A No.5 Pacific Marlin Ballard recently came my way covered in some of the best smelling rancid cosmoline ever.  The barrel is roll marked 40-63 and although it has gone to patina on the outside the bore looks good and the action locks up tight.  Not being able to locate any correct brass, I purchased some 40-70 Sharps Straight cases and trimmed them back to 2.388".  The rifle came with an Ideal reloading tool that was also marked 40-70 SS, missing the decapping pin, but equipped with a bullet mold.  The grease groove bullets weighed 318 grains cast from 30:1 alloy and are a good fit.  I measured one of the paper patched 40-70 Ballard cartridges that came with the rifle and 64 grains of Goex FFg through a drop tube with a 0.019 cardboard wad gave me the correct COAL.  I pan lubed the bullets with my own perversion of Emmert's lube and poked them in by hand until they sat on the wad.  If they shoot as good as they look, then I'm declaring victory.