So I have an 1895G I love it it is probably the best gun for my hunting needs here in florida. Any way I am intrested in getting another Lever gun and I am thinking about getting an 1895 Cowboy. How much of a velocity / range / and general proformance should one expect when going from an 18.5 inch barrel to a 26 inch barrel? Whould it then be an easy 200 yard gun or would it just gain a little velocity and not much more?

Just get another G :)


Seriously, it is said you will have a difference of approx 25fps in velocity per inch of barrel +/-.

(I shoot my guide gun 45-70 at 165yds, seated and slinged for practice on a feverish basis prior to season opener)

Just get another G :)


Seriously, it is said you will have a difference of approx 25fps in velocity per inch of barrel +/-.

(I shoot my guide gun 45-70 at 165yds, seated and slinged for practice on a feverish basis prior to season opener)


What load are you using? I have never shot mine past 100 yards on paper

What load are you using? I have never shot mine past 100 yards on paper
I have two loads, really....

Rem300gr JHP
WWcases
CCI200
H4198 53.5gr
Lee FCD
(this load I have not practiced beyond 100...still new to me but have been using IMR4198 51.2, 51.8 listed max)
To this point I've been shooting with the factory open sights and hitting the target....pretty much minute-of-buck. I have since installed a Tasco ProPoint red/green dot for greater accuracy and confidence.

Hornady #4102 350RN
WWcases
CCI200
IMR4198 44gr
Lee FCD
This load is pretty sedate compared to the H4198 51gr load I've used in times past but is still scoring deer. This load will drop about 5" or so (my best guess when using open sights) when shooting at 165yds.


*****be sure to work up your loads using considerably lower powder amounts for safety*****

I had an 18.5" guide gun I converted to 22", and I also have 26" barreled 45-70.

Testing a variety of loads in all three, I got an average of 26 fps increase per inch when going from 18.5 to 22". From 22 to 26" I got a 25 fps per inch increase.

This varied greatly for individual loads...the above is just the average.

I'm a big fan of the Hornady 350 Gr FN. 50.0 grains of IMR 4198 gave 2090 fps out of my 18.5"GG. This seems to me to be a fairly hot load! If you try it, be sure to work up. Brian Pearce in the latest Handloader mag has IMR 4198 loads going up to 52 grains with this bullet that he claims do not exceed 35k cup.

I'd attach the article, but it's 4 mb and my dialup service isn't up to it. Great article and great loads.

After five years of trying I have finally found THE load for my Marlin 1895g. Does everything I want done and is still shootable. I started with new Remington brass, annealed the first ¾ inch using the melted lead method, belled with a Lee expander and primed with CCI 200. The powder charge is 52gr AA 2495. I started with 48 and worked up with no signs of pressure. This is a compressed load, even using a 16 inch drop tube. The magic bullet is cast in a Lyman 451114 mould. The alloy is 17 parts pure lead, 2 ½ parts linotype, and ½ part tin. The bullet drops from the mould .451, 430gr and is ready for patching. I make my patches from 16lb green bar computer paper, cut 2.750 long on a 60* angle 1.500 high. I dip in water and wrap twice around the bullet. They are left to dry overnight, then lubed with LLA. The next day the tails are clipped and the bullet is run through a .459 Lee sizing die. I seat them to an OCL of 2.580. These shoot clover leaf groups at 25 yards and into 1.75 at 100. This is with a Lyman 66 rear sight and factory front sight. Not bad for 55 year old eyes. Bullet performance on game is all one could ask for. I’ll not quit experimenting, but how does one improve on perfection?