This Lee .45-70 Mold for RUger #1?

[alienbogey]

As you can see by my post count I'm a newb. I'm also a casting rookie, but popped my cherry recently by casting some .58 caliber boolits (right?) for my 1861 Springfield replica.

Anyway, I've been looking for a mold for my Ruger #1 in .45-70, and this is my choice unless there is some reason it wouldn't be good for the Ruger:

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/1178/1/LEE-90268

My intent is simply to cast some bullets (sorry, boolits) that will enable me to shoot the #1 cheaply. No great velocities, no sub-MOA accuracy requirements. I may reload some with black powder for the heck of it.

So, unless someone objects, I'll order that mold.

[725]

Should work just fine. I've never shot that boolit, but the .45-70 is almost like the old cereal commercial, "Give it to Mikey, he'll eat anything." The .45-70 will accurately shoot a wide variety of boolits. I suspect that because it is a hollow base, it will prefer slower speeds, but even at trapdoor levels, the .45-70 is a very powerful deal. I've only shot flat based boolits. Once you experiment with the powder & load, you can find an accurate combo.

Welcome to the board. You'll like it here.

[carbine]

Welcome! I shoot .58s almost exclusevly. Shot some trapdoor as well. Willing to share knowledge for what it is worth.

[white eagle]

given those parameters any old thing will do

[Buckshot]

..............That's a good slug but it's a hollow base. Not that that HB will hurt anything at all but it's a single cavity and you don't NEED the HB. It's just a complication. I'd get the Lee (if you're going with Lee) 2 cav 457 - 405 - F, their #90374. If you're basically plinking there's no need to be sending that much lead downrange just to make pop cans fly or bust dirt clods. In that case it'd be the Lee 457 - 340 - F # 90373 or the Lyman 457191 for a 292gr slug. It's only a single cavity, but if you're shooting away mass quantities, a couple hours of casting will net you a good quantity.

http://www.fototime.com/68E891AD4F08210/standard.jpg

And if you have a 45 Colt, the 340gr Lee and the 292gr Lyman do very well in the pistol twist of 16".

...............Buckshot

[MtGun44]

HB not required for your Ruger, in all likelihood. IME, the RCBS 45-405 RF ( might not be
the exact name, it is the only RCBS .45 rifle 405 gr) is a really good one. The Lee HB works
very well for me in one trapdoor with a really worn and oversized bore, but the solid Lee 405
never shot a single good group for me. YMMV.

Bill

[DLCTEX]

I agree with the 340 gr. recommendation. I like it over 4759 powder in a Guide Gun.

[Larry Gibson]

Concur on a different cast bullet. While the Lee 405HB is a good bullet it is a replica of the M1873 bullet designed for BP loads in the original 45-70 cartridge in 1873. While a HB the HB is not there for expansion as in a minie' bullet or with the base expanding that we normaly associate with HB Bullets. The HB is there simply to regulate the weight and 405 gr while maintaining the proscribed external dimensions. As mentioned there are many newer, modern designs for smokeless powder that are more suited to your #1.

I also concur that if just plinking a much lighter bullet offers many advantages. I shoot many, many more 275 gr (Rapine 460250) down range out of my 45-70s than anything else. I load them over 8 gr Bullesye for a very pleasant and very accurate 1050 fps. Current moulds such as Lyman's 457191 at 290 gr, the Lee 457-340-F at 340 gr, the RCBS 45-325-FN-U at 325 gr or the SAECO #015 at 300 gr would all be excellent choices.

If you want to drive a cast bullet over 1600 fps then I suggest a GC'd bullet for best accuracy.

Larry Gibson

[LouB1]

I've used the Lee HB 405gr 45cal bullet in my Springfield Trapdoor rifle to great effect. Use 11gr of Unique and Lee Liquid Alox as lube and best 5 shot group has been 0.9". Although 2 to 3" is more usual result. Velocity is 1000fps with single digit variations. Fun and comfortable load to shoot.

Good luck and have a good time