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Thread: WTB: .461+ dia boolits

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy

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    WTB: .461+ dia boolits

    Looking to get a 45-70 mold for my Microgrooved Marlin 1895. Have tried .460" and they keyhole, as do .458".
    I'd like to buy 10-20 boolits, 461/462/463 to try so I can better determine what size mold I need to get this rifle shooting well. With J words, its accurate.

  2. #2
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    I just bought a 45/70 Handi rifle that I suspect was sold because the lead handloads at .458" were not working well in. I think the guy freaked and thought he had some kind of lemon. Barrel was all leaded up ...gun like new...I got it and 40 handload rounds for $200. SO,
    I probably have the same scenario ahead of me. I have yet to slug the barrel. After I do, will go to .002" over bore with the size of slug.
    I have a lathe and plan to powder coat the bullets then swage them to size once I figure out what that is. If I were going to do this sooner I would offer you some of the bullets but it may not be until late summer till I get around to it.

  3. #3
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    Right now I am not PC'ing bullets, have looked into it and likely will, but have not yet started. I considered this as a solution, but also read that building up diameter with PC would not work as it would not be tough enough to engage the mircro groove rifling.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maine1 View Post
    Right now I am not PC'ing bullets, have looked into it and likely will, but have not yet started. I considered this as a solution, but also read that building up diameter with PC would not work as it would not be tough enough to engage the mircro groove rifling.
    The Smoke's powder that I have used would be tough enough. I have used the clear and it puts down a nice thick and tough coat...seems much tougher than the lead itself.

  5. #5
    Boolit Man
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    Your right. Marlins like oversized bullets, however, they also like gas checked bullets better than PB. Also in both rifles slug both ends of the barrel to check for tapered bore. If the muzzle is larger than the breech it will never shoot. I have a 405 gr PB mold that drops them at .464" if I remember correctly. I'll check if you interested.

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy

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    gas checks were my next step. The rifle I got cheap, and its cosmetically rough. I don't really care about that, but my goal for this project was to get the rifle up and running as a budget project, and be self sufficient at it. if i need to start making gas checks for it so be it.
    My thought was to try a standard 45-7o bullet with a GC and see if that made a difference.

    .464 would be huge! I've heard the marlins like bigger boolits, but that might be too big...but I could always size them.
    Tell me more about this mold...

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    I Have a rcbs single cavity 45-405-fn gas cheched and RCBS 45-500-fn.Neither of these fit my needs they are both like new and if I rember right with 1 in 20 alloy they droped at .461 or better.I currently have no bullets from theses mold but would fire them up if you are interested.i can mix any alloy you want but have 2.5%sn 2.5 sb.1.75%sn 1.75%sb and 1 in 20.let me know we can talk price or trade if you like.

  8. #8
    Boolit Bub
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    Whats your address. I can send 10-20 NEI 462-420 cast for my trapdoor oversize bore that have worked well in it and other 45.70s. Soft cast and not lubed or sized. We can work out shipping.

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy

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    Progress!
    Thanks to some posts on this forum, I tried the .460" beartooth boolets again, without running them through the Lee FC die.

    They grouped pretty good at short range. I'm going to try them at 50 yards and see how they do. If they group at 50, I think .460 would be the bullet to have.

  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy

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    with the snow pretty much gone now, ive found several 45-70 boolets...and have to look hard to see a rifling mark!

  11. #11
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    You'll be surprised how tough PC is. You can shoot or smash a properly cured PC'd boolit and the PC will stay adhered to the lead
    Have you slugged the bore of your rifle or pound cast the chamber? It would be helpful to know what size you're dealing with.

    You should really do this before reloading for any of your firearms.

    If you have a 45/70 mold, cast a couple of pure lead boolits, smack them on the nose a couple of times to make them shorter and fatter (I usually warm the mold then melt pure lead in a dipper)

  12. #12
    Boolit Master


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    I just cast & powder coated some 450 & 425g boolets.

    PM me a address ill get some out to you un sized.

    CW
    NRA Life member • REMEMBER, FREEDOM IS NOT FREE its being paid for in BLOOD.
    Come visit my RUMBLE & uTube page's !!

    https://www.RUMBLE.com/user/Cwlongshot
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  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy

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    Quote Originally Posted by Conditor22 View Post
    You'll be surprised how tough PC is. You can shoot or smash a properly cured PC'd boolit and the PC will stay adhered to the lead
    Have you slugged the bore of your rifle or pound cast the chamber? It would be helpful to know what size you're dealing with.

    You should really do this before reloading for any of your firearms.

    If you have a 45/70 mold, cast a couple of pure lead boolits, smack them on the nose a couple of times to make them shorter and fatter (I usually warm the mold then melt pure lead in a dipper)
    slugged it the day I got it, though I have not cast the chamber. Have slugged many bores but never done a chamber. Opinions vary with regard to the microgroove marlins, some say .002 over diameter, some say fill the throat.

    The boolits in question were cast form a lee mold, no PC, just tumble lube, and some Beartooth .460". No rifling on the lee boolets, and just a touch on the .460...wich leads me to belive that .461-.462 might be a winner.
    I did notice that the .460 boolits flew straight, rather than keyholing like the smaller lee's.

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy Rick459's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maine1 View Post
    Looking to get a 45-70 mold for my Microgrooved Marlin 1895. Have tried .460" and they keyhole, as do .458".
    I'd like to buy 10-20 boolits, 461/462/463 to try so I can better determine what size mold I need to get this rifle shooting well. With J words, its accurate.
    Maine1
    having had the Marlin with micro groove rifling you need to know that the micro groove rifling is shallow. which means that to shoot cast bullets through it you have to cast them hard. the jacketed bullets tell you this. a bunch of us had to figure this out way back in the early 1980's. if I remember correctly there 12 lands and grooves. compare it to a conventional rifle barrel you will see the difference. if the bullets are not hard enough they will strip as they go down the barrel as the shallow rifling can't get a good enough grip on them and they will keyhole. if you are not casting for it yet find a bullet vendor who cast hard 45/70 hard cast bullets. HTH.
    Rick

    Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

  15. #15
    Boolit Master


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    Dont know where Maine1 went. But my offer for free boolits went unanswered.

    CW
    NRA Life member • REMEMBER, FREEDOM IS NOT FREE its being paid for in BLOOD.
    Come visit my RUMBLE & uTube page's !!

    https://www.RUMBLE.com/user/Cwlongshot
    https://youtube.com/channel/UCBOIIvlk30qD5a7xVLfmyfw

  16. #16
    Boolit Master

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    He was looking back in March and April (old thread resurrected) and perhaps got it figured out...or went on to other projects(?). Nice of you to offer to him though...wondering now when he was last on CB.GL.com?

    [20-days ago] - so that's not the problem.
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

  17. #17
    Boolit Buddy Rick459's Avatar
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    one other thing i forgot to mention about the micro groove rifling they are a 1 in 10 twist. so fast twist rate shallow rifling so unless your lead bullets are really hard they will strip down the barrel and you will get key holeing and leave lot's of lead in the barrel. HTH.
    Rick

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

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