Ruger No 1 45/70

[Bassmaster]

mold....lube....alloy....?

[Nobade]

I doubt it's what you're looking for, but my #1 gets fed BACO 545gr. Creedmoor boolit, .442" patched to .449". 85gr. KIK 1 1/2F, .250" lube cookie (pearl lube). Seating depth is about .090", and it shoots better than I can see out to 850 yds. Don't have a longer range to shoot at around here so I don't know what it does further out.

Or you can be boring and shoot the 405gr. RCBS GC cast from wheelweights, lubed with 50/50, over a case full of 3031. That works too but anybody can do that.

-Nobade

[No_1]

Try looking through the ---> Single Shot Forum (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?31-Single-Shot-Guns) <---

[Bassmaster]

Try looking through the ---> Single Shot Forum (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?31-Single-Shot-Guns) <---

Thanks....

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Bassmaster,

I am using and am very delighted with a 465gr Wide Flat Nose (WFN) bullet, which I am putting out at 1650fps.

This non-expanding boolit is simply awesome on game up to and including elk.

I did have some issues with an LBT - WFN boolit of 355gr, as it was a slightly different nose profile and because my #1 has about zero throat, that bullet gave some issues with some rounds during chambering.

Also, with the 355gr bullet, I never got the desired consistancy or groups I desired.

I also found it to be waaaaaaay over kill at the velocity of just over 2300fps. Way to much of a good thing and a lot of meat loss.

The heavier bullet still give a great wound channel and looooong!

Using 50/50, Wheel Weights/lead, quenched into cold water as they fall from the mold.

Sizing and seating the gas checks a soon as possible - same day - after casting and using a Lee style push through sizing die of .460. Then at most any time I can go back and run them through the sizer luber which is a .461 dia.

The mold maker recommended allowing the boolits to age at least 7 days before loading/shooting, and said that 14days was better.

LBT and Accurate both make good molds.

Lube, check out the White Label Lube company - you can see info about them here on the forum - as they have a very fine product and a very reasonable price.

Enjoy that #1, I am having a great time hunting with mine and my own cast boolits!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Bassmaster]

Thanks for that CDOC....
465 grn WFN @ .461 huh?....hmmm.. Would that happen to be an Accurate mold?

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Bassmaster,

No, this is not an Accurate mold.

I think Accurate or Veral Smith of LBT and likely some others can make you a mold very close to this one. This mold, a 4 cavity, was made by Bruce - BABore - here in the Cast Boolit Forum.

Sorry to say, Bruce had a change in his business and needed to stop making his high quality custom molds. Kind of guy that would have been great to share a pot of coffee or a good breakfast with.

Not to say that others aren't as nice, but Bruce was an over the top nice guy judging by my contacts with him.

I could send you a sample of the WFN 465gr or some "E" images if that is of interest/help to you.

I post comments on so many different subjects and forums, that I'm not sure what you may have read about my 45/70 Cast bullet experience.

AS many on this forum go, I am a real new guy with cast boolit rifle hunting. Have cast for hand guns for years, but have only hunted with rifle cast boolits for three hunting season. During that time, I have taken 4 deer and two elk and wish I had started down this road before I was such an Ol'Coot.

To say I'm impressed is an understatement.

No, the 45/70 with this big boolit and lower velocity won't reach out there like my 300, but if that was my desire, I'd still be hunting with the 300.

But I will say this about my short term use of a lighter WFN cast boolit at a much higher velocity. DIDN'T LIKE THE RESULTS! That boolit was used on my first cast boolit critter, and once was truely enough.

Not only did I see huge over kill with the light boolit, but for some reason, that boolit would never give me the consistancy or groups I desired.

Not that it didn't kill like white lightning, but the 355gr WFN at a touch over 2300fps was just tooooooo much of a bad thing. Huge wound channel. Didn't mince the meat like would have happened with a number of the very soft "J" bullets such as the Hornady gummy nose, but the meat/bone was simply gone leaving a very large wound channel. Maybe better to just say it left a big hole.

Really caught me by surprise! Who would ever guess that a non-expanding cast boolit would do that kind of damage? I sure didn't expect it!

With the 465gr WFN at 1650fps, there is a good wound channel that goes on and on and on.

I can remember back to such times as when I took my first critter with a hand load, the first time I sat on a hillside with a beautiful RUGER #1B - 7mm mag over my knees and taking deer and elk with my own cast boolits ranks right up there with the best of those experiences!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[white eagle]

Tom at Accurate Molds is what ol coot is referring to
my favorite boolit is here http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=46-420C-D.png,
I use most in cast between 400 and 525 gr and white label is hard to beat

[Bassmaster]

Tom at Accurate Molds is what ol coot is referring to
my favorite boolit is here http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=46-420C-D.png,
I use most in cast between 400 and 525 gr and white label is hard to beat

Thanks white eagle...I checked it out...some very nice stuff
Are you using this boolit in a No 1?. I have a couple of molds that I'm quite satisfied with in my 1895, but now I'm curious about the No 1....
It's due to arrive on Tues....can't friggin' wait
CDOC....thanks for responding. I've seen your moniker on other sites and make a point of reading simply because you make it real...
Did I mention I have a new Ruger No 1 arriving soon????:grin:

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Bassmaster,

I think that I have mentioned, if not here, other places for sure, that I needed to adjust my mind set when going to cast boolit hunting in the 45/70.

Not only did it take some changes in my normal load development procedures, but I also needed to adjust my "normal" hunting rifle expectations of being able to hold center of "kill zone" all the way out to 350 - 400yds for a dead critter, as well as my expectations for group size.

Now, not in any way discounting the many people who consistantly shoot nice small groups with their cast boolit rifles, but saying that in my limited experience, the tiny groups don't come as quickly or as easily with cast boolits as they do with good "J" bullets.

However, on a personal level, I bought into the 45/70 and cast boolits, even with what some folk might consider to be the short comings of the caliber. IT came as a package, holes in the socks, warts and all. I bought it and I like it!

So, If the first load or boolit you choose doesn't meet the "norms" of your past rifle shooting/load development experience, hang in there.

Seeing you post that you have apparently cast for and shot a 1895 (Marlin?), I may be preaching to the choir here.

I read of lots of very fine shooting Marlins, and had to pass on a beautiful Marlin 45/70 that sat along side the equally beautiful RUGER #1S in the Pawn Shop, but have had a love affair with the #1 for years, so made that choice.

Do I wonder just how well this RUGER might shoot with some good "J" bullets? Yep, but this rifle/caliber was bought for the single reason of shooting my own Cast Boolits and hunting with same.

The one thing that you may run into with cast boolits in your soon to arrive #1, is the length of the throat, or lack there of.

Surprised me there, as my experience from my years with the #1 showed them to commonly be long throated. Not so with my 45/70. And this did cause an issue with the 355gr LBT WFN I tried for awhile.

No such issues with the RCBS 405, and zero issues with my 465gr WFN from BABore.

So, when ordering a new mold, make sure that the mold maker knows you rifle may have a VERY short throat. Nice thing about that big hole and single shot action, it is really easy to take a peak to see.

I had a couple factory 45/70 rounds laying around when I got this rifle, one Remington and one Winchester as I recall, and one of those would not chamber because of the short throat. Have wondered if this was the reason such a beautiful rifle was on the pawn shop rack.

Anyway, if your rifle is as pleasing as mine , your in for a lot of enjoyment. But one way or the other, hang in there as it will shoot if your willing to do your part.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot