Buffalo Classic 45-70 Pound Cast

[cajun shooter]

What lube are you using? I have owned two of the Buffalo Classics and love the rifle. I shoot .459 out of mine or some .458's at times. I'm a BP shooter and use a 1-20 alloy for my bullets.
If you are getting leading in the last part of the barrel then it's a problem with your lube. Later Fairshake

[ballistim]

I'm curious what powder and lube were used, and what alloy. I've used IMR 3031, surplus WC-872, & IMR 4198, all have worked well, have not yet tried the SR.-4759 that 45 2.1 mentioned but I do have it on hand, would be a good choice but is hard to find.

[rosewood]

I have used 10x and imr4227. Straight wheel weights. I use Lee Alox mixed 45 45 10.

[rosewood]

I figured for $20, what the heck bought the Lee 405 HB mold. Cast some last night and they are dropping around .460. Will have to lube and load some up and head to range. I have to say, the hollow base is very different from what I had in mind. I figured it was like the old Mini-ball ammo where the base was cupped and thin around the edges. These boolits have at least a 1/8" rim around the base before you get to the cavity. I think these just might do it. Also got in a .224 mold. Man, after casting a 405 grain boolit and then you cast a 55 grain boolit, you forget where to stop pouring.

[ballistim]

Hope it works well for you, let us know how it does.

[rosewood]

Had a difficult time getting the boolits to stay in the unsized cartridge. The boolit would not stay in position without first neck sizing the case. So here is what I came up with.

After Alox 45/45/10 lubing, I sized the boolit using a .460 Lee push through sizer (very little friction). I neck sized the case with a Lyman neck sizer. Then I put the .459 expander plug in the Lee die in the first stage of my Dillon to expand the case. I then used the Dillon powder funnel to charge the case in stage 2. Then seated the boolit in stage 3 and and used the Lee FCD with a very light crimp to knock the bell off in stage 4. Loaded up with Reloader 7 and took to the range. With the regular Lee 405 mold, I still got leading even though I was able to get the boolit a bit larger through honing and beagling. However, with the Lee 405 HB mold, I couldn't see any appreciable leading. I think I have found the ticket. Gonna make up some more boolits and loads and shoot maybe 50 or so next trip and see if this holds true.

Thanks guys,

Rosewood

[ballistim]

Good! Glad to hear it's working out for you, have fun shooting!

[rosewood]

Ended up getting a RCBS 405 grain GC mold and so far, getting 0 leading in the BC and recently got a 45-70 Handi and it is 0 leading with the GC boolit. This makes me a very happy camper. I did try the 405HB in the Handi and did get some leading, but not a lot, I think I am going to tinker with the Handi a bit more with the non-GC molds and see what luck I have. I think one of my major problems with leading was using too small of an expander. The larger has helped a ton. The cases were swaging down the boolits.

Thanks for all the help.

Rosewood

[cajun shooter]

Stop using the Lee FCD die and use a Redding crimp die. The Lee FCD has caused many a cast bullet loader problems as they swage the bullet down in the case.
Loading for any SS rifle requires very little crimping, I just take it in enough to smooth out the belling of the case mouth that I did to seat the lead bullet with a slight inward crimping of the case mouth.
If I was you, I would also try using one of the very fine lubes from our own Lars White Label lubes like the Carnauba Red. Later David

[Doc Highwall]

For my single shot rifles I do not remove the bell on the case mouth and it helps center the bullet in the chamber and barrel.

[montana_charlie]

Stop using the Lee FCD die and use a Redding crimp die. The Lee FCD has caused many a cast bullet loader problems as they swage the bullet down in the case.

FCDs for rifle calibers don't do that.

[EDG]

How fast are you going with what alloy?
If you shoot from 1100 FPS to 1300 FPS max you should not get any leading.
I have more than a few 45-70s and none of them lead but I never go very fast either.

If I can ever get these cast boolits to stop leading in my BC, I have a feeling I am going to burn a lot of gunpowder. It really is a lot of fun to shoot.

[rosewood]

Most of what I chronied was between 1500-1600. What powder and load are u using to get 1100-1300?