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Rod - In the Marlin, try about 15gr. AL8 if you have any, with the Speer RN swaged bullet, 230gr. They ran mid 1,300's in my .458 2". That load shot to the 'post' of the duplex crosshair in my 2 1/2X scope at 25 yards & just went - pow! quite unspectacular. It has enough power for deer of course, but the undersized, but soft bullet would run 3" at 100 yards with the peep sight. that was the only sigth I had on the rifle when developing the load. Later, I put the scope on and bingo - shot to the lower post of the reticle. It's the load I shot the 34 grouse with that fall - a few Tarmigan as well. They're just like pure white pigeons, but better tasting. At 25 yards, those little RN's make a 1/2" hole for accuracy so were perfect for head shots on grouse. I don't tremember if I put any kapoc or dacron on the powder or not - maybe not - maybe yes - just a small tuft. I don't believe in ringing chambers with these loads. I think the guys who did ring their chambers did something else, like putting a card wad between the powder and dacron - IF they even put dacron in. Perhaps instead of looking stupid for putting a card in with the huge airspace, they said they used dacron. I've shot thousands of dacron and kapoc loads and so had Paul Mathews and Ken Waters, Scovil and many others, without narry a ring.

Of course, today we have Trail Boss and around 12gr. should do the same, with lower - soft-ball type speeds. Fun! I'm using 15gr. TB in my .45/60 with bullets up to 385gr.- Go-Pow loads.

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Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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