Light boolit in 45/70

[Freightman]

I was messing around yesterday during the snow and picked up a Lyman cast boolit unsized 200 gr boolit SWC and a sized 45/70 case, picked up my micrometer measured and the boolit was .458. My question is is it to light to use as a plinking load out to 100yds? I forgot to add that my bore is .457 and never had any leading with a boolit sized .458

[218bee]

I guess my answer would be try it and find out. A light load of Unique or maybe Trail Boss should work. I use lead pistol boolits but there 240gr in my 444 Marlin and they are fun and pleasant to shoot.

[Freightman]

Think I will when it get warm enough to go to the shop and I get over this "BUG" I have been feeding.

[MtGun44]

Sounds like a good plinker. Try 5-10 gr of Unique for a really light load.

Bill

[Catshooter]

Frieght,

Lots of guys shoot round balls in their 45-70s so they could work fine. Give it a try.


Cat

[Don McDowell]

They used to use a "collar button" bullet that weighed about 150 grs for plinkin and dinkin.

[excess650]

Lyman's 40th from 1955 lists the 457127 at 210gr and 457130 at 144gr in the 45-70. Their only listed powder charges are with Unique.

I can't really think of a reason to not try a 200-250gr bullet.

[Jim]

Freight man, Look at this post.

[45 2.1]

I was messing around yesterday during the snow and picked up a Lyman cast boolit unsized 200 gr boolit SWC and a sized 45/70 case, picked up my micrometer measured and the boolit was .458. My question is is it to light to use as a plinking load out to 100yds? I forgot to add that my bore is .457 and never had any leading with a boolit sized .458

Sure, it will work providing you use the right powder and load set up. Out to a hundred yards is probably pushing it though. 60 yards should be OK.

[Larry Gibson]

I was messing around yesterday during the snow and picked up a Lyman cast boolit unsized 200 gr boolit SWC and a sized 45/70 case, picked up my micrometer measured and the boolit was .458. My question is is it to light to use as a plinking load out to 100yds? I forgot to add that my bore is .457 and never had any leading with a boolit sized .458

It will work very well. I shoot lots of 210 gr cast bullets over 6 gr of Bullseye for 950 fps or so out of all my 45-70s. I once had some H&G #68 205 gr SWCs that had been left in a plating solution too long and they ran .459. I loaded them over the same 6 gr of Bullseye and they shot excellently out to 300 yards. Give it a try. No filler or wad is necessary.

Larry Gibson