consistent ammo.

DF

Edited to add, I have two 45-70 LFC dies, could grind enough off the bottom of one to accommodate the shorter Hornady Levermatic brass. But, I have a bunch of W/W brass, don't need to do that. If someone has a good supply of the shorter brass, that may be one way to utilize the LFC. That would be easier and cheaper than having Lee make a custom LFC die.

Here's mine, made in 1972. The top gun is a 70's Mod 94 in .357

NIce pair, had seen that photo before.

I never get tired of looking at fine rifles, those are in perfect conditioin.

Pre-safety Marlins should bring a premium.

DF

And they do. I gave up on trying to afford an original .444

Very nice.

I like the clean look without the checkering.

The 45-70 came out of Alaska, it was a Guide's camp gun

I own the same exact Marlin 45-70 type rifle that's in this pic. Yeah I like it

I have a 26" Cowboy 1895 with Ballard rifling. I find the Microgroove to be very good with jacketed bullets, the gun I posted with its target is Microgroove.

I'm doing additional load development with the CB gun, shooting different cast as well as jacketed bullets.

Another matter, I had some Speer cowboy type 405 gr. coated bullets loaded with 4198. After a number of years, those rounds wouldn't fire. I pulled one and found a lot of corrosion, such that the powder was ruined and the primer was dead. They were all duds. I dumped the whole lot. Same load, 405 Lasercast, all fired, no corrosion. I'm thinking the coating that Speer put on those bullets reacted with the powder to make a mess. I don't see those bullets listed, maybe they quit making them. I sure don't want any more. Anyone have a similar experience?

DF

Some photos of the CB. I reshaped the stock to look sorta like the older guns, longer tang, did a tung oil/urethane finish. I had it checkered in an appropriate period pattern. It wears a VX-III 1.5-5x20 duplex and I have an old K-8 Weaver for range work and load development. It has a fine cross hair, not my choice for hunting, but a good benchrest scope. Those old Weavers track great, their glass not as good a modern scopes, even a Chinese scope. With the low comb I used the lowest rings available, Weaver. This gun has a Wild West trigger, had an action job by a CAS smith and wore tang sights. My eyesight is no longer peep site Kosher, so I converted it to scope. The trigger is 2+ pounds.

DF

Here's a couple pics of mine. It's also a 70's gun I think.

Beautiful country; I like the dogs and the bruin.

Looks like you guys were having a good time, dogs, too, not so much the bear.

DF

At that time I was 71 and that was my very first bear shot on top of the mountain behind us. It took me 3 1/2 hours to get to the dogs and bear. It took me two shots to the chest to bring the bear out of the tree dear. I LOVE my 45-70 as you will also.

Looks like rugged country. 3 1/2 hrs. up and down those hills would be a work out...

Packing that bear out would be even more fun...

DF

Brought the bear out whole. No packing. Notice the dust on the hide.

If we had to work that hard making a living, we'd be complaining...

DF

Awesomeness the 45 70 is perhaps the most best cartridge out there!

+1

It's a good one, seen lots of action over the years.

I always feel well armed, hunting with a 45-70. I know what it'll do and that's a confidence builder.

DF

Some more 45-70 porn. mine is the 1895GBL.



I had one of the 1970s vintage microgroove/straight grip models a long time ago. Always missed it, and eventually put this one in the inventory.

GBL's are sweet!

When I picked up my 1895G from the gun shop, an guy standing there said " What are going to hunt with that - a buffalo?"

Beats the Elephant comments one usually gets.

Here's my 1895 SBL. A very reliable dispatcher of game.

my 45-70 guided gun has become my favorite.

I have a ported 895 guide gun, straight stock and a 1895 GBL and love them both, great shooters.

My Guide gun in 45-70 doubles as a squirrel rifle.

My Marlin 45-70 took this 6 point yesterday in PA.