Lee HB mold 45-70

[hornetguy]

Ok, this will sound stupid.... I'm getting used to that...

I just cast up some of the Lee HB 45 boolits for my 1895... I hadn't paid much attention to it before, but the forward groove is prettty much huge... about the same size as the lube grooves.
Are you guys crimping in that groove, or factory crimping on the forward band?

That forward groove just looks too big to be a crimp groove...

[Buckshot]

.................That design is actually intended for use with BP, and as a consequence it has generous lube grooves so it can carry lots of it. THere is only 3 lube grooves and no real crimp groove. Yuo can use the Lee FC die to crimp the casemouth into the top drive band, or you can crimp over the front scraper ring.

...............Buckshot

[dmftoy1]

I'll try to get down to the shop and look at them later . .but for my 1895 I basically am loading to COL as they are finicky about exceeding a certain COL . .I can't remember if it's 2.550 or some such but that's what sticks in my head. I "think" I'm crimping into that groove if memory serves me right. (I only lube 2 of the grooves on those bullets with Carnuba red and I've got zero leading issues . .FWIW)

Have a good one,
Dave

[jlchucker]

I bought one of those molds last summer for my 1895. My gunsmith had a mold for the plain base version of what seemed to be the same bullet--except that it's not. The crimping groove in the plain base Lee bullet appears to be in the right place, while the grooves in the HB version appear to be spaced slightly differently. I could single load the HB bullet in my Marlin and it shot well--and the plain-base Lee 405 would feed perfectly and shoot just as well. My gunsmith's H&R Buffalo Classic really works well with my HB bullet, provided that the hollow base is filled with lube as well as the grooves. Try the plain-base Lee 405 gr bullet in your 1895. The Lee molds are priced right.