Marlin 30-30.

[44man]

Made up test loads using my home made 187 gr boolit. Got down to shoot Sun but water got into my old swimming pool storage box and soaked my sand bags and rug.
I had to just rest my hand on the front rest, Crazy motions trying to hold still. I was pretty much all over the bull trying to get the trigger off.
My loads were 25 and 26 gr of both 3031 and IMR 4895.
The best was 26 gr of 3031, 187 gr boolit, Felix lube, Fed 210. I had 4 in 5/8" but trigger pull changes shot to shot so I dumped one low, felt and seen it.
25 gr of 4895 put 5 shots in 7/8".
This was 100 yards by the way. I am somewhere north of 1900 fps.
I shot steady and the barrel was so hot if my thumb touched it, I got burned.
My boolit ogive touches the lands and is sized .311".
I have to wonder what it would do if I wasn't moving around? Under 1" at 100 makes me a happy camper. 106240

[snaketail]

Nice - what mold is giving you 187gr?
I've pretty much settled on 26.5gr of 3031 for 170gc boolits - no 4895 in my part of the country at this time.

[44man]

Nice - what mold is giving you 187gr?
I've pretty much settled on 26.5gr of 3031 for 170gc boolits - no 4895 in my part of the country at this time.
Made my own mold. I also made one 193 gr but got the nose wrong so I have to size the nose .301 first. I have the RCBS 150 too but need to work on those boolits more.
Your load for the 170 sounds just right.

[popper]

Got a jug of 3031 I need to try. Mostly use 4895 & LeverE.

[BABore]

Marlin's usually shoot the most consistent if your holding the forend and resting the back of your hand on the front bag. Eight out of ten of mine do anyway. Helps eliminate most of the forend/mag tube issues.

Your load is not far off of mine. Using my version of the 311041 (180 grs), I use 27 grs of 3031 and a CCI 200. On a really good day (me), it will keep 5 in 3/4 to 7/8" at 100.

[44man]

Marlin's usually shoot the most consistent if your holding the forend and resting the back of your hand on the front bag. Eight out of ten of mine do anyway. Helps eliminate most of the forend/mag tube issues.

Your load is not far off of mine. Using my version of the 311041 (180 grs), I use 27 grs of 3031 and a CCI 200. On a really good day (me), it will keep 5 in 3/4 to 7/8" at 100.
Exactly, use the hand under the forearm. My problem was no support at the rear so i was waving a lot. Nothing worse then ruined bags.

[BABore]

:-P
My problem was no support at the rear so i was waving a lot. Nothing worse then ruined bags.

Sounds like a senior citizen issue to me.:groner: :-P

[44man]

:-P

Sounds like a senior citizen issue to me.:groner: :-P
Got that right! Need a lot of Ridge ripple to calm the nerves! Hoosegow Hootch to get it right! Joking of course but each day is different. Today my hands are dead still, other days i will stab myself with a fork, can't find the hole in my face. It is a pain to need a two hand hold on a fork!
Looks like hell when we go out to eat! :holysheep

[TXGunNut]

Sandbags in a pool box? My rests and elevator blocks stow neatly next to my spare tire. Now if I could just get the tripod and fire extinguisher to stay put. ;-)

[35 shooter]

I'm wondering the same thing 44man, what would it do with a rear rest? Looks like you'll be out shooting some folks at the range with bolt rifles. That one's a keeper for sure. Nice shooting.

[44man]

They are just home made bags from canvas. My leather ones stay in the basement. The pool box has kept them dry all winter but we had kind of flooding through my range, it is in my valley so water must have gotten in from the bottom.
I put the bags in the basement and they are dry now.
I used to use shot bags but if that stuff gets damp, they rot fast. Buckskin makes great bags.
I need to cast, out of boolits.
I love lever guns, had a 71 long ago that shot cast good enough to head shoot chucks at 100 with open sights, made a huge mistake selling it.
Had a marlin .35 that would shoot 1/2" groups but had trouble with cast, boolits were too small.
The Marlin 39 Mounty would shoot 3/4" at 100 with WW hollow points. No squirrel or starling was safe around that one.
There is one problem with 39's, the barrel is not screwed in and will get loose. Stipple the barrel where it goes in the receiver and glass bed it in. It will shoot to the open sights but not a scope if it gets loose.