Marlin 45/70 info needed

[AK737FO]

Good Morning from Alaska.
I got a gently used Marlin 1895 GS in 45/70 for my 40th birthday a few weeks ago.  The M7 Leupold 3X "Post" (manufactured in 1960) is mounted.  The gun is ready to go - except I have to figure out what I want to feed it.

The purpose of the rifle is for close range deer hunting in Alaska.  I've spent most of my life filling the freezer with venison each fall and very very few deer have been taken at over 100 yards.  Most make their contribution to the freezer at 50 yards or less.  Where these tasty deer live is also where the big brown fuzzy lives.  He is usually not a problem, but you never know when you will run into a gumpy bear. 

With that background, my question for this forum is this.  I am leaning towards a hard cast lead gas checked in the 420 to 430 grain range.  Leadheads and Oregon Trails look like good bullets.  The problem is that I have been unable to find much data for loading this bullet weight.  Anybody have some favorite loads for the 420 to 430 grain WFNCG they would like to share?

Second, is there anybody out there who has a B.C. for these 420-430 grain bullets?  The Leadheads and Oregon Trails bullets are 90% Meplat.  If I could find out the B.C. it would make it a little easer to figure out what the gun will do downrange.  I called Oregon Trails, they do not know the BC of their bullets.
Thanks everyone and good shootin!

[quickdtoo]

Realguns has a good article on cast bullets for the 1895.

Tim

http://www.realguns.com/archives/117.htm

http://www.realguns.com/loads/4570cast.htm

[Lone Star]

I hunted Kodiak most of the 27 Falls I lived in Alaska.  I used a wide variety of fireams, the last 15 years mostly handguns.  I hunted in groups and hunted alone.  For my .45-70 rifes I loaded 300-grain Hornady bullets and killed deer out to over 200 yards - but very seldom that far.  In all cases I loaded for the game (deer or elk), not for the bears.  Yes, I saw bear almost every trip, and a few times very close, but I never had to shoot one in defense.  The one I did kill when hunting bear with a .45-70 succummed to an old Hornady 350RN.

Today I'd load the Nosler 300HP or a Hornady 350 FN for deer hunting.  These will get a bear's attention just fine and kill deer well too.  IME cast bullets are just not there with jacketed bullets for hunting deer - they do kill of course but they are slower and with more tracking - just what you DON'T want to do in bear country.  Cheechakos will wax forever about their enlightened choice for "bear protection" but the reality is you are more likely to be injured by a moose than by a bear in the Great Land.



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[AK737FO]

I've never had to shoot Mr. Brown either, but there was that big old grey faced boar on Affognak a few years ago that came real close - he was a grumpy old man.  I agree with you though - it is usually not a problem.  Since almost all of my deer are taken inside of 50 yards and I bet 80% or better are head shots, I'm not worried about tracking them.  I can't remember any PWS, ADQ or Affognak deer I've shot ever going more than about 10 feet, if they didn't drop in their tracks.  With that in mind, I think that I would prefer the extra 75 to 100 grains of bullet weight just in case I do need to dance with Mr. Brown.  I think the Barnes Buster or Barnes Original would be a great bullet, but they are about a buck a piece.  I can go with a "Leadheads" 420 gr WFNGC for about .33 a piece and accomplish the same thing with a little more weight.  Decisions, decisions...  It is hard to find loading data on these 420 to 430 weight bullets though.

[Tn Jim]

You may want to check out Cast Performance bullets. I've been playing with some of their 405 grain bullets and they shoot very well. I know they make heavier bullets too.

[gary0529]

I cannot address the effectiveness of a 300 or 350 gr on Mr. Nasty Bear but I have shot (extensively) the 300 jacketed, which is very accurate out at 100yds.  I can keep 3 shots in 1.25 inches on paper at 100 yds and never, ever needed a follow up shot on Virginia whitetails. Usually bang flop. Now to address one of your concerns, when I change ammo and load up some home cast 450 gr. flat point(keep the vel. to 1600fps) I find that the point of impact is very little changed at 50 yards over the 300 grain hornady jacketed hollow point. 
Now, never having shot a Grizzly I would however assume that any shot you take to keep from becoming a luncheon menu item would be under 50 yards and I should not think any changes in sighting needed- besides, adrenalin should be flooding out of your adrenals at that point and fine pin point accuracy will not be a real concern.

I will, however, add that recoil with my GS is upped considerably with the heavier stuff and is rather unpleasant for me to shoot - could be age or just me getting soft.  :-))