Best all-around 45-70 GG mould

[22lover]

By that I mean "plinking" and also hog hunting/perhaps other aminals....

Would the Lee 457-405 serve me well in this role? Price is right... Or, should I be looking at another boolit weight/mfg combo?

Thanks,

Bill

[MtGun44]

IME, the RCBS 405GC is superb in my GG. I run it at 1750 fps with W748 (low pressure due
to slow powder) and at about 1100 fps with Unique. Highly recommend it, RCBS molds are
works of art. My initial efforts with Lee 405 were dismal, have not gone back after the
RCBS is so good.

Bill

[DrCaveman]

I like that mold a lot, and the boolits it drops. Dont have much to compare them to, but Ive run them from 1100-1700 fps in my handi rifle using Unique and Varget, respectively. I can hit a paper plate all day long. Well, not with the 1700 fps varget load, that starts to bruise after 5 or 10 shots.

Both loads hit pretty close to the same POI within the 50 yds Ive tested.

No hunting input but it is a pretty mean meplat and a 24" stump is the only backstop from which ive recovered any of them. Bucket full of rubber mulch was no match for that boolit at 1500 fps.

Too bad no elk wander through my shooting spot...

[22lover]

Thanks to both of you. Will check it out. Have heard good things about the Ranch Dog GC molds as well....however I recognize the gent's shop is closed. Do either of you have experience with the Lee I referenced? Just curious as it's inexpensive and it wouldn't be a huge financial risk....

[Frozone]

Thanks to both of you. Will check it out. Have heard good things about the Ranch Dog GC molds as well....however I recognize the gent's shop is closed. Do either of you have experience with the Lee I referenced? Just curious as it's inexpensive and it wouldn't be a huge financial risk....

That RD is a great shooter, only thing I didn't like is it's a lee 2 holer and it's tumble lubed. I but them througha Lyman and grease all them little dimples.
I picked up the NOE copy of that design. It's as good a shooter.
I like the lighter boolits in the GG, a few stout 405s and I'm just not having any fun anymore.

Tell you what - I don't need the RD. Make me an offer and I just might let it go.

[Lead Fred]

I have 5 or 6 45/70 molds, My mainstay in the RD 425, for the lever, and the Lyman modifed 380gr mold that had the GC removed, and now weighs them in at 400gr. This baby shot out of a long barrel, dings the 600 yard gong, all day long.
I use Reloader-7, 34grs, veggie wad, and dacron filler.

I do have some Lee molds, most I give away. They just are not as good boolits as the ones above.

[stubshaft]

RCBS 405 or the RD425. Either one shoots great but I would have to give the nod to the RCBS.

[prs]

Alphabet soup! WTH is a GG! Game Gun? Gatlin Gun? (that otta get them hogs a' run'n!).

prs

[jmort]

Guide Gun

[DrCaveman]

Thanks to both of you. Will check it out. Have heard good things about the Ranch Dog GC molds as well....however I recognize the gent's shop is closed. Do either of you have experience with the Lee I referenced? Just curious as it's inexpensive and it wouldn't be a huge financial risk....

Yes i was talking about the lee 457-405f. I have the two cavity old-style. If you could find one new, you might luck out and get the new style.

Much safer bet would be to make Frozone an offer. If you dont, i might :)

Molds can be tough to find in stock right now

[detox]

I like the RCBS 405, but I noticed Hornaday checks would be missing when recovering boolits using hard water quenched WW lead.

Gas check stayed on RCBS 405 and mushroomed nicely using softer 20/1 lead tin and 5744 powder. Boolits fired thru my Marlin Guide gun with factory ballard cut barrel. Verygood accuracy (under 2" @100 yards)

[stubert]

I have the RCBS 405 gc mold and had it hollow pointed by buckshot a few years ago. In my guide gun it will shoot 10 shots into 1 ragged hole at 50 yds. It weighs 390 gr. with lube and gas check. I am using 3031 powder.

[montana_charlie]

Alphabet soup! WTH is a GG! Game Gun? Gatlin Gun?
Guide Gun
And all this time I thought this was about the best mould for 'grease grooved' bullets.

So, which Guide Gun is it we are talking about?

The Ruger Guide Gun http://www.ruger.com/products/guideGun/models.html
... OR ...
the Marlin Guide Gun http://www.marlinfirearms.com/firearms/bigbore/1895g.asp

[rintinglen]

Lemme see here, every mention of a boolit was for a 45-70. None of the Rugers are 45-70's. At least, none of the their "GG" models are, so I reckon it must be a Marlin.
I'd vote for the RCBS, though these days the 457-492 and 45-325U get more use by me. The big boolits beat me up too much if I push them hard. A 450 grain Boolit at 1700 FPS demands your attention.

[DLCTEX]

I'm doing fine with the Lee 350 gr. pb and the RD 350 and 420 gr. GC boolits and a friend likes the Lee 350 PB in his. The plain base does fine if you don't push it too hard and the gas checked RD boolits will do more than I want to stand behind.

[Doc Highwall]

Well I thought he meant grease groove bullet to until it was mentioned.

I pretty much agree with the posts above with bullet and powder selection. One thing I have experience with is using IMR 3031 with light to heavy loads and it does real well at both. I would suggest 1100-1250 fps for your plinking loads, I forget what I used in my Marlin. For a hunting load I would start at 48 grains and work up to 53 grains MAX depending on your alloy and how much recoil you can stand. I think you will find the best hunting accuracy between 48-50 grains before the accuracy starts to go down.

[montana_charlie]

Well I thought he meant grease groove bullet to until it was mentioned.
That is why I never said anything sooner. I was waiting to find out what kind of rifle was being used.
After all, 'the best' grease grooved bullet for a Sharps is a totally different animal than 'the best' one for use in a T/C pistol, or a tube-fed lever gun.

We just had a thread locked where people were exploring the inadvisability of using acronyms instead of real words. This one illustrates that, too.
Good thing this wasn't and important conversation ...

CM

[WHITETAIL]

If you whant a great 45-70 boolit then try a Lyman 330gr.
Called a Gould boolit.
I use it with a charge of IMR-4198-37gr.
I get a 5 shot group all touching at 100 yards.:guntootsmiley:

[22lover]

Sorry for the confusion, yes it is a Marlin Guide Gun (45-70). 1895G to be specific. It is a new one. It has ballard-cut rifling.

My dilemma is as follows....I slugged the barrel and found it to be .458". This would say to me that I'd need a .460 mold, ideally, thus eliminating the RCBS and Lee offerings. I have no clue what the actual diameter produced by these molds would be, with me casting straight WW. I'd really like to get a mold knowing it won't be too small. I know there are ways like "beagling" and such, but if I have a choice I'd like it to drop .460 without modification. So, does that mean my choice is significantly narrowed to either the RD mold from Frozone or one made by Accurate? Thanks again!

[JimP.]

don't size your bullets, use Lee Liquid Alox lube....try some and see the difference they make...JimP.

[22lover]

OK, that's what I do with the rest of my boolits and I like it. But...if the boolit for the Lee mold drops at .457, and my bore is slugged at .458....?

[bgokk]

OK, that's what I do with the rest of my boolits and I like it. But...if the boolit for the Lee mold drops at .457, and my bore is slugged at .458....?

I have the Lee 457-340-RF (old style) 2 cavity and with COWW air cooled it drops around .459". I shoot it in a Marlin 1895 classic which slugs @ .457". No leading with the boolits pan lubed with speed green and shot as cast. I have shot them as fast as the mid 1700's. The recoil at that level was all I wanted.

Brooks

[stubert]

I am shooting the rcbs 45-405 gc. hollowpointed, from my Marlin g/g. It weighs 390 gr. checked and lubed. I load 49 gr. of IMR 3031, it shoots great, but it will also get your attention after a few rounds.

[T-Bird]

I also like the 330 Gould. I shoot it at 1375ish fps from an 1895CB and when I had this gun scoped, I got 2" 100yd groups all the time. This size boolet saves lead and is still adequate for most game. (I guess I could save even more lead by not shooting, but hey!)

[Boogieman]

I use RCBS 325gr.GC over 41.5 gr. of IMR 4198. all holes touching at 50 yd. from a Ruger #1. good deer load with mild recoil lighter loads don't burn clean.I want to try them in my Sharps when this rain stops