I need a good load for silhouette shooting at 200 and 300 yds. The local club has some matches and they look fun. The requirement is a non gas check lead bullet. I would rather not use black powder. Bullets? Powder? I am a 45-70 virgin so be gentle .

I've been using Varget and 350g Laser casts out of a 26 " barrel.

Start around 50g and work your way up. I'm using 52.5g for around 1400fps.

Good luck.

Ive' used both the .405 Lee Hollow base in 20:1 and the Lyman/Gould 340HP (50/50 Lyman #2 and pure lead) in my Marlin lever gun with decent accurate results 1.5-1.75" at 100.

My Gould load is over 46 grains of 3031 with White Lable BAC lube.

The 405HB is loaded over Black Powder with a compressed charge of 70grains of FFg.

quote:

I would rather not use black powder.

Pity. There's a fellow shooting steel gongs at 1000yds with black powder loads!

quote:

The requirement is a non gas check lead bullet.

Will they allow paper patched bullets? (They're still plain based cast). That would open doors for you. These folks get stunning performance from paper patched bullets. (With smokeless powders).

If you are shooting a Marlin levergun, you may find that you need a bullet sized .460" diameter. Many Marlins have really sloppy bores.

My vote would go to any 405gr bullet that fits your bore. I don't know what velocity you are looking for. (1200 - 2000fps) Do you want to hit the target or knock it off it's base?

I'm a fan of Hodgdon's extreme series powders but I don't think you should go any slower than Varget. I've used Benchmark, H322 and H4198 successfully, but I was loading to around 1800fps.

You'll find that the typical levergun has multiple "sweet spot" velocity points. With a little more info (make, model, etc.) maybe somebody here can give you their secret load.

The gun is a Knight KP-1, single shot. I will have to knock them off, and there are made of 1/2" plate. I am really not hung up on high FPS, just accuracy and knockdown, which I think the 405gr should do. They don't want jackets or real hard bullets, cause I guess at first there were some through and through shots and they had to make more targets.

Then paper patching is an option. But be warned - it is addicting! (Heaps of fun! I probably wouldn't want to mass produce them, although it's easily do-able).

Hey Moorepower, You need to get a clarification on "Gas Check" and see if it is for a Copper Cup Gas Check only. If it is, you can make some Bullet Base Protectors( ) from waxed milk cartons, toothpaste tube boxes, styrofoam meat trays, closed cell foam, greased wads, paraffin, etc. The trick is to keep the Base from becoming flame-cut.

Just noticed 303Guy's post. He is correct that they are an excellent option if they meet the Shoot Requirements.

Can you use Paper Patch Bullets? If so, they are amazing projectiles.Once you get the Load correct, they burn extremely clean and polish the Bore with each shot.

If all these are not legal, it will still be fun trying to get everything going.

Best of luck to you.