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Marlin 1895XLR vs. 1895 Classic 45-70

JWS
I am in the process of purchasing one of the above lever guns but wanted to know if the 24 in barrel on the XLR is worth the extra money. What will be the ballistic difference between the 24 inch vs. the 22 inch barrel.
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  • tsr1965
    There is not going to be that much if any ballistic difference, unless you are going to be using the Leverevolution ammo with the elastomer tip. Then you might gain perhaps up to 40 FPS. It all depends on what you want to accomplish with this rifle, or what you want to do with it.

    I say this because I do not need that fancy gimmicky ammo to hit long distance targets with my 45-70's. I shoot a standard load of a 405 grain Lead alloy bullet(actually #1 Buffalo from Missoouri Bullet Co.), over 32 grains of IMR 4198 running at 1400FPS or so. I was slapping high powered rifle poppers at 400 yards a couple weeks ago with my 1886 takedown, and 1885 BPCR. I can load them for about $8.00/box of 20. The Marlin 1895 cowboy rifle loves those cast bullets too.

    Best
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  • JWS
    Thanks for your answer. I have never owned a 45-70 but think i will really like it. Is the 1895 Cowboy rifle a 24 in barrel? I will mostly hunt with the rifle and do some general shooting. I am also in saddle repair / leather work and want to build a scabbard so the extra two inches does cause some problems with the extra length and how it rides next to your horse.
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  • CSI21
    I have the standard model 1895. It is the old version with micro groove rifling. It is a flat out barn burner with the Leverevolution ammo, shooting 3/4 inch groups with 3 shots. About 3-4 inch groups with lead bullets. Not sure if the extra length or whatever else the XLR offers really matters. I like to shoot it, but it will make you sore if you shoot off the bench alot. I do most from shooting sticks, sitting and standing.
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