PDA

View Full Version : Pacific Ballard



NickSS
09-23-2006, 12:00 PM
Well a project gun I have been working on for five years is now ready to shoot! It is a Pacific Ballard. The action is an original J. Marlin action from the 1880s and the barrel is the original 38-55 barrel rebored to 45-70. A friend fitted a curley Maple stock to it and I just finished installing sights on the rifle. I plan to shoot it today with some of my standard 45-70 loads consisting of a lyman 457125 400 gr bullet over 65 gr. of GOEX FFG with a .030 vegitable fiber wad under the bullet. This load works real well in a couple of sharps rifles I have so will see what it does in the Ballard.:-D

Woodtroll
09-23-2006, 08:37 PM
Please post pictures if you have them! This sounds like a jewel. Hope it shoots well for you. Regan

floodgate
09-23-2006, 11:09 PM
Nick:

Sounds sorta like mine; I bought it as a "Marlin Falling Block" back in the '60's. It was a J. M. Marlin (pre-1881), evidently in one of the early .44's that had been factory (??) set back and rechambered to .44-40, with pull shortened to 12" The fore-end was splintered and thimbles squashed flat, but still all there except for the wiping rod. We had it rebored to .45-70, reconstructed the fore-end, and restored the original thimbles, added a wiping rod and I shot it a bit. But the short pull and crescent buttplate made it less-than-fun to shoot, and the set triggers were unreliable. When the Ballard operation started up in Cody, I sent it off for checkout and rehab, and a new shotgun buttstock; they replaced the trigger spring (it should really have a new mainspring, as the strike is a bit light, so that will be next) and added the "correct" sporting tang sight. So my original "Ballard Pathetic" is now in its third incarnation as a "No 5-1/4 Montana-Lite", and it thumped a 500-yd buffalo at our club's Mini-Quigley, with some expert coaching and spotting. I'll post a photo in a day or to to go alongside yours. Aren't these old timers wonderful to handle and use?

floodgate

NickSS
09-25-2006, 04:15 PM
Well I shot my rifle and was pleased. I used some experimental ammo I loaded with 62 gr. of Chinese Lidu FFG powder and a Lyman cast 400 gr bullets. The day was very dim and the wind was gusting to about 20 mph so I really did not expect much but I was fooled. Once on target my old Ballard produced 10 shot 3 inch groups at 100 yards (with an occational flyer either due to a wind gust or me). After shooting a couple other rifles I went bach to the Ballard for the last 10 shots. The wind had died down by then and I put 10 rounds into the 10 and X ring of a 25 yard pistol target I use at 100 yards for rifle shooting. The group measured 1.75 inches center to center. I believe this old rifle will be further enhanced with a color case job on its action and maybe a new set of higher quality sights when I can afford it. Sorry I have not any means of posting pictures as I do not have a camera to take them with.

Black Prince
09-29-2006, 11:35 AM
Sounds like you have a winner there partner. But my Lyman 457125 mould for the 45-70 cast bullets weighing between 500 and about 505 grains depending on the alloy. That doesn't matter because whatever you are doing seems to be done well and it shoots good so who cares what the bullet weighs?

Where did you get that original rifle? I've looked for those all around the southeast in shops and gun shows and have NEVER seen one.