Was Given 480-Gr Spire Points for 45-70 -- Tips For Using Them, Please

[Liberty1776]

Was given 50, 480-grain spire point flat base, unsized, unlubed bullets for use in my Pedersoli 45-70 Sharps-style Quigley gun.

No idea what mould cast them (Lyman?) nor the alloy used.

Was going to order a .458 sizer die, but read elsewhere on this blog that the bullets are tapered. So, no sizing?

Band diameters from bottom upward:

.460 (bottom band)
.457
.457
.450
.448
.446 (top band)





Questions:

1. Should they be lubed? If so, what works best?
2. For black powder or modern powder? I can do either.
3. Seating depth suggestion?
4. Velocity limits?
5. Other wisdom?

Hodgdon list these 485-gr cast loads. Any particularly good to you?



Thanks.

[shell70634]

I use similar in 458 socom subsonic ar. Lee 90577 458-500 grain

[waksupi]

There is a very good chance these are already too small for your Pedersoli. Mine needed .462 to shoot well. You may be able to powder coat to bring up the diameter.

[BLAHUT]

Look a lot like lee 500gr 3r, size to .460/.461; in pure lead; yes; lube them; I make my own lube; seat to just touch rifling; I use 41 grs; weighed; blackhorn 209 at @1200 FPS; no air space in quarterage; shoots very accurate in my gun out to 1000yds;

[Bad Ass Wallace]

They look very similar to the Lyman tapered boolit (2nd from RHS) rather than the Pedersoli spire point (middle).



In practice, I load them so that the last two driving bands are in the case neck.