I know the Maynard should be shot with BP, but got into a discussion at the range concerning light smokeless powder loads with light weight bullets for plinking.   

25-20 SS loads and 35-40 Maynard loads in particular.  The 40-70 Maynard I will only shoot BP loads.

Any of you out there want to share your opinion

pjogrinc wrote on Nov 13^th, 2011 at 2:23pm:


You can shoot any powder you want in your rifle.  In fact in the smaller cases smokeless is very safe and you wont have fouling problems.

Will be lining my 25/20 SS Maynard perty soon and will shoot smokeless powder in it exclusively.   You hear that advice a lot "should be shooting BP only". That applies to just a few old rifles and calibers. Just because you might use smokeless doesnt mean it's high pressure.   High pleasure maybe.    Yuk yuk.   

I've been shooting 8.5 gr IMR 4227 in my 25/20 SS in a cast #2 Ballard for a number of years and it works just fine.   

I tried BP in my 25/20 SS  Had a hard time even getting it to hit the target. When it did the bullets were going sideways. The brass was pretty much toast when I gave up.  There are very good reasons the old timers took to smokeless like ducks to water.   

Okay thats perty much is my opinion.  Both barrels. 

         Joe. 

I can't speak about the .25-20ss Maynard because I've never had one - but I would probably try to use reasonable charges of AA#9 in that barrel if it were mine. 

I've had several Maynards in .35-40 and .40-60&70 and always shot them successfully using black powder duplexed with tiny amounts of SR-4759. Right now, I enjoy shooting my .32-35 Maynard exclusively with a BP duplex load. I like it because it's accurate, relatively clean-shooting, gives me a fun old-timey thrill, and it drives the black-powder-only goons nuts. 

I'm currently running 7.0 gr of IMR4227 in my 25-20 SS Win Highwall.

What size 'F' where you trying in your Maynards, especially the 25-20 SS ??

Westerner and pjogrinc, Are those 4227 loads fixed or seated?

Merwin

Sorry for the long delay.

Mine are fixed, 7.0 grs and a 86 gr cast FP.  Shoots like a house of fire in the new to me Stevens 44 and severe vertical stringing in my Maynard.  I think with the barrel down and loading and then shooting, the powder was mostly sitting at the base of the bullet.

Need to find a more bulky powder.  2400 pressures look low enought and should be a more bulky powder.

Well, I found out what was causing my vertical stringing.

Never checked the screws that held the slider on the tang sight together,, can we say loose!!!!!!

Problem solved!

Now that my Jameson brass is here, will start the fun all over again.  My Bertrum (newer production) which is good and consistent will be relegated to BP loads.  While I'm at it, should order another 100 of the Jameson for back up!