Black powder loads for your levers- 45-70

[seanmcneal]

Hello all! I was just wondering what folks are using load wise to shoot black powder, or a substitute like T7 in your 45-70 levers. I’m using a 405 gr hard cast lead pills.
Enjoy the week!

V/r
s

[Brent]

I use Swiss 1.5 or 2fg in mine with 410 grian paper patched bullets.

[seanmcneal]

Nice! I’m not at the paper patch level yet…

[Brent]

Sure you are. You just dont know it.

[seanmcneal]

Ha! Perhaps one day…

[Brent]

Ah! Let's go for it. I am happy to help. If you kill a pronghorn, or whatever, you will at least triple your satisfaction. Marlins are, by far, the best lever gun for blackpowder and it is just a small step forward to go the whole distance to paper patching.

Trust me....

[marlinman93]

I do occasionally shoot BP and also use Swiss 1.5fg when loading for my .45-70 rifle. My bullet is a 530 gr. because mine is a single shot Marlin Ballard and no problem with the long bullet like it could be with a lever action repeater. My load is 67 grs. of Swiss and extremely accurate.
But I load the vast majority of my old 1800's Marlins using 4198 smokeless powders at around 1350 fps velocities. 4198 gives me pressure well within BP pressures, and a nice gentle pressure curve that's under 19,000 psi in all my loads. Some down around 16,000 psi even. I've used 4198 in either Hodgdon or IMR for decades, and the loads are milder than my full case BP loads.
This is my Ballard Pacific in .40-85 Ballard shooting H4198 at 650 yds.:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Di_xED ... hLongshots

[seanmcneal]

Darn nice shooting Sir! What are you using for your rear sight?

[marlinman93]

Darn nice shooting Sir! What are you using for your rear sight?

The rear sight is an original Marlin Ballard tang sight. A very rare version as it's the early mid range version that is 1" shorter than a long range, but also 1" taller than the later mid range Marlin offered. Only Ballard tang sight like this I've ever owned. Most of my old Ballard rifles have original sights I shoot with.

[seanmcneal]

Nice, thanks!