What do you mean by “cutoff”? All factory smokeless loads for BP cartridges, even the oldest like .44 WCF, were deemed safe or they wouldn’t have been put on the market. Some, like the bottle-neck cartridges used in the ’76 were never loaded smokeless, but probably not for safety reasons; by the time of smokeless, I’d guess they were so obsolete it wasn’t worth the trouble of developing smokeless loads for them.
There are smokeless powders that generate less pressure than black powder. I don’t recall for sure but I think 5744 and 4759 are a couple of them. I’m talking for the same velocity here, not volume vs volume.
I’m loading mild smokeless loads in 86s an 94s. As well as 93 marlins and 95 marlins. I haven’t worked up the courage to go smokeless with 1881 marlins or 76s.
I generally load black powder in everything 95% of the time just because that’s how it was in the old days. I have never found it to be an inconvenience since I come from an extensive muzzleloading background.
1 Guest(s)