Mold For Marlin .45-70

[KReider477]

Hey, I am just getting into casting and have some questions on finding a good mold for my new .45-70 Marlin. Its chamber is sitting at .459 inches and I'm having trouble locating an affordable mold. In a perfect world I would get one with a gas check in the neighborhood of 350 grains and also one is 500 with or without a gas check. I am sure this has been asked at least a hundred times on this forum so I thank you in advance for reading it again

-Karl

[Bohica793]

Noe 460-405

[KReider477]

Thank you for the fast reply.

[DocSavage]

I have a friend who has a Marlin in 45/70 and it won't feed 500 gr bullets. 405 gr are as big a bullet that will feed in his Marlin.

[Uncle Jimbo]

Sent Pm.

[1980Harley]

I also have a 45/70 barrel on my Contender with a .4585 chamber. What I have been doing is lamenting the Lee mold I have to get at least a .460 dia. bullet, preferably a .461 and then resize to .460. I've been taking it slowly to make sure the cavities remain as close to each other as possible. I'm using 96-2-2 for my bullets, so I may need to try adding a little more tin and antimony in the next batch I cast to see if that helps the diameter any at all. Eventually, I'll probably go with the mold that Bohica793 mentioned: the NOE 460-405.

[hockeynick39]

This is the mold I use for my Winchester 1886. Boolits drop +/- 400 gr with straight COWW, .461 caliber and get sized and PB checked to .460.

Accurate 46-400M:




Final load work target fired at 50 yds with iron sights:

[Lead Fred]

The Ranch Dog was designed for the Marlin 1895
Now sold by NOE

[Nrut]

For a .460" - 350gr GC bullet in a Marlin this is the bullet you want..


It was designed by Ranch Dog for the Marlin..

NOE does not list this mold (tumble lubed) or the conventional lube groove version in stock..
And it may be awhile before they do..

So your only other option for this mold is the Accurate Molds version:




Or if you want to design your own you could go to Mt. Molds website..

As far as a 500gr. bullet goes ask Tom at Accurate Molds which one of his designs has the proper nose length and dia. to feed from a Marlin..

The above molds are going to cost you between $80.00 and $100.00+ depending on the number of cavities you order.

Lee makes a cheap 340gr. plain base that may or may not be out of round and or undersized by my experience with their molds..

[Wayne Smith]

Lyman 457122 Gould HP - my standard answer. I load it for my best friend's Marlin and my Encore. Well worth the investment.

[17nut]

I use 2 bullets:
The good old Lee 405-459-HB.
And the NOE collar button, easy on the pot and great plinking fun.

Attachment 176140

[pjames32]

I use the NOE 350gr for my Marlin
PJ

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

NOE .460 350 gr as Nrut listed. It works in my Marlin 1895 Cowboy and my Shiloh Sharps. The .460-425 by NOE is good also, but with a light rifle like the Marlin ... recoil is a bit stiff. Ranch Dog designed both for Marlin rifles.

[Intel6]

I use 3 bullets for my Marlin 45-70:

NOE Collar button
NOE 350 gr.
NOE 405 gr.

These three moulds cover all my needs for my 45-70.

Neal in AZ

[SniderBoomer]

Second vote on the NOE 460-405-RF

In my JM-built 1895, I size to 460 and lube with Ben's Red, I use a Lee Collet-Style crimp. I use those big wide-bored RCBS Cowboy Dies to seat such fatter-sized boolits with ease.

Using loads with AA5744 or H4198, frequently prints 1-MOA at 100 yards. Plain-base and gas-checked, loaded mild or hairy, it's a winner. Cycles great.

Never fired it at further range.

For 25-yards plinking or indoor ranges, the little 'collar button' mold, the NOE 460-186-CB mold, is perfect. Accurate, easy on Lead and powder.

[Duckiller]

Have a Marlin 45/70 cowboy (26" barrel). Lee plain base 405 gr and 330gr work great over Trail Boss powder.

[W.R.Buchanan]

RCBS makes .45-300FNGC, .45-405FNGC, and .45-500 FNGC and they all have exactly the same nose shape and only differ in the length of the driving bands. IE the larger boolits have more driving bands. The .45-405 is plenty big for anything.

These boolits are designed specifically for Leverguns like the 1895 Marlin and 1886 Winchesters.

I shoot lots of .45-300's which end up at @325 gr. The moulds are about $75-80 and work well and are easy to get good boolits from regular WW material with no additives.

I just made 300 last Monday.

Randy

[KReider477]

Thank you all I see a lot of agreement and many options. Sadly before I even got to fire my Marlin it is off to the factory to get checked out. As I got it home and went to check the action before putting it in the safe the safety fell out of the gun.

Marlin was good on it and is paying to have it shipped back to them and is "going to try and expedite" the repair.

[KReider477]

The NOE 46-405 is ordered. Thanks all again,

[Texas by God]

Welcome KReider. I have had great results with the Lee 340gr fp. As cast of ww and tumble lubed. Loaded over Unique it is very accurate in a Marlin CB 1895 and a custom P-14 .450 Marlin. Best, Thomas.