I did a ladder load from 37 gr down to 35ish gr. Velocities we're all over the place. See below. Using #34 military primers and was having issues with half of them not going off on the first trigger pull. Gonna switch to WLRs on the next loads, unless someone tells me otherwise and says I need a new trigger spring. Winchester brass and seated to cannalure. Any ideas? Trying to get close to 2400 fps.
Long time lurker here. I apologize in advance for the long post coming. I wanted to comment on the OP's post since I have been testing LVR and FTX 160 in my Marlin 30AW (no frills 336) for the past few years and have learned a lot of stuff along the way.
For starters, my Marlin has had a few accuracy enhancements done, and it has a generous chamber. Ironically, the accuracy enhancements were done as a result of the erratic behavior I saw with the lever powder. The shoulders on my FF brass are 18/1000th forward of where my RCBS FL die puts them. The H2O capacity of FF case is 45.9 gr. And, Quickload's prediction is not very far off from my actual onbservations. 37.0 gr LVR, FTX 160, Fed case, WLR primer, 2.555 OAL is my current load.
For longer range purposes - ie, 150+ yards with 1.5 moa accuracy, I have run a bunch of ladders and OCW tests, failed sight ins, failed BC confirmations, failed dope, and on and on trying to find the longer range magic and, like
@SkunkedAgain, have seen the erratic velocities mentioned. I've put close to 500 LVR/FTX160 loads down the pipe, documenting all of it trying to crack the nut. Here is what I'll say. In MY Marlin, to hit 2400 consistently, from 30 degrees and up, I would need to go well past 37.0 gr, which is Hornady's max (Hogdons is 35.5, but that's another story). I'd probably need something around 37.5 or greater. And, I would have to have a well fouled barrel even then. What I saw was pretty decent performance when I started getting close to 36.4 gr, and it started acting somewhat stable all the way up to 37.1 gr. But, that was looking at velocities of around 2340-2360 in that charge range. At 37.2, the velocity started climbing again and it touched 2400 at 37.3 gr. I chickened out at 37.3, but it looked like 37.2-37.3 was the start of another climb up to another possible node. My best guess would be probably 2450, at around 37.5 gr. I can confirm 37.3 gr in MY Marlin, with no over-pressure signs, though it is a lever, so the regular rules don't apply.
Any particular reason you need 2400, and not say 2350?
Reason I ask is LVR is a specialized ball powder, and it is my understanding from the talks I've had with Hogdon and Hornady that it is very specific formulation designed to give the desired performance in a narrow window for specific cartridges running in the lever guns with historically roomy chambers. Outside that, it could be inconsistent. This could explain some of the erratic velocities along the way that have kept me personally from finding that magic load. Running it up at 2400, overfilled case, and possibly getting some of the nutty velocity jumps I've seen, I wonder if it might not produce a really serious pressure spike out of nowhere. But, I am not an expert in the field, so take that for what it's worth. I have played with 2350-ish fps for about a year, but recently messed that up when I scrubbed my barrel - down to about 2335 now - and as is expected with my LVR experience, my rifle has a harmonic anomaly around 2340 where poi jumps up 2.5 moa when you cross above 2340-ish - which you likely will with a 2335 average.
The LVR powder has been a really tough nut to crack. FWIW, I very easily developed a VV N135/FTX 160 load for the same Marlin running 2250 fps with the same bullet that shoots under 2 moa on paper out to 300 yards, and is deadly on whitetail at least up to about 150 yards so far. The FTX 160 bullets are great, as is N135. All I can do is laugh at this point, and go hug the N135 jug
Again, sorry for the long post, but hope this might help you some.
GREAT SITE! Thank y'all for all the info over the years.
