ProperBullet?

[funshooter]

I asked this question on another forum
I have ordered a Turnbull Winchester 1886 45-90wcf with a 26" barrel
I am on the group buy for the 45-70 hollow base bullet mold (392gr hollow base and 415gr solid base)
My question is. Is this a good match for the rifle I am getting or is there a better match up.
Any advice would be appreciated.

[Tatume]

The 45-70 is extremely easy to cast for, and I expect your 45-90 will not be too persnickety either. Any of the popular 45-70 cast bullets should work well, although I recommend a gas check. Given your desire to use a hollow based bullet, I'm guessing you plan to use black powder. Even with black, I still recommend a gas check. If you wish to use plain based bullets, I suggest an over-powder card wad, with the bullet firmly seated on the card and very slight compression of the black powder charge. The other way to go would be paper patched bullets. Personally, I neither like nor recommend hollow based bullets.

[Tatume]

What are your plans for the gun? Are you going to hunt with it, shoot it in competition, casual targets?

[funshooter]

Target shooting and Pig Hunting
I will probably use smokeless most of the time.
I am just getting into casting and I do not know all of the ins and outs.

My thoughts about the hollow base was that as the bullet is pushed out of the barrel the hollow base would expand and fill the rifling's better. This may show my lack of knowledge.

[TXGunNut]

I prefer a plain-based boolit over a vegetable wad moved along by a case full of BP and I suspect either of your boolits would work for that. Congrats on the Turnbull, my shooting buddy has an 1886 there getting a makeover and he's more restless than a schoolboy in May waiting for it to come back.
Welcome to the affliction, I was "forced" into the boolit casting fraternity by a 45-90 and the apparent lack of store-bought ammo. I suspect there are smokeless powders that will work nicely in the 45-90 but I haven't bothered to try, some browsing about should turn up some likely suspects.

[funshooter]

Turnbull recommended 3031 and I have 16#s of the stuff just weighting for the proper mold and the rifle.

[TXGunNut]

45-70 is a very forgiving round, the 45-90 is only a little less forgiving. NOE's version of the Ranch Dog 460-350 may be worth a try if the GB mould doesn't work out.

[Geobru]

What is the twist rate of the Miroku 45-90? The old Winchester 86's won't stabilize a 405 grain bullet. I am not sure if that is a factor with the Miroku rifles or not. It is sure something to consider before buying a mold.

[Tatume]

Original Model 1886 45-90 rifles were rifled 1:32" and intended for 300 grain bullets. Although I don't own one to check, I believe the rifling on the Miroku Model 1886 rifles is the same 1:20" for the 45-70 and 45-90 chamberings. Some (perhaps all) Miroku-made Model 1886 45-90 rifles are marked "For black powder only," but that may be for liability purposes.

[TXGunNut]

There's the Gould 330 grain boolit that was supposedly designed for the 45-90. Early 45-90's were marketed as "express" rifles with faster, lighter boolits than the 45-70. It doesn't work well in my 45-90 but it's been a bit of a challenge to get it working with any boolit. Need to get back to that project someday soon. The explanation I heard for the "Blackpowder Only" stamp was that there are no SAAMI specs for the 45-90. Doesn't make much sense but that's nothing new.

[funshooter]

I will have to find out what the twist rate is.
I do not know if they have the barrel yet to find out the bore size.