siamese mauser 45-70

[tom45]

Hello, hopefully some of the experts on this forum can help me out.  About a year ago I purchased a siamese mauser action with a 45-70 barrel.  The action is perfect in every respect.  After some time invested to buy a beautiful birds eye maple full length stock and custom work done on the bolt, I have a glass bedded and floated big bore rifle.  It feeds and ejects flawlessly.  Some tell me that this rifle is in the same class as the ruger #1, and is capable of loads making over 4500 ft. lbs. of energy or more, approaching the 458 WM, putting it in dangerous game territory.  Others tell me that it is only capable of marlin levergun level loads, in the 3500 ft. lbs. area.  A few others, when I asked what loads are safe, responded that "Any SAAMI spec loads should be fine", which of course means black powder pressure loads (I'm fairly convinced it is stronger than this, but thats what they told me).  So there it is, on asking what pressure level of 45-70 rifle this is (1, 2, or 3), I get answers in all categories, which leaves me where I started.  The leade of this barrel is longer than that of my nef handi (possibly to accommodate long seating of 500 gr bullets?) The twist rate is 1-18".  Leade and twist rate indicate to me a design meant for higher pressure than spec ammunition.  I'd really like to shoot the Garrett and Buffalo Bore loads and equivalent reloads in this rifle, but can't bring myself to pull the trigger without more research supporting its ability to do so.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[dud]

the siamese will run at ruger levels no problem.

[Rangr44]

For all intents & purposes, a Siamese Mauser is a 98 Mauser with a slant magazine for rimmed rounds - so it would be safe for any round the M98 can safely handle (presuming good condition w/o defects), a prodigious amount indeed.

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[tom45]

Thanks for the replies.  You've confirmed what I was thinking.  My loads will probably remain at levergun pressures for the sake of my shoulder. It's nice to know, however, that I have the strength to handle a little more if I should desire to. 

Tom

[Frank46]

Tom, think you will run out of shoulder before you get into the ruger #1 pressures. I had a siamese 45-70 some years back. Very accurate but 300 grain rem bulk bullets at 2000fps will really rattle your fillings. I now have a #1 and stick to the same weight but around 1800fps. enjoy your 45-70, Frank

[tom45]

Thanks again to everyone for the replies.  As far as I am in this country, I don't see a need for anything more than the marlin level loads similar to those loaded by Buffalo Bore, Grizzley, etc.  If I ever do find myself with enough money and time to go to Africa, I'd probably be carrying a big double anyway, mostly because the double rifle has been part of the image in my head when I think about African hunting for as long as I can remember.  I tried some of the Hornady LeverRevolution ammo (325 gr at 2050), and it was very accurate at 120 yards. Hornady also offers this bullet to reloaders.  While I have no need for the soft tip (as there is no tube magazine), the accuracy I got with them has motivated me to see what I can get with a little load experimentation.  While this rifle will be used for hunting tasks I have achieved in the past with a no frills Savage 30-06, the fat, straight walled large bore cartridges, beautiful wood, and exceptionally polished blueing create a certain amount of that "express rifle" allure that I simply cannot keep myself from being mystified by (even though it is "just a 45-70").

Tom