View Full Version : Sizing bullets for my Marlin 45-70
woody402
11-25-2013, 09:02 PM
I have a Marlin 45-70 guide gun I'm going to start loading for. I picked up a Ranchdog 460310 mould in the classifieds that I plan to use. I cast a few and slugged the bore. They measure .457. My question is where should I start for sizing of the bullets? I plan on getting either a Lee .457 sizing die or a die for my lyman sizer. Lee only makes the .457 but was thinking a .458 might be better. The bullet drops .460 from the mold. Looking for a starting point. Thanks.
Iowa Fox
11-25-2013, 09:30 PM
If the 460 will chamber shoot them at 460. Marlins like them fat.
My 1895 also slugged at .457.
I flapped my .457 sizer out to .4585. I've shot several of those at just over 1500 fps with no leading, but all the same, I might take it up to .459.
Scharfschuetze
11-26-2013, 01:37 AM
.459" boolits works well in My 1895 Marlin with the Ballard rifling.
woody402
11-26-2013, 06:54 AM
My gun has micro groove rifling.
farmerjim
11-26-2013, 08:00 AM
Use emery cloth, a rod ( I use a wood dowel with a slit cut down the middle to hold the cloth) and a drill, to open the Lee die to what you want. It only takes a few minutes. Go slow at it and check the size of the boolits pushed through every 30 or so seconds of grinding. I use a .459 for my 45-70.
woody402
11-26-2013, 08:52 AM
Use emery cloth, a rod ( I use a wood dowel with a slit cut down the middle to hold the cloth) and a drill, to open the Lee die to what you want. It only takes a few minutes. Go slow at it and check the size of the boolits pushed through every 30 or so seconds of grinding. I use a .459 for my 45-70.
I might do that. Done it to a few .357 dies. I kind of want to stick with the Lee die. So I may just lap it out to .458
Keyston44
11-26-2013, 09:36 AM
My Marlin Guide Gun slugs at 457 also. I size my Ranch Dog 425 gr bullet to 460 when I'm pressing on the gas checks. My Lee 457-405-F drops bullets at 459 so I shoot them as cast.
Key
BABore
11-26-2013, 10:41 AM
If your Marlin 45-70 is slugging at 0.457, I would like to know the following;
are you using a pure lead slug for slugging, preferrably a hollow egg sinker so there is little to no springback?
have you slugged just the muzzle only to look for bore constrictions?
are you using a micrometer to measure the slug?
I ask cause most all of the 45-70's I've slugged run just a shade over 0.458. The chamber will typically allow a boolit diameter of 0.460 to 0.462 diameter.
woody402
11-26-2013, 11:19 AM
I was using pure lead and a micrometer. I think I'm going to start with a .459 and go from there.
FishingFool
11-26-2013, 12:58 PM
I use .459 for both of my marlins and all my buddies single shot NEFs for primitive this year.
If the 460 will chamber shoot them at 460. Marlins like them fat.
What Fox said.....
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