Glen,
I don't care if you or anyone else knows who I am, but do think the OP was out of line and hiding behind an alias when making accusations like this is disgusting.

Meanwhile, here are some suggestions for your blackpowder loads.

For your .32-20, start with 3 fg or 2fg Swiss powder. Skip the other flavors for now and go with what bpcr shooters feel, overwhelmingly, is the best powder as a starting point. You will probably only get about 17-18 grs in the case, and you will need to compress it slightly with a compression die. You might have to make that, as .32-20 is not common among bp shooters. If anyone has one ready made for sale it will be BACO.

Lube LEAD bullets with a commercial BP lube, or make your own. I like a 50-50 mix of sheep tallow (from Dixie Gun Works) and beeswax (I have my own bees, but sourcing that should not be too hard). Pan lube your bullets. My bullets are usually 30 or 40:1 lead:tin. No need to be harder.

I can't recommend a particular load or bullet as I am using a .38-40 for pistol caliber.

For your .30-30, use the Lyman 249 grn flatnose .38-55 bullet - AFTER sending your rifle to JES to be rebored to .38-55. I say this because I think you will find the .30-30 extraordinarily difficult to make sufficiently accurate and powerful enough to knock down the rams. A .30 cal bottleneck is no place to start bp shooting and the cartridge was never designed for that purpose either.

Last, what are you going to do for fouling control? I suggest that you 1. Start with a Marlin so it is easily cleaned from the breach. 2. Between banks of 5 run a bore snake through the rifle. I think you can make a better bore snake than you can buy and it will be much less messy. What I use is a length of heavy "weedeater" line, knotted on one end. The other end is cut at an acute diagonal to make it easy to spear patches. But first, I thread a foam ear plug on the line and leave it down at the knotted end (the 3M yellow straight cylinders seem to work best). Fits easily in your pocket. Between animals, you can pull the bolt and run 2 or three damp patches with a cleaning rod and then a dry one. Someone makes a thumb screw for Marlin lever guns that makes it easier to pull the lever and the bolt w/o tools.

At the break between banks, take a damp patch (damp with water only) and thread that onto your bore snake. I keep the patches in a pellet rifle ammo tin. thread the line through the bore from the breech and before pulling through, roll the earplug between your fingers and compress it so it slides easily into the beginning of the chamber. Pull it through and you are good to. Just one of these will let you shoot 5-shot groups as long as you like with pretty decent accuracy.

Thank you Brent. I have read that black powder in those old cartridges is VERY accurate. I traded my 38-55 off and have regretted it. I have a Hodgon manual from a few years ago and they list BP loads in the cowboy section.I'm going to give it a whirl. I now shoot only marlins so I'll follow your lead and clean it after every bank or animal.

I've been looking for a BPCR rifle in 38-55 and the best i can come up with is a new C-Sharps 1875...new from the company for about $2000.00.
Thanks for the load info.

As for the start of this post, I don't care who is right or wrong and don't " have a dog in this fight" I just LOVE a good argument and often take both sides to get the debate really going strong. I can quickly identify the professional debaters and those that are not. I miss the court room and legal challenges so much. Retirement is great..but I do miss the back and forth.
Have a great day Brent.

glen ring wrote: I just LOVE a good argument and often take both sides to get the debate really going strong. .

That is called stirring chit. It's not a very attractive character trait.

Maybe not to you CD tech. My offer no my challenge still stands to name callers. Come beat me in CLA on my home range.. I'll buy you a coke if you beat me with any or all three scores, You buy me one for every time I top your score. ...or sit behind a keyboard and call names..Now that's a true sign of a limited imagination.

Glen,

This conversation has nothing to do with your shooting ability nor I am a better shot than you. (go ahead I double dog dare you....etc). It has to do with the tone of this thread. I love a debate about how to shoot, what to shoot, etc. This thread is nothing more damaging to the sport and in particular one shooter by another who is afraid to identify themselves. But just because you like to debate and are a retried OKC detective you should stir stuff up (as you put it behind the keyboard).

FYI I have been to OKC and shot in your matches been there done that got the badge.

Greg

Greg...I'm sure you're welcome back. You know we run a good match and are good to shooters.
I didn't start this post...but it's been fun. I think if you look over my posts..I've taken up for both sides on this. The original poster and the Ole Girl who responded. Ole girl stated she didn't like our match and told folks she wasn't coming back. That's Ok. Her choice. I made sure to respect her on this and I respected Claman on their posts..it's the name callers that I LOVE responding to and my challenge will stand to them to come to my range and top my score...or quit popping their chops.

Jason...You're on for the nationals. If you beat me pick the drink I'll owe you. I LOVE diet coke but have contributed to the Adolf Coors fortune since 1973 . The choice will be yours...or mine. ( but only if you're over 21! ) We'll have fun. Competition only makes us better.

The Oklahoma City Gun Club has monthly matches and I would love for anyone to come shoot. We have a lot of fun and mess with each other constantly...especially if a coke or something else is on the line. Don't think someone is Out to get you because we start having fun with you.

I'm done with this thread and will no longer respond to it. Contact me if you wish by personal message.xoxoxo

Glenn,
The .38-55 will need a fairly fast twist to be a good BPCR rifle - and a long throat. Look for a 12 twist. I have a 14 twist in my .38-72 and shoot only 300 gr bullets but they go a whole bunch faster than a .38-55. You will want 330 or heavier bullets in that .38-55. A .38-50 might be better, but again, a 12 twist if you can find it.

Good luck with the bp loads in the lever guns. Lots of fun and not really that much mess when it is all said and done, but you have to have a plan. Mine works for me. That's all I know. But I have only shot local competitions with black in the lever guns. I'm seriously thinking about shooting a moose with one though. In a .38-55. Not quite the caliber I would prefer however.

Start a new thread on bp in lever guns. I would love to see a whole bunch more about this.

PS. there is always the smokeless/black duplex hybrid to play with too. I assume that would be legal for CLA.

this will help with making it easier to pull the bolt on your 94 Marlin .32-40
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ACs-Weapon-Enha ... 2c8284b4e0

Well the Nationals are over and we had a GREAT time. No drama...and with a new Sheriff running CLA I think things will get better.
I looked really hard for the keyboard warriors at the small bore silhouette nationals, the HP silhouette nationals and the CLA nationals and even stuck around and yaked it up with the BPCR crowd. Apparently the name callers don't shoot big matches...maybe they'll be at one of the smaller ones.

My Australian Brother...it was nice to meet you. You'd fit right in with any Oklahoma crowd. If you or any of your buds ever decide to drive route 66 across America the very center of the route is only a few miles from my home so you guys/girls are welcome here for a free meal and restover.

CLAMAN. You did a great job posting this and I appreciate you having the balls( figure of speech if you are a woman ) to post this. Now folks know that someone is watching and will call them out any BS. It started a great trend.
Thanks for the post.

Glen. FYI "Black" powder is RACIST. The PC term is Afro-American powder.
Keeping it real!
Tom