Gentlemen,
This is what I get for posting while tired. I wanted the easy answer and instead I get the right one.
So now I will go about loading for the Marlin the correct way. Just quoting you I am going to sound about three times more knowledgeable than I am. If I do what you say, I will be ten times more.
Thank you very much Guys. But only 15 grains of Longshot? So you use any filer?
No filler, but a piece of card at the base of the bullet. Longshot ignites easily and hasn't been position-sensitive in my tests in the 45-70. It gets pretty speedy at 17 grains. I was shooting soft PB bullets, and accuracy went south a 18 grains. One ragged hole for 5 shots at 50 yds.
The bullets are the Lee 340 or whatever weight they claim, cast 360 in my alloy, a blend of range scrap and lead, 2:1. I ran several over the chrono, but I can't remember the speed now, and my notes are closer to the opposite coast than the one I'm near at the moment. Around 1300, I think, at 15gr.
It should make a great woods hunting load for deer and elk, but more importantly, it was just a pleasure to shoot, and accurate for 100yd water bottles with a few drops of food coloring added, my favorite reactive targets for plinking.
