Lee 500gr in 45/70 Malin GG

[brstevns]

Is anyone using the Lee 500gr bullet in the Marlin 1895 GG 45/70 . Like to hear how it worked out.

[brstevns]

Just a guess but I'm thinking the OAL will exceed 2.550" and might be too long for that levergun.

Was hoping just to seat bullet a little deeper.

[KirkD]

I have a Lee 500 grain mould for the 45-70. If I crimp the bullet at the crimp groove, it is too long to feed through my original Winchester 1886. It does have to be seated deeper, but how much deeper might depend upon your particular rifle. If you can crimp it on the forward driving band, a Lee Factory Crimp would be the ticket. However, if that is not deep enough, then you will have to make a little cannalure around the case just below the base of the bullet when it is seated. This can be done by purchasing a small pipe cutter and dulling the cutting edge with a diamond file. You can then roll a little groove around the case. Snooky Williamson did this all the time.

[ebner glocken]

I tried it in my 1895 CB. Much too long for feeding. By the time it was seated down far enough I chickened out worried about excess pressure.

Ebner

[brstevns]

I tried it in my 1895 CB. Much too long for feeding. By the time it was seated down far enough I chickened out worried about excess pressure.

Ebner

Thanks! That was the answer I was looking for. The Lee 450gr is probably the heaviest one that would work.

[6pt-sika]

I'm using a BallistiCast 550 grainer in my circa 1972 Marlin 45-70 with very pleasing accuracy results !

But then that bullet was designed for a lever action rifle !

[KirkD]

I tried it in my 1895 CB. Much too long for feeding. By the time it was seated down far enough I chickened out worried about excess pressure.

Ebner
I forgot that the original Winchester 1886's were designed to feed the longer 45-90 cartridges, so they cycle the 500 grain bullet just fine, provided it is crimped as a black powder round (over the front driving band). I don't think the modern Marlins are designed to handle a cartridge as long as the 45-90, so a 500 grain bullet might be problematic.

[ebner glocken]

My favroite bullet in that paticular rifle is a 420 ranch dog. I've fired it naked and sized down to .451 with two wraps of onion skin and resized down to .459-.460". A little smear of car wax on that paper with a full charge of 3031 it works well.

Ebner

[dubber123]

I am not familiar with the LEE design, but other than a possible issue with the short throats Marlins seem to have, it shouldn't be too much of a problem to work up a load with a deeply seated boolit. I have loaded the Lyman 462560, a 545 grain RF design for my brothers Marlin GG. After I HP'd that mould, it became his favorite. It actually feeds extremely well, and shoots great.