Merry Christmas to me

[Don McDowell]

Leverguns do tend get a lot of folks excited about shooting.

[laowho]

Scuse me Don, Everyone,

But are you usin BP in these? I'm askin cuz I was teasin my wife the other nite about doin that, but I didn't really think it was done. Sounds like you cast for just about everything? Is there somewhere here that I should be lookin about this? Thanks, Doug

[Don McDowell]

Yes I shoot blackpowder in several of my leverguns.
The only thing around here I don't cast for is the 9mm crunchintinker.and a couple of the highpower centerfire rifles, but I've been thinking about getting moulds.

[laowho]

Then I'm gonna have to research this, cuz I'd really like to compare the BP and smokeless in the 94, whether it'll want a harder cast bullet, etc. Besides, it was made for it. Thank you.

[Don McDowell]

I don't think you'll like blackpowder in the 30-30, bore is a bit small and the twist is fast, fouling is a huge problem.
Stuff like the 32-20, 45 colt etc work great with it.

[Nuclearcricket]

Yea, somewhere along time I did run into a thread where someone was interested in trying BP in a 30-30 and lets just say it wasn't pretty.
Now as far as cast bullets to, there are many excellent .30 cal bullets out there that will work just fine in that old 94. You might even find that those cast bullets shoot better than factory jacketed stuff. Accuracy wise the 30-30 has a lot in its favor, ample case size and a long neck to align the bullet. A little load development and some good sights there just maybe some pleasant surprises in the future.
Don, you might want to keep an eye on ebay for a mold for your 9. I got lucky and picked up an old lyman mold that had never been used. It was old enough that it was still in the black and white striped box and I am the 3rd owner of it.
Sam

[laowho]

Yes Don,

From what little I've read so far the microgroove is the fouling culprit, and for the rest it just doesn't seem to perform as well as you've said. Seems I was mistaken to assume it had been made for BP, even tho some Marlins were bein made for it as late as 1903. Thanks

[Don McDowell]

Doug the 30-30 never was loaded with black, it was smokeless from day one, and that's a lot of what helped it make the big bore blackpowder rounds all go into obscolesence.
The 32-40 was loaded with black well into the 1900's, and matter of fact it and the 38-55 were the chambers the Winchester 94 were introduced with. As late as 1916 Winchester would give the buyer the option on both those cartridges to have the rifle fitted with smokeless or blackpowder sights.

[Hiwall55]

I have several old Marlins with Ballerd rifling in then and they will shoot BP, in fact I have a 1936 Marlin in 32 special that loves black powder. I think the twist was made to shoot both smokeless and Black.

[Don McDowell]

Doc's 45-70 marlin 95 with the micro groove rifling shoots cast with black or smokeless much better than one has been lead to believe..