Marlin 1894 Cowboy far exceeded any expectations

[J Miller]

I shot my Marlin 1894 Cowboy at the Indiana get together last weekend.



I didn't really shoot it a lot but I did some longer range shooting with it, the likes of which I'd never done with it or any handgun caliber lever gun.
I've had this Marlin for a couple years now and until last weekend I'd never fired it past 50 yards. That was last year when JD45 and I got together.
I had a partial box of jacketed bullet ammo loaded by a local company. The load was
( Starline cases, Unknown silver colored primer, 10.0grs AA #5, Hornady 250gr XTP, vel 860fps ).
I'd fired most of it from my handguns at the indoor range and knew it was fairly accurate from them. But from the Marlin it gave real good service. I clobbered the 100 yard gong several times then got inspired and aimed at the 200 yd ram target. My first shot used a 6:00 hold and hit the ground in front of the target. My second shot I centered the bead in the ram and hit it. I couldn't hear the impact, but the target did swing a bit. I raised the rear sight a notch and tried again. Missed. Then I put the sight back to where it was and fired again. Another hit. I'm pretty sure I hit it a third time, but not positive as others were shooting at it too.

So I'm positive I am going to work on loads for this short rifle. This one is a keeper.

Joe

[Terry Murbach]

EXCELLENT JOSE !!! I HAVE TWO 45COLT LEVERGUNS AND BOTH JUST FLATTOUT SHOOT UP A STORM. I SHOOT THE REGULAR LOADS IN THE UBERTI '66 AND THE ROSSI SS '92 GETS THE HIGH FALUTIN BUTTKICKIN' LOADS. BOTH ARE DELIGHTFUL.
THE 45COLT IN A MODERN MADE LEVERGUN HAS WORKED OUT A LOT BETTER THAN I'D HAVE THOUGH BACK WHEN THEY STARTED SHOWING UP IN THE MARKET PLACE.

[J Miller]

Terry,

What I'm thinking about working up is a load at the max end of what a Colt or copy will handle, but using some powder that will work better in a rifle. I'm not sure what to start with.
I've used the AA #5 ( local factory load ), 231, Unique, 2400, Blue Dot ( very little ), IMR 4227, and really don't have a clue which might give me the best additional velocity out of the rifle. 99% of what I've shot recently was from handguns and at an indoor 25yd range. Can't tell much of anything there.

Joe

[Idiot]

Nothing beats shooting the darn things. There are many times I think I need something else, or this or that will or will not work. But real answers are arrived at only by shooting, and the best answers come while hunting. Not that you need to be encouraged, but have fun.

[J Miller]

Idiot,
You are correct. Nothing is learned if you don't shoot them. I feel silly sometimes, I drove almost 300 miles to shoot at that range in IN, but don't want to drive 45 miles to shoot here in IL. Dunce hat time. I need to get my self moving and just do it.

Joe

[Blaine]

Of the guns I've shot, my 1894 Marlins fit me the best..I mount them and everything lines up perfect. Marlin Mounty, too....

[J Miller]

Of the guns I've shot, my 1894 Marlins fit me the best..I mount them and everything lines up perfect. Marlin Mounty, too....

I've never owned a 336 or a 39 series Marlin. Only the 1894s. I've shouldered quite a few though and someday I'll own one ... or two.

Joe

[Old Savage]

Go ahead boys, I am picking up one of the Rossi 45s within a week.

[w30wcf]

Joe,
Neat Rifle! Nice Shooting!!

Here's a pic of my .45 Colt Marlin Cowboy in the hands of one of my friends at the High Power Silhouette Range in Ridgway, PA.


He's shooting at the steel javelina @ 300 meters. Notice how far the end of the barrel is above the bank of targets (3rd in from the farthest). Load was 8.5 Universal / 250 gr cast bullet muzzle velocity 1,200 f.p.s. Don did hit a few targets.


Here's what that rifle will do from the bench on the 300 meter Javelina swinger target with 40 grs. of b.p.


Long live the .45 Colt!

w30wcf

[J Miller]

Long live the .45 Colt!

Yep! I'm beginning to think it is one of this worlds most underrated cartridges.

Joe

[timkelley]

Old Savage, I have a Rossi 92 in 45Colt and anybody who asks gets told it is more fun than a "man should be allowed to have".

[2ndovc]

Joe,

My Marlin 94 would shoot a 5 shot cloverleaf off a rest at 100 yds with a 300 Cast performance WFNGC
and 21 grains W 296.

Someone offered me a pile of $ for it and I foolishly sold it. don't ask me why..

jb

[madman4570]

Great Shooting!
Keep it up

[J Miller]

Joe,

My Marlin 94 would shoot a 5 shot cloverleaf off a rest at 100 yds with a 300 Cast performance WFNGC
and 21 grains W 296.

Someone offered me a pile of $ for it and I foolishly sold it. don't ask me why..

jb

Been there, done that. And I regret most of them. I don't sell 'em any more. Too hard to replace for me.

Great Shooting!
Keep it up

I intend to. Plus more than I have in the past. After this weekend I totaled up the rounds I've got through that Marlin and it came to less than 200 rounds. I don't even really know that rifle yet. I'm gonna fix that problem.

Joe

[Noah Zark]

Joe:

Congratulations on your discovery of one of the best-kept secrets in leverguns -- the combination of the Marlin 1894 and the 45 Colt cartridge, fired at ranges greater than 50 yds.

I'm partial to Marlins in 45 Colt; T-B: 24" Cowboy, 20" Cowboy Carbine, and 16.5" "The Limited":



Barrel length has NOTHING to to do with accuracy. I can chase 20 oz soda bottles all over the 100 yd berm with any of the three, and with ease, if i do my part on a reasonably still day.

Further, at the Ridgway Rifle Club mentioned by W30WCF (Who is a true gentleman and fellow levergun enthusiast, I might add) above, I frequently exercise the above Marlins on the 300 yd silhouettes as shown in his photos. I hardly EVER shoot at less than 100 yds anymore when firing a rifle, unless it's a 22LR. Even my Marlin 57M gets fired at 100 yds regularly.

Marlin 1894s are real gems, and the 45 Colt is a gem of a reloader's cartridge.

Someone offered me a pile of $ for it and I foolishly sold it. don't ask me why..

Well, dat wuz stoopid!


Noah

[Old Savage]

Well, it looks like a Winnie guy is now a Marlin fan!!

[adirondakjack]

Joe, yer slower powders will show the most increase in performance in the rifle VS the pistol.

Thst said, any good "Ruger only" load is gonna work well, from the 10 grain Unique and a 250 to any of the H110 or 2400 loads. A light 2400 or 4227 load would be where I'd wanna start if the goal was a load safe in a clone as well.

[J Miller]

Well, it looks like a Winnie guy is now a Marlin fan!!

Ahhhh heck, now you went and told every body.

Joe, yer slower powders will show the most increase in performance in the rifle VS the pistol.

Thst said, any good "Ruger only" load is gonna work well, from the 10 grain Unique and a 250 to any of the H110 or 2400 loads. A light 2400 or 4227 load would be where I'd wanna start if the goal was a load safe in a clone as well.

I've got several loads that I haven't tried in this Marlin yet. I'm going to have to get my rear end in gear and go to the range here. No 200 yards ones available, but 100 will tell me a lot.

I've still got a partial box of my black powder loads, I might even try them.

Joe

[Old Savage]

Ah Joe, here is the real dark side - with a scope. 200 yd ram child's play with this in 357.

[J Miller]

Ah Joe, here is the real dark side - with a scope. 200 yd ram child's play with this in 357.

Yeah, but I think I'll work on it using the iron sights for now. Besides my Marlin has no holes for mounting scopes. And I ain't gonna have any drilled. Maybe a couple for a receiver sight, but not for scopes.

However I do have my Marlin MR-7 with it's scope. Wonder if it will shoot at all?

Joe