I just thought I would share my workups for my 18.5" Marlin with .457 Roundballs.
I make "low noise" small game loads for almost all of my hunting rifles. My .308 is my most used with a 118gr commercial cast .310" bullet designed for 7.62x39. Accurate to 15 yards by using the lower duplex part of of reticle where the slender part turns "fat", at 4x. 2.5 gr of Red Dot works fine, no filler, no crimp.
I wanted a light load for my new 45-70. Not so much for noise as I only use them while "driving" for deer/moose and never on watch, but more for the sake of my ears which are not doing well at 40. I was going through some of my odds and ends collected over the years, and found a box of .457" round balls found in a box of items gifted to me from someone's deceased father. Up until now I had found no use.
I immediately searched for other's results with these. All kinds of data available with people seating the balls down into the case deep on top of the powder, using patches, case fillers both cardboard, cream of wheat, dacron and foam, people using .490" round balls put through a .460 sizer to form a more cylindrical bullets etc. I found concerns of .457" RBs stripping and leading in the larger .460" Marlin barrels.
I like simple. Mostly because I am kind of lazy that way. So I worked up 2 simple loads using just the plain .457" RB coated with lee liquid alox and allowed to dry.
I used the Hornady Flextip cases, which I had 60 of. The only reason I had them was it was the only load available when I bought my rifle, I hadn't had time to get set for reloading as it was an impulse buy, and it was already hunting season. As you may or may not know, these cases are shorter than normal, and I simply had them lying around as I now have 200 Starlines for regular loads.
I used two test loads. first was 2.5 grains of Unique, as I was out of Red Dot. Red Dot is my preferred low power powder, as I find it burns cleaner at near zero pressure. I always have Unique on hand for my 28 gauge, and I had a fresh canister. No filler was used, and the ball was seated just slightly past halfway and then a slight 1/4 turn roll crimp applied with the standard seating die. Overall COL was 2.65" in these short cases. This load was quieter that a 22LR standard velocity load from a 20" barrel. Very scientific "by ear" test. The loads hit "close enough" to point of aim for grouse and rabbits to 25 yards, but the delay from shot to impact was significant. Years of experience tells me about 400 fps or so, and I will run these over a chrony in the summer to verify. However, I play with quite a few reduced loads and you get a "feel" based on delay between shot and impact. Definitely kill a bird at these speeds with a 147gr RB. They would bury the ball half way flush into a 6x6" post at 50 yards.
I again very scientifically selected 4 gr as a second test load. Mainly because this is what a level Lee .5cc dipper throws(again, lazy). Approximately the same volume as a .22 LR standard velocity from a 20" barrel. Sound delay lead me to believe these were 600-650 fps or so. Hit to point of aim, and was able to consistently hit a 4x4" square at 50 yards, although not headshot accurate on bunnies. 25 yards is my max goal for loads like this anyway, and this is more than accurate enough for that. Ball was driven slightly more than flush into a 6x6" post at 50 yards.
No leading, but lots of un-burnt powder particles and dirty case exteriors from lack of expansion. For the 3 or 4 shots I would ever actually take during a hunting season in between full loads, they are perfect. And best of all quick and simple to load.
Hope this helps others....
I make "low noise" small game loads for almost all of my hunting rifles. My .308 is my most used with a 118gr commercial cast .310" bullet designed for 7.62x39. Accurate to 15 yards by using the lower duplex part of of reticle where the slender part turns "fat", at 4x. 2.5 gr of Red Dot works fine, no filler, no crimp.
I wanted a light load for my new 45-70. Not so much for noise as I only use them while "driving" for deer/moose and never on watch, but more for the sake of my ears which are not doing well at 40. I was going through some of my odds and ends collected over the years, and found a box of .457" round balls found in a box of items gifted to me from someone's deceased father. Up until now I had found no use.
I immediately searched for other's results with these. All kinds of data available with people seating the balls down into the case deep on top of the powder, using patches, case fillers both cardboard, cream of wheat, dacron and foam, people using .490" round balls put through a .460 sizer to form a more cylindrical bullets etc. I found concerns of .457" RBs stripping and leading in the larger .460" Marlin barrels.
I like simple. Mostly because I am kind of lazy that way. So I worked up 2 simple loads using just the plain .457" RB coated with lee liquid alox and allowed to dry.
I used the Hornady Flextip cases, which I had 60 of. The only reason I had them was it was the only load available when I bought my rifle, I hadn't had time to get set for reloading as it was an impulse buy, and it was already hunting season. As you may or may not know, these cases are shorter than normal, and I simply had them lying around as I now have 200 Starlines for regular loads.
I used two test loads. first was 2.5 grains of Unique, as I was out of Red Dot. Red Dot is my preferred low power powder, as I find it burns cleaner at near zero pressure. I always have Unique on hand for my 28 gauge, and I had a fresh canister. No filler was used, and the ball was seated just slightly past halfway and then a slight 1/4 turn roll crimp applied with the standard seating die. Overall COL was 2.65" in these short cases. This load was quieter that a 22LR standard velocity load from a 20" barrel. Very scientific "by ear" test. The loads hit "close enough" to point of aim for grouse and rabbits to 25 yards, but the delay from shot to impact was significant. Years of experience tells me about 400 fps or so, and I will run these over a chrony in the summer to verify. However, I play with quite a few reduced loads and you get a "feel" based on delay between shot and impact. Definitely kill a bird at these speeds with a 147gr RB. They would bury the ball half way flush into a 6x6" post at 50 yards.
I again very scientifically selected 4 gr as a second test load. Mainly because this is what a level Lee .5cc dipper throws(again, lazy). Approximately the same volume as a .22 LR standard velocity from a 20" barrel. Sound delay lead me to believe these were 600-650 fps or so. Hit to point of aim, and was able to consistently hit a 4x4" square at 50 yards, although not headshot accurate on bunnies. 25 yards is my max goal for loads like this anyway, and this is more than accurate enough for that. Ball was driven slightly more than flush into a 6x6" post at 50 yards.
No leading, but lots of un-burnt powder particles and dirty case exteriors from lack of expansion. For the 3 or 4 shots I would ever actually take during a hunting season in between full loads, they are perfect. And best of all quick and simple to load.
Hope this helps others....
you get the impression that they would be effective.
