back at it. 45-70 or 44mag

RSturdi said:

Forget the marlin rifles there a crap shoot if you buy one. Bad quality all the way around. Buy the browning BLR in 450marlin. I'm shooting 7/8" groups at 100yrds using reloader 7 and the hornady 300grn HP bullet. Its just a better gun. If you reload you will have all kinds of options from pointed bullets to round noses.

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IMHO
Been shooting Marlin 45-70's for 25 odd years and never seen a problem with any of them. Mind you I'm shooting older rifles and not the new ones. I would buy another Marlin today if priced right. In my book it's one of the best rifles ever built.
No disrespect to you in my thoughts but there are good and bad rifles built and anyone can get a lemon. But I've never seen one.

In regards to the 450 Marlin round it's a great round. But if you don't reload it's tough to find ammo.

Nice looking gun and shoots some nice groups as well..... Congrats on a nice setup.....

I have the Big bore 375 marlin and its been a get rifle. Taken several hogs with it. Its rock solid but since I got the BLR I have really gotten back into reloading and I have found the 450 cases to be very durable and easy to reload. I had another blr 20 yrs ago in 308 and it was a great gun. So I decided to get the BLR in 450 Marlin. IMHO its the best lever I have used. My second choise would be the Henry in 45-70.

RSturdi said:

Forget the marlin rifles there a crap shoot if you buy one. Bad quality all the way around. Buy the browning BLR in 450marlin. I'm shooting 7/8" groups at 100yrds using reloader 7 and the hornady 300grn HP bullet. Its just a better gun. If you reload you will have all kinds of options from pointed bullets to round noses.

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The marlins produced 2014 and later are pretty damn good. I have one and I have restocked 2 others in high end wood for people. The blr is more expensive and not as easy to disassemble. the only ohio legal round the blr is currently produced in is 450 marlin. Its not that hard to tell if it is a good or bad marlin. In todays cut corners manufacturing you should be checking all guns before you buy. The BLR is a nice rifle but a 1895 is still a nice rifle.


I did this with the iron sights after i swapped the front to sight to a finer marbles one

I agree the older Marlins are fine as they come. You never heard of cases sticking in the chambers like they are now. Since Remington bought them out they are using different machining methods leaving the chambers and receivers very rough. My friend has a new marlin ( in 45-70) that is very accurate but if he tries to work up a load just a little above factory loads the case sticks. He has since sent to a gun smith to have the chamber polished. Hopefully this will cure the problem. We both have reloaded for years here in Texas and we both have hunted Ohio over 30 years. So last year when Ohio changed there laws on rifles we both bought lever guns. Mine the BLR and his a Marlin. We started reloading and shooting as soon as we could. But through his experience with the new Marlin he wish's he bought the BLR.
Now he's looking at the new winchesters that offers 450 in 2 models. But there 1400 dollars. So I'm willing to bet he gets the BLR at 900. In our hunting group nobody wants to be the same there all fans of the 444, 45-70, and 450 By far the majority have Marlins. Buy the way that's a really nice group with open sites. I ran across an old man at the range the other day shooting cast bullets with a large loop marlin in 45-70 he shot 20 rounds in a 4" circle with ghost sites. Very impressive shot the bull completely out

Just curious on the 45/70 how is the recoil on something like that? Wondering if it's in the youth range for an acceptable load. I'd be happy with a .44 mag in a rifle for the kids but wondered how much more recoil we are talking.

Big_Holla said:

Just curious on the 45/70 how is the recoil on something like that? Wondering if it's in the youth range for an acceptable load. I'd be happy with a .44 mag in a rifle for the kids but wondered how much more recoil we are talking.

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A full hunting load of 325 gr. in 45-70 will just wipe the snoot out of you. Controled but heavy. Down loaded it would make a youth gun with a excellent recoil pad. In my mind a 44 mag rifle would be a better youth gun.
All of the 45-70, 44 mag, 45LC, 444 rifles will all kill a deer better than need be with proper hits.

I'll even bite my tongue and go with a 357 mag with a very heavy bullet would be OK with selected bullet placement.

I figured the huge fish post was spam. Gone now.

MK111 said:

A full hunting load of 325 gr. in 45-70 will just wipe the snoot out of you. Controled but heavy. Down loaded it would make a youth gun with a excellent recoil pad. In my mind a 44 mag rifle would be a better youth gun.
All of the 45-70, 44 mag, 45LC, 444 rifles will all kill a deer better than need be with proper hits.

I'll even bite my tongue and go with a 357 mag with a very heavy bullet would be OK with selected bullet placement.

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I went back and forth on a few calibers and settled on 45lc. Hope to get a decent load with not much recoil for my daughter to shoot one this year (she will be 8). If it weren't for the kids I probably would have got something much bigger. Hopefully this works for her and I may work up something for me to shoot one with. Going to test out some Hornady xtp loads first in 250 and 300 grain. I can shoot the thing all day but I don't want her to get a bruised shoulder and get scared off of gun hunting.

Had a Marlin 45-70 and it hurt to shoot. Some one some where compared to recoil to a 20 Ga. in 3" mag. I've shot 12 Ga. 3" mag. that does not kick as hard as the Marlin. I shot it around 10 - 12 times and sold out. I now have a single shot H&R in 45-70. It's seems to be a heavier (weight) rifle. Not shot it yet, waiting on the weather.

Recoil energy can be looked up at Chuckhawks.com. Some comparison 308 winchester has 15 - 18 lbs of energy, 7MM has 19-20 lbs, 45-70 has 23-37 lbs, 450marlin has 33-37 lbs.
After 30+ lbs things can start to be painfull. Thats why I range shoot with a sled to work up loads. 10 shots off a bench with either 45-70 or 450 you could be black and blue.

The pain was the reason I finally bought a sled! ickle:

Big_Holla said:

Just curious on the 45/70 how is the recoil on something like that? Wondering if it's in the youth range for an acceptable load. I'd be happy with a .44 mag in a rifle for the kids but wondered how much more recoil we are talking.

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My 14 y/o daughter test shot my 45-70 last fall and it became her choice to hunt with. It's got a punch, but youth can handle it if they have the willpower.

sd790 said:

My 14 y/o daughter test shot my 45-70 last fall and it became her choice to hunt with. It's got a punch, but youth can handle it if they have the willpower.

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Welcome to TOO and that's one tough girl.

I can shoot my .444 Marlin as long as the ammo holds out. I am going to sight in my 45/70 Henry this weekend. I will see how it recoils. The recoil off of my rifles and shotguns don't really bother me I guess?!

MK111 said:

I'll even bite my tongue and go with a 357 mag with a very heavy bullet would be OK with selected bullet placement.

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I know you said .357 mag, LOL But,,,,,

I have two .357 Maximums shooting 180 gr bullets at 2100 FPS, The deer tests were very impressive last year for my DIL and very, very, little recoil with tiny little groups. Easy 150 yd gun. I have some new powder and have a little time to play soon. Going to bump it up to 2250-2300,ish and see what it will do out to 200 for the fun of it.

Lundy said:

I know you said .357 mag, LOL But,,,,,

I have two .357 Maximums shooting 180 gr bullets at 2100 FPS, The deer tests were very impressive last year for my DIL and very, very, little recoil with tiny little groups. Easy 150 yd gun. I have some new powder and have a little time to play soon. Going to bump it up to 2250-2300,ish and see what it will do out to 200 for the fun of it.

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The 357 Maximum is in a different range and a 357 mag it is not.
When I was doing custom bullet molds 20 yrs ago I had Lee Precision make me a .357 180 gr. with a wide nose with a gas check. Lee never seen a reason for it and I never went forward with marketing. It shoots great. The bullet design looks exactly as the Lee 44 mag 310 gr. bullet which myself and a friend designed for Lee Precision.
Not interested in selling the mold or casting bullets for sale.

Yes I know it's apples and oranges comparing the two.

I am shooting the Hornady .358 180 gr, Interlock SSP in them. Only have about 50 rounds on the range and two dead deer to date but so far they are doing all I can ask. I just found 400 more bullets so I can play a little more.

Hard to find the bullets and brass for the max but I think I have enough to last a few years now.

Any ideas on finding some .444 marlin brass anywhere?

Lundy said:

Yes I know it's apples and oranges comparing the two.

I am shooting the Hornady .358 180 gr, Interlock SSP in them. Only have about 50 rounds on the range and two dead deer to date but so far they are doing all I can ask. I just found 400 more bullets so I can play a little more.

Hard to find the bullets and brass for the max but I think I have enough to last a few years now.

Any ideas on finding some .444 marlin brass anywhere?

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The 444 Marlin brass is around. I made a mistake and sold some of my stock. I use the 444 brass to make 375 JDJ brass for my TC Contender pistol.