Good boolit mold for Browning 1886 45-70?

[surfanarchist]

Hi all,

I'm thinking about picking up a Browning 1886 in 45-70. Before I'll do that I want to nail down what I will load for it. I've read that the throats on these rifles are very tight and folks have had problems casting boolits that will chamber. I 've been perusing the forum for about two hours and I'm getting little bits and pieces of information which is great and helpfull, but I have not found the answer to what has me concerned. I'd like to load about a 300+- gr and a 400 +-gr boolit that can be made to seat in this rifle. Do any of you out there have mold recommendations? I've never used a GC and don't really want to start, and I don't really want to tumble lube. I load on an RCBS pro 2000 (that's right, and I also own a Zune MP3 player because I knew that the Ipod would never take off). No rush, I won't be loading anything like this until LR primers become available again (Jeeeesh). Thanks all.

Wayne

[Doc Highwall]

First of all welcome to the forum! What are you going to use these loads for? Hunting, target shooting/plinking, and at what distance?

[stocker]

Both of the RCBS offerings in the weights you refer to feed just fine in the repro 86s. The throats have enough room for a narrow drive band in front of the crimp groove. If I recall my 45-300GC moulds drops WW alloy at about 317 grains. The 45-400GC at about 415. Hope I have those numbers right but the moulds are in the RCBS catalog.

[surfanarchist]

Thanks for the RCBS tip. I was looking at those or maybe the seaco for 300 gr. on the question about what I am loading for (I should have said that in the op) I would use the 300 gr for punching paper and the 400 gr for hunting white tail and also I think it would be fun to shoot the heavier loads from time to time.

This forum is awesome. I've leaned so much here.

[surfanarchist]

Both of the RCBS offerings in the weights you refer to feed just fine in the repro 86s. The throats have enough room for a narrow drive band in front of the crimp groove. If I recall my 45-300GC moulds drops WW alloy at about 317 grains. The 45-400GC at about 415. Hope I have those numbers right but the moulds are in the RCBS catalog.

Do you have to use a gc with a gc bullet or can you just load them without?

[surfanarchist]

Do you have to use a gc with a gc bullet or can you just load them without?

Never mind. I see this gas check question has been fully covered.

[stocker]

surfer: I use the GC's as I have been pushing them pretty hard. I had in mind hunting in grizzly areas for moose so they are Skookum loads to say the least. In Virginia where you may be hunting deer and possibly hogs you can probably get away with lighter loads I'm sure (unless you have those mythical thousand pounders). In such case I would look for a mould that delivers a plain flat base boolit and probably load at much lighter charges than I currently use. There are a lot of options available to you. Check on this site for NOE moulds and see what they have. Accurate Molds makes a very nice product and you should check out their web site. Not sure what Lyman is currently offering but they had some good ones in the past if they are cut right.

[smoked turkey]

Regarding the use of GCs, I believe that if you keep velocities below 1700'/s you will be ok without a GC. If however you decide to throttle them up some a GC will allow shooting without leading your bore. This is based on always using a cast boolit that is properly sized to your groove diameter which should be at least one or two thousandths over. I personally have both plain base and GC molds since I like to shoot both light and heavy loads in my 45-70. Someone with experience using a similar rifle will probably chime in and their advice will probably be closer to what you are really looking for for your particular application. Welcome to the site. It is a great place to hang out.

[lotech]

I've had good luck with Lyman's #457122 HP and #457193, neither of which are gas check designs. Both have been accurate in several rifles. I use wheelweight alloy and load moderately; seems the HP's muzzle velocity is around 1,500 fps and the 193, about 1,300 - 1,350. I don't remember the as-cast bullet diameter of either bullet, but I run these and all .45-70 bullets through a .461" die in my SAECO lubrisizer. Some get sized, some don't get touched. Shoot the largest diameter bullet that will safely chamber in a .45-70. It will probably be greater than .458". Use any lube.

[bobthenailer]

The Saeco #017 350gr fpgc has shot well from several 45/70 rifles for me 1

[surfanarchist]

Thanks for all the replies. My main concern is with shooting these through the Browning 1886 as I've read in a fair number of posts that the Browning 1886 notorious for having no throat and therefor not chambering boolits that might work fine in something like a Marlin "95". I've heard a few people say the 457122 HP works in these rifles. I don't care for the fact that it's a hollow point though. Can you use that mould in a fashion where the boolit as cast is not a hollow point? I'm new to casting, so far only casting .45 ACP and colt (#452374 and #452664). No idea about hollow points.

[Doc Highwall]

For a soft hunting bullet I would use a gas check. For just plinking a plain base would work.

[PbHurler]

In my Browning 1886, The moulds I currently use without any issues are the RCBS designs; 300Gr FN, 325Gr FN-U & 405Gr FN's and the SAECO #017 350Gr. FN.”

All but the RCBS 325Gr FN-U are gas check designs.

DUKE NUKEM, a member here, has very good information on 1886's he's posted here: http://50caliberforum.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=thewinchester1886forum

[41 mag fan]

looks like i'll be sending my Browning to the gunsmiths for a throat job. Having problems with 3 different boolits not cycling.
One is an RCBS 305gr, and 2 Accurate molds in 405, and 425gr.
Sized them down to .457 and .458, since mine slugged out at .457, and they still wont cycle properly.

[Shooter]

Thanks for all the replies. (SNIP) I've heard a few people say the 457122 HP works in these rifles. I don't care for the fact that it's a hollow point though. Can you use that mould in a fashion where the boolit as cast is not a hollow point? I'm new to casting, so far only casting .45 ACP and colt (#452374 and #452664). No idea about hollow points.

Yes you can. All you need to do is make a pin to fill the hole the factory pin that makes the hollow goes in. It is held in place the same as the pin.
Casting is faster as you don't have to remove and replace the hollow point pin each time.

[FLINTNFIRE]

Night owl enterprises has some 350 grain molds , not many left though.
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.php?cPath=42&osCsid=1uf624aumbnkkt1agc02jphef6