reloading for marlin 1894 45 l.c.

[powderburn]

Hi to all,
Has anyone worked up loads for a marlin 1894 in 45 l.c. I have only shot fairly mild loads thru mine so far, but would like to take it on a pig hunt this feb. The owner of the place i'm going t hunt said he's killed some over 350#. the land is steep, rocky & heavy brush, so fairly close shots are the norn. I also have a blackhawk in 45 l.c. and a scoped 454 casull. so a good load could be shot in all 3.
thanks for any info,
powderburn

[djl4570]

Yep.

These loads apply to Ruger Blackhawks, Marlin 1895 and Winchester '94 rifles in .45 Colt. The loads described below were safe when fired in the firearms I used. Your results may vary. Use a loading manual and work up from the starting charge. Most manuals have a section for Blackhawks and Thompsons. Keep in mind that Rossi makes a 1894 clone and the Puma 1892 clone in .454 Casull to get an idea of how strong the lever actions really are.

Using a 250g Hornady XTP I have loaded all the way to 26.0g of H4227 without any extraction problems or pressure related deformation of the primer. I might have gone farther when I compared IMR4227 to H4227 but I no longer have the records. Either 4227 is an excellent choice, they both meter about the same. It is bulky enough to fill the case and give you a compressed load but not finicky like H110 or WW296.

I would estimate the load to approach 1700fps when fired from a 20 inch barrel.

I found that Winchester primers were better at igniting the slower powders, and that using a K&M Flash Hole uniformer on the .45 Colt brass provided more consistant ignition.

The current Hornady manual lists a comparable load around 25.5g. Most of the other manuals top out around 24g.

If you have a microgroove barrel you need to stick with jacketed bullets. Some people who cast and size their own have reported success but I had none with hot loads.

300g bullets were a problem. When seated on the aft cannelure the action would not close because the bullet hit the rifleing. When seated on the forward cannelure the bullet consumed enough case capacity that I was left with anemic loads.

Freedom Arms (Makers of the Casull) used to sell a heavy jacketed flat point bullet that would make a good alternative to the XTP should you want a skull buster.

[PSG1]

Powderburn,go to www.leverguns.com Then click on "Articles".Choose articles by "Paco Kelly".Then choose "The 45 Colt in leverguns".The 45 Colt is an awsome round when loaded to full steam in a strong revolver,more than the 44mag.Its even more awsome when in a rifle.Check it out!! :sniper: