Time to get ready.........

[Snocat]

It's a old waffle top 336A 24in Ballard Deluxe . I haven't push cast over 1600 fps no issues with leading . She likes jacked with Varget also ..this was at 100yds

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

[Kurt]

Nice wood and fit on that marlin. That is something you will have a hard time finding on the new Marlins shipped in from over seas.

[Snocat]

Thanks Kurt , I picked it off the rack that had a sign over it .Used deer rifles under 300 bucks . It's not a safe queen its been carried a lot but could tell the owner took very good care of her . I couldn't get the 275 bucks out of my pocket any quicker. Its fun when buddy's look at the groups it shoots with there scoped deer rifles.

[Kurt]

I have a 336 before the change but I haven't shot it much. The wood is nice and the wood to metal fit is very good but it has micro groove rifling and I wanted to use it for the lever matches but I mined lead with the 1600 fps loads. I checked it out to see what the hey is going on and I dug out fired bullets longer then before I shot them so I set it back till I had a chance to work on loads for it but it has been sort of forgotten to work on. It's the center rifle. It was in the rack used and unfired look in appearance and a very low price so I took it home The center rifle.

   

[SgtDog0311]

At one time I had six of those old waffle tops. 336-As and an RC in 30-30, 32 and 35. I like those rifles. Only have a 35REM left now as Ballards were sticking me up for more and more money. My 35 is close to a truck gun but I really love that old rifle. Wouldn't get enough for it to suffer the loss. Three of my others were ADLs and were certainly handsome.

[Kurt]

I went to town yesterday and picked up a 8 oz can of sr 4759, the last can he had and a can of RX 7 and loaded 10 rounds with 15 gr of 4759 and shot 5 in each of the 93 and the micro grooved 336 in a snow pile I will say that load is something I'm not used to from the light push when it goes off LOL. Been a while since I shot light loads LOL.
When I first loaded the .30-30 betting ready for a lever rifle match at Alliance I tested some loads in the 336 micro grooved Marlin because they would not stay on paper at 130 yards I shot the snow and what I found was the bullets shot with #2 Lyman were longer after they where shot then unfired that made me to start looking for a 93 with Ballard rifling. I found out one thing....don't load a micro grooved bore at over 1600 fps.
   

[mherth]

Kurt, I hope to use a microgroove 30-30 at the Hill. What kind of load would hou suggest?

[Kurt]

Michael let me find the bullets I just shot and I have more loaded with different alloy other then #2 Lyman. There is still time before the hill comes around. I have so far found in two rifles I shoot that has the Micro groove, the .30-30 and the .444 and to this going I say keep them at 1500 fps or under 1600 fps. from what I have looked at so far.
I have never checked a alloy like WW or heavy in linotype mixes so I don't know what that would turn out. I just don't hardly ever shoot a smokeless anymore other then a .308.
But I can say this so far. I just opened the garage door and sat on a bucket and shot one hole and I used it for a aim point for just one shot and the second shot might have hit the first bullet so it might be working but the pile is only 60 yards away.

[SgtDog0311]

Friend of mine just found an 8lb jug of 4759 out in Pen. And for a good price too. Texted me to see if wanted a second one (their last). Had I not had a stash I would have said yes and waited for when we next met. That is an unusual score. Have not seen any for about a year and a half and before that I was buying what I did see, at least when the price was not highway robbery.

Kurt, those bullets look wicked. Makes a guy want a gas check! Had a Marlin 45-70 microgroove that shot very well with .002 oversized bullets. Never tried a plain base though. The old Waffle Tops are ballard rifling if I'm not mistaken. Mine all shot very well. But after shooting the old turn of century 1893s and 1894s everything else but the Waffle Tops just fell out of focus. Still have a modern JM Marlin 1895 STBL (Stainless Big Loop that was my first lever gun) that I just can't turn loose of.

I have been shooting very little smokeless since this BP took me prisoner. But I do go to two shoots each year where it's common and loading for six or seven rifles makes smokeless tempting since I have not been away from it for all THAT long.

[Kurt]

John those bullets were gas checked. those stretched bullets are the same as the unfired bullets next to them.
I will probably load the 93 with black powder anyway. When I first got it I filled some cases with 3F OE and just seated a gas check on the powder and they shot very good but the fouling started to be a problem with out blowing through the action or down the muzzle. If I do that at a match the RO would have a fit