Lee 405HB in .45/70 for elk

[Blkpwdrbuff]

I'm toying around with hunting elk with my Marlin Cowboy using my Lee 405HB mould and a 50/50 wheel weight/pure lead bullet.
I'm looking for any and all experiences using the above bullet.
I plan on shooting about 1300 fps.
Thanks in advance.
Blkpwdrbuff

[725]

Not that particular bullet, but I shoot one of a similar weight & composition and it knocks 'em down. You place a good shot and your freezer will be full.

[Tallison1911]

Good luck the best I was able to do was a lee 405 gr bullet going about 1450, it kicked like a mule but had great penetration. I stacked 1000 9 inch paper plates and it went through all of them and lodged a 1/2" into some treated wood. Good luck

[Nobade]

That's pretty much what my normal load in the Springfield Trapdoor does with the same bullet, and it is plenty powerful for anything you might encounter. 70gr. FFg + Lee 405HB gets the job done.

[Good Cheer]

At one point in load development for a .458 bore muzzleloader using the RCBS 45-405 mold I needed to capture a bullet to examine it. What worked was a line up of water filled jugs to slow it down and then a cardboard box that was free to move, filled with shredded paper. Once slowed down enough to bullet was able to carry the cardboard box along with it somewhat as a catchers mitt. It was messy and much set-up time and materials but it worked.

[trapper9260]

I'm toying around with hunting elk with my Marlin Cowboy using my Lee 405HB mould and a 50/50 wheel weight/pure lead bullet.
I'm looking for any and all experiences using the above bullet.
I plan on shooting about 1300 fps.
Thanks in advance.
Blkpwdrbuff

I use this boolit in my side hammer muzzle loader and the gose through the deer , that the last one I got it went from the chest to the butt out. Took out the front shoulder and hind leg all on the left side of the deer. Just to let you know what it had done. A friend of me make a jig to drill a hollow point in it for more expansion.

[MT Gianni]

What range do you hunt at and what is your maximum shooting distance? Are you willing to watch a 6 point feed at 300 yards while the 300 Winchester stays in the safe?

[MichaelR]

What range do you hunt at and what is your maximum shooting distance? Are you willing to watch a 6 point feed at 300 yards while the 300 Winchester stays in the safe?

My Sharps muzzle velocity is about 1400fps and I wouldn’t hesitate to shoot a feeding elk at that distance.

[Chill Wills]

I'm toying around with hunting elk with my Marlin Cowboy using my Lee 405HB mould and a 50/50 wheel weight/pure lead bullet.
I'm looking for any and all experiences using the above bullet.
I plan on shooting about 1300 fps.
Thanks in advance.
Blkpwdrbuff

Maybe splitting hairs here, you might consider one part WW with two parts pure Pb and add 2% tin to make the bullet both soft and hold any mushroom intact. The outcome may be the same as your alloy 9 times out of 10, but the recovered bullet will be close to 100% and classic in form. I used to shoot this in my 1886 Winchester using the Lyman 457 124 which is about the same bullet.
It was very effective.

[MT Gianni]

My Sharps muzzle velocity is about 1400fps and I wouldn’t hesitate to shoot a feeding elk at that distance.

My point is you may have seconds to decide whether that elk is 283 yards away or 329. By the time you pull out a range finder and adjust sights, it may be moving again. I am okay with using this if you hunt elk every year and have 20 kills or more. If this is your only opportunity, I think you are better served with a faster, jacketed load.

[Blkpwdrbuff]

Thanks for all the replies.
MT, I also hunt with a T/C Hawken 50, so I have no problem NOT shooting because the animal is too far away.
This hunt is also iron sights only.
It's called HAMSS, handgun, archery, muzzleloader, shotgun, straight wall cartridge.
So you have to get close enough.
Chill, great idea on the alloy.
This is also a November hunt, so weather will be a factor.
I plan on using my Ruger .41 mag Blackhawk as my primary gun, but will fall back on my Marlin Cowboy .45/70 if I can't get
close enough for my revolver.
Keep the comments coming.
I still have to draw the tag, but like hearing everyones experience.
Blkpwdrbuff