500 gr bullets in 45-70?

[jpuke]

Has anyone out there experimented with 500 gr bullets in a Marlin 1895 45-70?  I can't find any loading data on them and I'm a little timid about making up my own loading data.  I only want about 1300 fps so they are like old blackpowder loads.

[John Traveler]

jpuke,

I use 35.0-36.0 grains IMR 3031 behind a 500 grain cast RN lead bullet to duplicate the old bp Trapdoor Springfield military load at about 1200 fps.  It's safe in M1873 Springfields, natchurly.

The older Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook will have these loads and a  lot more.

No need to by shy:   that Marlin 1895 is plenty strong.  It can handle heavy bullet loads up to 1700-1800 fps easily.

John

[jhalcott]

j,it wont take much to go over the pressure limits on your gun.It also hurts more to push 500 grainers to  the same speeds as 300's.Are you looking for cast bullet or them OTHER type slugs?You will most likely find the jacketed slugs too long and will have to single load them. They MAY not eject unless fired,a definite safety concern.
  Have you consulted the gun ammo makers for advice on this?
  35grains/imr4198=1440fps 500 grain jack.RN
   44grains/imr3031=1444 fps same bullet as above.
these are guesstimates.
  The throats on Marlins could cause a problem too.
  the Lyman 457463 (400 grain) cast bullet was designed specifically for lever action rifles.I would consider one of these before I take a chance on 500 grain jacketed ammo.  YOUR SAFETY AND THAT OF BYSTANDERS IS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT CONCERN.  JH

[jpuke]

I would only be shooting cast bullets - no sense in paying a $35 for 20 jacketed bullets.  John Traveler - What length are your cartridges?  I guess I forgot that my other question is whether the shorter 2.550in OAL necessary for a lever gun would increase pressures too much.  I ask about the 500 gr bullets because RCBS makes a paper patched bullet mould that I can afford (versus the expensive custom ones).

[Lloyd Smale]

try 20 grains of 2400

[John Traveler]

jpuke,

You absolutely NEED to seat the 500 grain bullets to under maximum length for that Marlin 1895.  The first several rounds I tried to cycle with 500 grain bullets seated to the crimping groove resulted in (you guessed it!)  failures to extract loaded rounds.

As for seating too deep and increasing pressures: not to worry.  That load of 35-36 grains IMR 3031 is a very mild one, and documented in Handloader Magazine as being under 25,000 psi.

The bullets I've used are commercial 500 grain RNFP with a single crimping groove.  Crimp on the bore-riding nose, or use no crimp and single-load.
 
I would use the same LOA as the 405 grain bullets.

John

[Blackhawk44]

A Lee factory crimp die may be handy since most molds locate the crimp groove too far back to crimp properly for the Marlin 95.