The aesthetics of a cartridge tell us a lot. From tall and lean with graceful shoulders to short and girthy with a neck to match, there’s really a type for every taste. The .45-70 is a straight up, no-nonsense rimmed cartridge that promises to deliver an honest result. Come with me as we explore this straight-walled wonder paired with the Marlin SBL 1895.
Before we go into the combo, let’s look beneath the bullet. The .45-70 (aka .45-70 Government) was conceived in 1873 and adopted that same year by the US military for its Springfield “Trapdoor” model. This was a single shot platform and remained the military go-to until it was replaced in 1892 by the .30-40 Krag.
The .45-70 dropped into obscurity in the 1930s, but has made a significant comeback into the United States market. There are a few reasons for this. First, the American gun buyer is realizing that a lever gun is nostalgic, fun and highly effective down range. For those of us that grew up watching Westerns, the return of the lever gun is like walking into a warm kitchen with your favorite cinnamon rolls coming out of the oven. It just plain takes you back in time.
Another reason is the growing popularity of straight wall chamberings. While many curvy cartridges are designed to achieve high pressures, blistering muzzle velocities and awe-inspiring distances, that’s not always practical, legal or desirable. Many areas have straight wall only rules for hunting due to population density and other factors. This has historically limited hunters to slugs, but the rebound of lever guns/straight wall offerings is changing this narrative. Additionally, high pressures and barrel-burning muzzle velocities can sometimes equate to greater recoil. This isn’t always fun, either.
So, what’s changed? Most lever guns, with the exception of the Savage 99, have tubular magazines. This is a hollow tube that runs beneath and parallel to the barrel. The bullets nestle in a linear formation with the tip of the bullet against the preceding rounds primer. This historically limited bullet selection to blunt (non-spitzer) bullet offerings to prevent jamming and accidental discharge.
Hornady shifted this construct a few years ago with the LeveRevolution line. In lieu of the traditional flat point, Hornady used its patented FlexTip technology, making the rounds safe in tubular magazines. The two bullet construct offerings with this style are the FTX and the MonoFlex – both proprietary Hornady concepts. The outcome was an increase of up to 250 FPS in muzzle velocity and up to 40 percent more energy than conventional lever gun loads.
For purposes of this project, I stayed with Hornady ammunition because of its unique lever gun approach. There were two ammo configurations I explored:
Here’s where it gets even more interesting. The subsonic world of ammunition is quietly consuming certain hunting and shooting realms (see what I did there?). For those new to the subsonic concept, this means a cartridge-firearm combination that shoots a projectile with a muzzle velocity slower than the speed of sound (this speed varies with altitude, air temperature and air pressure, see this resource). These projectiles are large, heavy-for-caliber bullets that deliver maximal energies at short distances. Because of their sizes, weights and relatively un-aerodynamic shapes, their trajectories fall off quickly after certain points in their flight paths, so there are very definitive parameters for their effective use.
The benefits of subsonic ballistic fodder are numerous, but most are the reduction in noise and recoil when fired through a suppressor.
Now that we understand the bullet, it’s time to look at our perfect platform pairing. In this case, it was the Marlin SBL Model 1895. This is a stainless steel and wood laminate rifle with classic lever gun features in a clean, conditions-resistant configuration. With a 19.1-inch barrel and a 6-round tubular magazine capacity, it is a handy and nimble set up.
This model comes standard with a rear peep sight, front fiber optic sight and a long picatinny rail for maximum optical options. It also comes standard with 11/16-24 muzzle device threads and a matching thread protector.
So, what does that mean for us, practically speaking?
Here’s why this set up changes the game for those looking to shed the cartridge curves for a bit. This model is compact in both barrel and stock, with an overall length of 37.25 inches. The factory length of pull of 13.38 inches is comfortably short for the vertically challenged among us and the overall weight is 7.3 pounds (unloaded; no optic or suppressor).
The picatinny rail is on the long side, allowing for flexible optic placement to maximize eye relief. The standard hammer extension increases objective options without interfering with the running of the gun.
I elected to use a Silencer Central Banish 46 suppressor. This combined with the 410 grain SUB-X rounds created an incredibly enjoyable shooting experience. Due to time of the year, I did all of my shooting on the range so I have no hunting data.
This was a highly effective combination out to about 200 yards. Past that, the subsonic projectiles had significant drop. The supersonic projectiles from the 325 grain FTX rounds experienced a lot less drop at the same distance – which was expected. I ran both ammunition offerings suppressed and they proved comfortable and fun to shoot!
Curves can sometimes create a more flamboyant user experience behind the gun. If you want to get in touch with your more nostalgic ballistic equivalent, going for a straight wall might be a good change of pace. So, get out your cast iron, dig out the lard, make some cinnamon rolls and start your own personal Lever Revolution. It’s a straight up good time.
For more information about the Marlin 1895, and .45-70 ammo, see “Review: Marlin 1895 SBL a Keeper, for Sure” https://www.womensoutdoornews.com/2022/05/review-marlin-1895-sbl-a-keeper-for-sure/
Andrea Bogard’s love for the range began at 12 with competitive handgun and expanded to encompass sporting clays a few years later. She became an NSCA instructor at 18 years old and spent the next 18 years getting married and raising two sons, ages 17 and 9 currently. Andrea started hunting six years ago and learned to shoot a rifle and a bow. She is now 41, a full-time writer, homeschool mom and business owner and has hunted three countries, three continents and 19 states. Her sons and lab (Mr. Moose) are the focus of her world. View all posts by Andrea Bogard
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