Marlin 1895SBL at the range - Elwood was right

A few months back, I bought a beautiful Marlin 1895SBL in .45-70. Elwood had convinced me of the usefulness of that venerable old cartridge. In this thread, he also had this to say:

I'm here to tell you that's the truth. These ain't nothing like .223s when you light 'em off. I was shooting the 325 grain LeveREvolution bullets (approx. 2000 fps) and, let me tell you, shiny boomstick make big thunder. It also rocks me back and brings the muzzle up 5-10 degrees above horizontal. I can see how porting would help.

I was shooting at the indoor range just to try it out and it was very accurate without any adjustments. I shot a 2 inch or so 4-shot group centered just off the X in the X-ring at 20-25 yards standing on my very first attempt. Very pleased with it.

My buddy--the one I built the AR-15 for--told me that when I was shooting the .45-70, a girl in the gallery shuddered visibly every time I fired and she eventually excused herself because it was upsetting her...

Incidentally, my friend got his new EoTech XPS holosight sighted in and the gun shoots wonderfully. He put 10 rounds in a group a bit bigger than a silver dollar at 20-25 yards standing.

I fired a Winchester lever action chambered in .45-70 a few years ago (don't remember the model), and I have to say I was a little underwhelmed when it came to the recoil. It must have been the fact that I'd heard so much, so often about what a mule it was, I built it up so much in my mind that it couldn't possibly as bad as I was expecting....kind of like the first time I ever saw the Biltmore House. Everybody went on and on about how freakin' HUUUGE it was, by the time I got there I was like, "Where's the rest of it?"

I certainly wouldn't say the recoil of the .45-70 is beyond mere mortals to handle, but it's pretty stout when compared to a .223! The loads I was shooting were, I'd say, like a 12 gauge 4 dram buckshot load in a light pump; not unmanageable, but beginning to be uncomfortable after 4 or 5...

Pics or GTFO.

I went down to the range yesterday with my Mosin-Nagant, a local lever-action club was there as well, so you'd hear the crack, crack crack, crack of the lever-actions, followed by the DOOOOM of the Nagant, you should have seen some of the looks I was getting

Yeah, because 30-30 is a pussy compared to 7.62x54R.

actualy, I think the lever-actions were .22's

I was shooting next to a guy with a Nagant, and I think I out-whoomped him.

From your opening post, it sounds like you raped that girl's soul. When you make someone cry with your gun, it's time to find a different range or come back later!

Nah, that's when you set it down between shots and start flexing for everyone.

Hey, when everyone stops shooting and looks out of his lane toward you with a "What the hell was that gigantic boom?!?" expression on his face...


...you've got all the attention you could want.

Well...yeah.

The recoil system on that lever action is non-mechanical.

So, speaking of bringing a cannon to a gunfight, this reminds me of the good ol' days at The Basic School, when we'd be in the field. You'd be out on a patrol somewhere and you'd hear a firefight start up.

The "crack-crack-crack" of .223s. Then all of a sudden someone would open up with an M240G: "BUDDA-BUDDA-BUDDA-BANG!"

Granted, it was only blanks, but we'd always look at each other like "Dang, someone's getting some."

One time I was fortunate to be in a foxhole, manning an M240 when our flank got hit. When the defenders are shooting back with M-16s, the attackers will do textbook rushes, but even though everyone knows its just blanks, as soon as the M240 opens up, the attackers get behind trees and shit and the fire team leaders have a lot more work to get them moving.

I think firing a link of 150x 7.62 rounds through a 240B was probably the most amazing time I've ever had with an automatic weapon.



.... The .50 M2 and the Mk19 not included in that of course, they are on a completely different level.

I love the M2 .50, but the first time I shot it was somewhat underwhelming. I was expecting tooth numbing recoil and a fireball made for the gods themselves. I got a little rattle and a lot of smoke. I still love the thing, but first impressions let me down.

I think I got maybe a half-dozen rounds through the Mk19 and M2 each. Not enough to really be fun. Got to pull the lanyard on a 105mm howitzer too. That wasn't as fun as doing the call for fire from a battery over the radio. The two air contracts with the highest grades got to each call for fire on one 500 pounder from Harriers flown up from Cherry Point. That was badass.

The best, probably though, was when the Infantry Officer Course (which is on the same base) did a combined arms demonstration. Humvees with M2s, TOWs, a pair of Cobras at treetop height, firing Hellfires...we should bring jihadists and tinpot dictators to TBS for that. They'd think twice before pissing off Uncle Sam.

They might think twice, until you remember that they're generally retarded and fanatically motivated.

Right.

That's the "non-mechanical" part that I was talking about.

I love my .45-70 (Browning replica of an 1886 Winchester), but I absolutely have to wear one of those PAST recoil-absorbing shoulder pads to shoot it. It's perfectly comfy with the pad, but actually painful without it.

I've never had pain firing large rifles like some folks.

Also, I've been able to teach my gf how to comfortably shoot magnums, from my .357 snubbie to a friend's .44magnum. I hope to try an S&W 500 with her some time.

My experience lines up with what the experts say: Technique is one of the most important things in absorbing recoil. Period. And of those techniques, not flinching in anticipation of the shot is the most important, imo.

The X-Frames are so big and heavy, you have to shoot REALLY stout loads to get much recoil out of them. I could shoot the target .500 loads (something like 330 grains at 1200fps) the range sells all day long.

But a S&W Model 60 (pocket .357 revolver) shooting magnum loads? That little bastard hurts the hand after a while...

Mine is a 642.

Yeah, it hurts. My point though, is that she can shoot a box of 20. There are police that can't do that.

I miss my good ol' Dirty Harry model 29 sometimes, but the cyclinder release would occasionally take a bite out of my thumb. I had a good firm grip on her, too.

Tried a S&W 500 yesterday, restored my faith in S&W, that compensator realy is something

This happened to me the day after Christmas when I was firing the .45's through my mommy's Taurus Judge.

USS Nassau(LHA-4) did some of the field testing on the pedestal mounted 30mm Bushmaster chain gun. I got to shoot 20 rounds.


It. Fucking. Rocked.

I thought the Bushmaster was a 25mm?

They make other calibers, too, AFAIK.

ISTR talk about upgunning Bradleys to 30mm or larger.


EDITED to add link.

You are indeed correct. I misspoke and confused the Mk I with the Mk II, which is the new version being deployed.

This is similar to the mount we were testing. I got to shoot because I was a Mk16 gunner and the Bushmaster 25mm was the replacement being phased in.

Mk 16 20mm cannon, as mounted on USS Nassau in the mid 80's.




And the Mk 38 MGS that eventually replaced it.

I actually got that with a snubby. When I bought my Ruger SP-101 belly gun, I made the mistake of asking the guy for "a box of .357s" without being more specific. He gave me a box of hot 160 grainers. For a 2" 5-shot stainless snubby. My first shot at the range produced a fireball roughly equivalent to Nagasaki and a BOOM somewhere between Krakatao and Thera. The people on each side of me paused to regain their senses from the concussion, then all three of us said "What the HELL?" at the same time. But I said "Um. Ow." first.