[Malamute]

I've used round balls in 30-30, 45-70, and 348. They make great small game and grouse loads. I load about 3 grs Unique, or Red Dot (just starting to mess with it), or 4 grs in the 348, and 6 1/2 grs in the 45-70. I shoot all directions, up and down, so use a tiny bit of dacron pillow stuffing to keep the powder close to the primer, I've had erratic ignition otherwise, and one 45-70 round ball that bounced off a snakes head with no fluff in the load. The 30-30 load are about as loud as a 22 standard vel load. Planning a similar load for '06 and 35 Whelen.

I do it much the same as Junior, but seat the balls to have the widest part just barely into the case, with a very gently crimp to hold them. The Lyman 310 tool is good for seating and crimping, and has the "M" expander die that is good for soft lead bullets or general cast loads. I've use both .310" and .315" round balls available from Hornady. I have a new mould to try, the 311252, its a 77 gr bullet orginally meant for 32 auto and other 32 cal pistols. Should make a dandy small game bullet. Old Ideal manuals showed it being used for that very thing. They called them cellar or close range loads.

A 115-120gr cast bullet @ 1200 fps in the 30-30 makes a good small game load also, but makes more noise than the round balls. I've also used jacketed bullets in various rifle rounds, including the 200 gr flat point 33 bullet in the 338 Mag for a medium light load at about 1500 fps. I used a different type bullet with the jacketed so it wa instanly obvious it wasn't a standard load. Flat point 30-30 bullets would be great for various 30 cal bolt guns, as are the half jacket or 110 hollow point Speers or carbine bullets.

I haven't had too much trouble figuring out the hold for small game and grouse at close range with light loads. Shoot them a bit, it isn't hard to figure out. I never change the sight zero from my main full power loads, and usually leave the magazine loaded with full power loads, singly loading the small game loads.

I've shot a numer of snakes with the round ball loads, they work great for that!