Help choosing the right bullett for levergun

[Motard]

Hi hall, this is my first post over this forum but I have been reading it for a while. I have two levergun rifles, Henry H010 and Marlin 1985, both 18 barrells, both sludged approx .456. I have been reloading them with 310 FMJ after 43.5 gr of Viht n130, CCI primers and Leverevolution brass, obtaining speeds in the 1.660 Fps area, and with cast boolits RNGC 385, lyman 2 alloy,after 39,5 gr Viht obtaining speeds around 1.450. The later is the load I prefer for consistency and pleasure of paper-shooting. I am in the process of buyng tools for casting myslef but meanwhile the guy who provide me the casted-sized-lubed bulletts can make me some 320gr FNGC nominally listed for 45-60 cal. Would they whork well in 45-70 loads? Here, on the other side of the pond, most Us powders are rare and costly so I may stick to Viht wich is (untill now) widely available.
Thanks for any help146868146869

[Camba]

Motard,
Welcome to Castboolits!
Sorry I have no experience on the 45-70 caliber to share with, but you are in the right forum to get plenty of casting/loading information.
Camba

[chuckbuster]

Lyman has a mold, 457122, that runs about 320-325gr in their #2 alloy. A variety of loads for it in the .45-70 are shown in their Third Edition Cast Bullet Manual so I would say you should be able to work something up.

[Flexy]

If you truely have slugged such small diameter out of your Marlin, you can get Lee molds cheaply. I even might have some... I've got molds from Mountain Molds and MiHec, 300, 400 and 500grains... These are around .462", cause I slugged my groove diameter to .4598". I use Vihtavuori N120 for the 500 grainer and I'm in the process of trying even faster powders for the lighter boolits. N110 and N32C "Tin Star" is in for testing in the near future...

[missionary5155]

Good morning
I would recheck my "slugging" of that Marlin. .456 ? If that is for real that Marlin needs to be preserved in a museum. A Marlin under groove ! This has got to be a test... My 1895 and all I have seen, touched, read about are in the .459 and +++ area. But there could be that one. Now a jap 1886, could be. A Henry I never have seen one. But Marlin !!!
Mike in Peru

[hornady308]

The 320 grain gas checked bullets you're considering using should work very well. I am also surprised that you're bore is .456 in diameter. All of my Marlins are larger than that. When buying a mold, take a look at those designed by Ranch Dog. I have several of his molds and they are designed specifically for Marlins. They all work great.

[Motard]

Hallo, thankyou all for wnice welcome. As for the bore I have sludged twice but reading Yours post I think I need to recheck. Will post soon. I have been luky enaught to find a "Lyman casting 3d edition" rather mint, and I am studing it but beeing my english not so good it take times. I have read about the Lee moulds, as rather everything from the Company they are for shure good enaught. But I have read also some recurring issues on dimensione and roughness. Cause shipping back an item across the pond is costly, tricky and time consuming, I am believe would be better to go for a very reliable maker.
Flexy: I got this speeds with the vith n130 if this may help
Cast RNGC 385gr:
43 gr 1766 fps
41 gr 1583 fps
40 gr 1538 fps
39,5 gr 1454 fps
38,5 1482 fps

and this with the 310 Fmj:
Viht 48,0 gr 1882,5 fps

I would like to test the n120 because there is more litherature about. But n130 gave me a good compromise between effectivness and low pressures. Having other handgun and rifles that I reload (308, 6,5x55, 223 and 9x21) I must restrict (by law) the powders I hold at the same time. :(

here I am: I have resludged it with a 460 sludge I have. Hammering it (rubber mallet) give me a nice and thick crown-spurr. Measures are the same as per pics: .456. If I you scan something wrong please advise me

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[Motard]

Ps: wouldn't be cheaper choosing one lightly overbored mold and then size bullitts exactly to my needs (Henry is a bit tighter) with one or two moodded lee sizing dies? I have opened a lee to 458 with no issue on my stand drill and with a dowel, a piece of clothes and some paper and polish past. Ten minutes job and the resized bulletts shots whell from the henry. Marlin was shooting exceptionally stright from day one:
firts marlin second henry
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[Flexy]

Hallo, thankyou all for wnice welcome. As for the bore I have sludged twice but reading Yours post I think I need to recheck. Will post soon. I have been luky enaught to find a "Lyman casting 3d edition" rather mint, and I am studing it but beeing my english not so good it take times. I have read about the Lee moulds, as rather everything from the Company they are for shure good enaught. But I have read also some recurring issues on dimensione and roughness. Cause shipping back an item across the pond is costly, tricky and time consuming, I am believe would be better to go for a very reliable maker.
Flexy: I got this speeds with the vith n130 if this may help
Cast RNGC 385gr:
43 gr 1766 fps
41 gr 1583 fps
40 gr 1538 fps
39,5 gr 1454 fps
38,5 1482 fps

and this with the 310 Fmj:
Viht 48,0 gr 1882,5 fps

I would like to test the n120 because there is more litherature about. But n130 gave me a good compromise between effectivness and low pressures. Having other handgun and rifles that I reload (308, 6,5x55, 223 and 9x21) I must restrict (by law) the powders I hold at the same time. :(

here I am: I have resludged it with a 460 sludge I have. Hammering it (rubber mallet) give me a nice and thick crown-spurr. Measures are the same as per pics: .456. If I you scan something wrong please advise me

146934146935




I use QuickLoad to check what I might use... And I'm not looking for high velocity, I tend to rely more on the weight of the projectile combined with large meplat. Currently I'm planning on trying to make a triple load, as in: every bullet I have shoots in the same point of impact (or close enough) for 100m distance.

Maybe you should have a micrometer instead of that caliber. I would not trust that, unless you have done enough checking and comparing the results with real micrometer... Even those cheap ones from ebay/china are OK, I'm using one... :)

[Motard]

Hy flexy. I rely on a Wurst dial caliber for every measure i take. But it is in tent of a mm.That crappy digit thing was to show you without the needs of vonverting from tens of mm to inches :). Thevdigitbis random somethimes perfect some others day horful. But today was ok.

[Flexy]

Hi, Motard. I use this to measure exactly. So far I've had no reasons to distrust it. Was quite cheap on ebay...

146947

[Motard]

No offense Flexy,and thanks for spending time. But this is what I use in my motorcycles from years and now on my bench. Made in germany, full inox, approx 0,02. Should be fine for that task. As written I took my measures with this and then posted pic on the digital to avoid You making unpleasure math146952 :). 11,59mm. equal 0.4562 cal. (and the deal if loupe chech is a tad under 6 barrel). So that rifle should be on the tight side. Mae be marlin deserve to export?
Ps About the micrometer, being ex Urss near too here we had plenty of that stuff. But I never liked them too much being mostly unparallel and rought made. I dismantled mine with the aim of making a micro-adgiuster-bar for my Forster Bonanza Powder Dispenser. But still have to end the job. The brass barr in the box is what should catch the right amount of the powder once threaded on the micrometer head. Hope I could explain better.
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[Flexy]

Sounds like a DIY man, just like me. :) Well, maybe you truly have such small groove diameter. Just make sure to have about 2-3 thousands of inches bigger cast bullet. And yes, I also use metrics in my all day life. Have to do the conversions all the time on this forum :)

[Motard]

what about this mould? I would prefere a two cavity, iron but have no input on saeco at all:Saeco 2-Cavity Magnum Bullet Mold #017 45 Caliber (458-459 Diameter) 350 Grain Flat Nose Gas Check

[Cherokee]

Saeco makes good molds so don't be concerened about that. No experience that bullet.

[OnHoPr]

What is the task you are asking for in the boolit? Shooting paper, roebuck, moose, boar, competition target, silhouette, african game, or cowboy shooting.

[Motard]

paper an eventually boar in the thick. we have some big and nasty pigs here. two persons killed last week. near houses. those hav been protect for too long and don'fear humans anymore

[hornady308]

I would expect any 350 grain FN from a 45-70 would do the job on a boar.