cast lead 30/30 for deer?

[BBF]

I had a Marlin Guide in 450 Marlin with that crossbolt safety. First thing I asked my gunsmith to take the damn thing off. He said he would rather leave it in the off position and lock it in because the hole in the receiver would let extra dirt get in. I agreed and never had to worry about that gizmo again. The rifle still has the half cock feature and I have lived with that sort of safety for a long time. If that is to complicated, you shouldn't have one.

[Dee]

I watched Ted Nugent's brother do the click on safety thing with a Marlin 45/70 on an Alaskan bear hunt. 
If I had one I would locktite the safety in the "off" position.

You don't have to lock tite it. Take the stock off, and use an allen wrench on the set screw. It will lock it open tighter than a bank vault. I hate those things too.

[deernhog]

I took all the crossbolt safeties off of my Marlins that had them. I ordered them from Clydes safety replacement for just under $10 each and you can't tell they have had a safety on them when your done. 15 minutes (or less on the 2nd one) work with simple tools. I lost his info and the Old Marlin Board is gone where I got the info from. With the youngun I don't recommend it. Him I would work with non stop until hunting season comes around again to make it second nature to take it off.

[Sweetwater]

Just a thought or two-

Those 180gr lead bullets your dad bought years ago, may have age-softened over time, contributing to your leading problem. Maybe not, but maybe so.

Page 91 of my Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook has a neat tip on making a flatpoint from a round point while lubrasizing. I've not done it, but it looks pretty neat. You might give it a try with your 311291's.

My hunting season went bellyup with very little time to venture forth. How'd yours turn out?

Regards,
Sweetwater

[bilmac]

A caution about making flat noses on round nose bullets. I did that on some very soft bullets by using a flat nose punch and bumping them a bit while cycling the lubrisizer. The threaded rod that adjusts the depth to which the bullet goes into the die couldn't handle that kind of strain and split and mushroomed.

[Hank08]

Take the buttstock off the Marlin, put the safety in the off position and on the left side of the action (where the wood meets the frame) there is a screw that when screwed in will lock the safety so it can't be moved to the ON position.  Most cowboy action shooters do this after they try to shoot them with the safety on a few times.
H08

[Sweetwater]

Bilmac- I bent the handle on my Lyman before I figured out how Frank Marshall was doing it in his writeup in the Lyman CBH. Broke it at the bottom set of holes. I cut it off there, drilled a new set of holes and went back to it. I don't have as much leverage, so keeps me from getting overzealous. Later decided I was better off finding a die to fit my Herter's Super3 press and leave it at that. Frank made it sound simple, but I'm not sure how simple. That old Herter's is built stout! I bought a 31140 mold and ended it.

Hank08- Thanks for the tip on the Marlin safety. I didn't know that about the screw.

Regards,
Sweetwater