Ruger NO 3 45-70 / mold ?

[jjnpg317]

Just got it and shot boolits ( 350 & 405 grain ) in it , but want to cast for it. Don't hunt anymore & will be used for plinking . Used 20 grains of 2400 with filler and like it. Looking at two NOE molds; 460-350 RD & 460-405 RF in PB. If anyone has used either, please give me your opinions.

Thanks

[Boz330]

I had one years ago, wish I had kept it. I don't know what mold they were from (probably Lyman) but someone gave me a bunch of 405gr bullets to shoot in it and they shot really well. It also shot the 405 jacketed good as well. The lead boolits were fun and cheap for plinking.

Bob

[Shooter6br]

I use a Ranchdog 350 g in my No 1 45-70. Rugers have a very short throat (almost none) The NOE is a clone of the Ranchdog . Size to .460

[Char-Gar]

Hummm....I had owned several Ruger No. 1 and No. 3 single shots and each one of them has a rather long throat/leade/ball seat/free bore. This has been a characteristic of these rifles unless things have changed. The falling block rifle has no caming action like a bolt and therefore the throat must be long enough to accommodate a wide variety of bullets and OA cartridge lengths.

On my rifles, I seat the bullet in a dummy round just a smidge at a time until I can chamber the round with only a slight drag on the block face as it it raised. This sets the bullet ogive in contact with the lands. Without exception this seats the bullet farther out than normal.

I have had excellent results with cast bullets in these rifles using the above method of bullet seating. I currently have a No. 3 in 45-70 and it is a wonderful cast bullet rifle. I have used a variety of cast bullets from 380 to 415 grains with excellent accuracy. The limiting factor for loads in this rifle is the recoil. The light weight and short stock can create some horrendous impact with the shooters shoulder and cheek if the loads get very stout.

I like 22 to 24 grains of 2400, but have never found filler to be needed. These loads are very accurate and the recoil is not severe at all. If you want to test your manhood, try a 500 grain bullet at about 1,900 to 2,000 fps.

[Shooter6br]

My No 1 is about 4 yrs old

[Boz330]

Hummm....I had owned several Ruger No. 1 and No. 3 single shots and each one of them has a rather long throat/leade/ball seat/free bore. This has been a characteristic of these rifles unless things have changed. The falling block rifle has no caming action like a bolt and therefore the throat must be long enough to accommodate a wide variety of bullets and OA cartridge lengths.

On my rifles, I seat the bullet in a dummy round just a smidge at a time until I can chamber the round with only a slight drag on the block face as it it raised. This sets the bullet ogive in contact with the lands. Without exception this seats the bullet farther out than normal.

I have had excellent results with cast bullets in these rifles using the above method of bullet seating. I currently have a No. 3 in 45-70 and it is a wonderful cast bullet rifle. I have used a variety of cast bullets from 380 to 415 grains with excellent accuracy. The limiting factor for loads in this rifle is the recoil. The light weight and short stock can create some horrendous impact with the shooters shoulder and cheek if the loads get very stout.

I like 22 to 24 grains of 2400, but have never found filler to be needed. These loads are very accurate and the recoil is not severe at all. If you want to test your manhood, try a 500 grain bullet at about 1,900 to 2,000 fps.




That rifle can be loaded to near 458 Win Mag ballistics, but you sure don't want to experience them. When I got mine I went to my Lyman manual and took the starting load for a Ruger #3 and loaded 50 of them. After firing 2 rounds I went back to the reloading room and pulled the remaining 48. Went to the trapdoor loads and figured if those velocities would kill a deer in 1873 that they would work today, they did.

Bob

[l h jenkins]

not to hi-jack a thread, but #3 in 45-70 is a thumper on both ends. mine will eventually get rebarreled to 25-20 or 32-20

[Jeff Michel]

I've been using Mihec's ".462 Hammer" in my #3. Lubed and checked they are around 330 grains with a humongous hollow point. You can push them pretty fast even in a #3 (recoil tends to be a bit strenuous in the heavier loads) I wouldn't shoot anything with the hollow point option if your planning on eating it. I've also had pretty good luck with the Lee 405 plain base.

[JeffinNZ]

Given the No 3 is rather dainty I would favour a lighter bullet. Still, I'm built like a rake so...........

[WALLNUTT]

I wish my #3 had a throat. 15 degrees right off the case mouth and can't seat bullets out at all so I use 300g or so bullets. 45/70 chambers are tapered and have no cylindrical bullet seat. Dies are cylindrical where the bullet is seated. Long bullets in no throat chambers have no support or guidance at the base when fired. My gun seems to prefer the lighter shorter bullets. I have shot some 525g heavy loads though very little. The recoil in a 61/2lb carbine will cetainly get your attention. I've had mine for about 30yrs and wouldn't part with it.

[Clay M]

I have had great accuracy in my #1 with the Saeco #017 350 gr GC mold.
They chamber fine in my rifle seated to the crimp groove..
I use a moderate charge of Rel 7 powder.
The bullet is great for target work.

I also have an Accurate 360GC mold that I need to work with for hunting..

[swamp]

I tend to shoot the Lyman 457191 a lot. It runs 300gr. and works in all of my 45-70s. One is a No.3. For plain plinking fun I use a collar button. Also load 400 gr. FN and pointed.
swamp

[Clay M]

I tend to shoot the Lyman 457191 a lot. It runs 300gr. and works in all of my 45-70s. One is a No.3. For plain plinking fun I use a collar button. Also load 400 gr. FN and pointed.
swamp

That is a good one.
I also have the Lyman 457122 mold that I use with black powder in my Sharps..
I may only hunt with that rifle this fall..
If my old eyes will allow it..

[jjnpg317]

Thanks to all of you for your information , time, & knowledge about this. Heavy recoil & no hunting were the deciding factors and have ordered today a NOE 460-315 PB Mold. Hope to have it by the weekend and cast some. You guys in the heavy recoil club got my attention and admiration quickly, but I can't image myself joining. I shoot poorly and I think even modest recoil would scar me for life !!

You're a good group guys and I appreciate it. Thanks again

[Clay M]

Thanks to all of you for your information , time, & knowledge about this. Heavy recoil & no hunting were the deciding factors and have ordered today a NOE 460-315 PB Mold. Hope to have it by the weekend and cast some. You guys in the heavy recoil club got my attention and admiration quickly, but I can't image myself joining. I shoot poorly and I think even modest recoil would scar me for life !!

You're a good group guys and I appreciate it. Thanks again

I think you did well to go with the 315 gr bullet in the #3..

it isn't lacking any on recoil..;)..

What is it, a 6lb .45/70?

I shoot 400 gr bullets in my #1, but save the 560's for my Sharps..

[Skipper]

I wish my #3 had a throat. 15 degrees right off the case mouth and can't seat bullets out at all so I use 300g or so bullets. 45/70 chambers are tapered and have no cylindrical bullet seat. Dies are cylindrical where the bullet is seated. Long bullets in no throat chambers have no support or guidance at the base when fired. My gun seems to prefer the lighter shorter bullets. I have shot some 525g heavy loads though very little. The recoil in a 61/2lb carbine will cetainly get your attention. I've had mine for about 30yrs and wouldn't part with it.

28 bucks and 10 minutes of your time will get you a throat:

http://www.4-dproducts.com/displayitem.php?rowid=366&tname=rental

They waive the deposit if you use a credit card. I've done 4 and it's easy as pie.

[WALLNUTT]

Thanks! I assume they are hand tools with pilots etc.

[Bill*B]

Not what you asked about, but I've had great results with this (http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=46-360J-D.png) Accurate mold in my .458 WM.

[Skipper]

Thanks! I assume they are hand tools with pilots etc.

Yes, it's a piloted tool. You'll have to turn it with a large tap wrench or something like that. Dip it in cutting oil; a couple of turns will get you .200+

They will rent you the wrench for 6 bucks.

[Char-Gar]

When the 45-70 was military issue, the Army loaded a 500 grain bullet over 70 grains of black powder for the infantry rifle. These could be fired in the shorter and lighter cavalry carbine, but the recoil was horrendous. They tamed the carbine load down with a 405 grain bullet over 55 grains of black powder. The extra space in the carbine load was filled with two "juke"/fiber wads.

The Ruger No. 3 is lighter yet and still some folks want to shoot loads that would make a Trapdoor rifle or even a Winchester 86 throw up it's guts. I did that for a short time, but quickly matured in my thinking about the 10th round fired off the bench. The recoil was not bad in the hunting field, but getting the rifle sighted in off the bench was a true puberty test.

[Clay M]

I grew up shooting a .45/70 lever gun with factory ammo. I think the ammo was a 405 gr bullet loaded at about 1200fps ,so it could be used across the board in most every .45/70
Later on we bought the Hornady 300 gr hollow point and loaded it up with IMR 4198.I have had those bullet fail on game.
I went to the Nosler partition 300 gr, but they no longer make that one.

The lightweight guns (especially with crescent butt plates ) have formidable recoil when loaded hot with heavy bullets.

I have settle on the 350 grain cast bullets for most of my lever guns and my Ruger #1
They are great for target, or hunting at moderate ranges.(sans excessive recoil)

I have a 560 gr bullet mold for my Sharps , but I only use it with black powder.

[JackQuest]

Several years ago stumbled on a 45/70 Ruger #3 on GunsAmerica but it was the barreled action only. Love the falling blocks, never had a Ruger. Someone had started a project but never finished (stripped off all bluing). Bought it, had it shipped from Idaho to Iowa and went to work. I've built close to 2 dozen rifles from barreled actions, but after doing a few falling blocks the bolt actions are just that much more trouble to inlet!

Short story longer - found and copied a mod to the lever, got a neighbor's friend to weld it up then went to work with Dremel and rat tailed file. Found a company in upper Iowa that did electroless nickel plating, carried the carcass up and had the finish work done. Used a Boyd's laminate blank for the stock. There is a Brownells mercury-filled recoil reducer in the butt end. Rifle with scope is about 7.5 pounds. Hand carved a chunk of aluminum into a Picatinny rail - form fitted to the barrel.

Yes, it kicks!

Now to loads:
For full big game recoil the RCBS 45-405-FN, w/gas check, on top of 55.5 gr WC844 pull powder.
For black powder simulated recoil the RCBS 45-405-FN w/gas check over 14.0 gr Unique. This comes back about as hard as a good jacketed 180 gr 30-06 load.

[jjnpg317]

When the NOE 460-315 PB arrived , I cast and WQ the boolits. They were sized 458 in a Lee sizer which had been opened up from 457. Boolits were lubed three times with Ben's LL and when dried, loaded with 22 grains 2400 without filler. Boolits were accurate, little recoil, and no leading. I like it !

[Char-Gar]

When the NOE 460-315 PB arrived , I cast and WQ the boolits. They were sized 458 in a Lee sizer which had been opened up from 457. Boolits were lubed three times with Ben's LL and when dried, loaded with 22 grains 2400 without filler. Boolits were accurate, little recoil, and no leading. I like it !

Sounds like a winning combination. I am glad you are happy with the results.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I know this is a little late but the only boolit that I was pleased with was the Lyman 457191 292 gr. Manily because any thing else in the #3 kicked so bad it wasn't much fun. The 292 gr was very accurate out to about 150 yards, any thing beyond that it got a little wild.

[WALLNUTT]

I got tired of getting pounded by my #3 so I installed a grind to fit recoil pad.It,s much more pleasant to shoot now even though my bullet of choice is only a 300gr Saeco in front of 28gr of 4198.