I'm having trouble getting my 1894 to shoot well. I have 2 molds for the LC, the Lyman 452424 and the Lyman 452664. Both run about 250 grs with wheelweights.The 424 doesn't feed well as the front driving band catches on the front edge of the chamber causing a hitch in chambering. So I purchased a traditional design the 452664. It feeds smooth but accuracy is only so- so, as the 452424 was also. I've tried 231,Titegroup and Unique. Unique seems to shoot the best of the three, and I settled on 9.0 gr load for about 1100 fps in the rifle. My bullets are 453.5 dia and are shot as cast with Lee Liquid Alox. Out of 5 shots, 3 are are in 3 inches with the remaining 2 opening the group to 6 inches at 100 yards. It does this consistently. I have a Williams WGRS aperture sight on the rifle and am shooting from a Caldwell rifle rest. I slugged the bore and it is .451 dia. I do have some 45ACP bullet molds in the 200 gr range I haven't considered using because of my fear of a chainfire in the mag tube due to the size and shape of their noses. I just use the gun for plinking and informal target shooting so I haven't considered heavy bullets or magnum loads. It's a big hit at the range, everyone wants to shoot the cowboy rifle.
Does anyone have any pet loads for this rifle or willing to share any tricks they have discovered on how to make this rifle shoot?
P.S. Although it doesn't affect how it shoots, the gun must have been made on a Monday or Friday as Marlin cut the dovetail for the front sight crooked.