What kind of gun?
I give loading advice based on my actual results in factory rifles with standard chambers, twist rates and basic accurizing.
My goals for using cast boolits are lots of good, cheap, and reasonably accurate shooting, while avoiding overly tedious loading processes.
The BHN Deformation Formula, and why I don't use it.
How to find and fix sizing die eccentricity problems.
Do you trust your casting thermometer?
A few musings.
New Marlin Guide gun
.458 would be the norm. .459 is just fine, size .460......your mike could be "off" that far in just it's adjustment. Do you have a standard to check it with?
On my 45 cal rifles bore dia ( actual hole thru barrel) is .450-.452 depending on barrel ( green mountain, badger, BRC, pedersoli) Groove dia ( size of bullet to fill the rifling cuts) is .4585 - .459. Rifle is different from pistol rounds size wise 45 acp runs around .451-.452, 45 colt was .454-.455 and 45 caliber rifle is .458. Older guns may vary some trapdoors may go .463 groove size. do to manufacturing back in the day.
I wondered in the caliper was off too. Actually have 3. Two digital Harbor Freight and a Frankfort Arsenal. All 3 read 459 to 459.5. Micrometer is a Lyman, looks like 459 on it too. Guess I'll try to find a 460 mold. Already have a RCBS sizing die for 457, lol. Guess I'll try to find a larger one since it's not needed at the moment.
Be thankful it isn't bigger.
The ENEMY is listening.
HE wants to know what YOU know.
Keep it to yourself.
All three of my 45-70 single-shots...all modern repros...slug at .4585-.459 and I shoot 10-12 Bhn boolits 'as cast' (.460-.461) at BP velocities without any issues. Shouldn't be any significant difference from your levergun.
Bill
"I'm not often right but I've never been wrong."
Jimmy Buffett
"Scarlet Begonias"
Ruger #1 in 45/70 slugs out at .459 I shoot the lyman gas check 480 grain bullet which barely makes .459. Time for a new mold. Next one will be from Accurate molds at .462 or therabouts. Frank
Looking at the Lee 459-405-HB mold. Some of the reviews on Midway say it drops a little larger for some people. If not, I could attempt to modify it to drop slightly larger maybe using the tape method. The hollow base design would help it fill out and seal the gases a bit too wouldn't it? I was looking for a 460 sizer die for the RCBS Lube sizer, can't find one other than Saeco and that won't work with my sizer. Guessing it's possible to lap a sizing die to a larger diameter without too much trouble. Lyman has a 459 die I am looking at that would work if I could increase it a bit.
I typically size to .459" and some of my real hard bullet actually are closer to .460" for the 45/70 in rifles or handguns. Works fine in the 2 Marlins I had, a guide gun and the regular 22 inch lever gun.
Works well in an Encore 15 inch and a BFR revolver I have too.
Again I mean no hurt, harm or anguish to anyone here. I am not trolling, calling out or baiting anyone here by my post on this posted thread. I am merely making a statement based on my knowledge, experience, belief and/or opinion only. Thank you.
My 1895 SBL is 4585 as far as I can tell. Got it working with cast quite easily.
I coat my 459 dropped bullets and opened a Lee push through sizer up to 4595. I expand the case with a 459 NOE plug. Works pretty good,325's shoot clean @1975 fps. 480's work,too.
Whatever the SAME mic reads, make your boolits one to two little lines bigger and go have fun.
How old is your cast?? Cerrosafe expands at a predictable amount. There is a table that shows it. I don't have one at the moment.
Wayne the Shrink
There is no 'right' that requires me to work for you or you to work for me!
The thing to do is get a .459" size die and size the bullets to that. Reloaded 7 powder worked well in both of the two Marlins i had. While they most certainly are not considered a highly accurate rifle they will shoot fairly small groups at 100 yards and I shot a few groups at 200 that could be well covered by the palm of my hand. This using an old Leupold 3 power scope.
The bullet I used was an old NEI 550 grain bullet that duplicated the Garrett 540 gr load.
Dont start sweating things unless you need to.
Again I mean no hurt, harm or anguish to anyone here. I am not trolling, calling out or baiting anyone here by my post on this posted thread. I am merely making a statement based on my knowledge, experience, belief and/or opinion only. Thank you.
Cast was 1 hour old as the instructions state. I bought a 460 arsenal mold and a 459 RCBS sizing die.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |