Okay I will try to keep this as short as I can. I just got my new reloading kit today! It is a Lee Breech Loader kit, the price was right!!! I have wanted to get into reloading for sometime now.

I am going to start reloading for my new Marlin 1895 45/70. I am going to be using Rem brass, 300gr JHP Hornadys and going to stat pushing them with 61.0grs of H335 (2073fps) I understand that the COL should be 2.525 but I hear people talking about moving the bullet closer to the lands. Can you increase the COL? If so how much?

Keep your COL at the SAMMI specified length. You have a lever action rifle, you don't have the luxury of moving the bullet further out to the lands because if you make it longer it probably won't cycle through the action.

Read this, it may help answer some of your questions.

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech_notes/archive_tech_notes.htm/49