to all the marlin 1895 45-70 owners

[Oklahoma Rebel]

what is the best boolit diameter for your rifle? I need to get a set of plug gauges because I don't trust either the molds or the sizers, as far as what size they say they are. my favorite boolit is a noe 425 gr rnfp, but my most accurate is my 405gr rnfp HB lee boolit, which makes me think my sizer is sizing a little to much. I might buff it out with a drill and a cloth rubbed with polishing compound. any thoughts? thankyou, travis

[Oklahoma Rebel]

I do not have a set of calipers either to check a boolit that has been pushed through the barrel. I will just wait and find someone that could measure one for me, I would buy one but I just don't have much money.

[fredj338]

If you don't trust the dimensions, buy some cheap Harbor Freight calipers & micrometer. I shoot a 0.459" in my Marlin GG, but bigger is always better. I may have mine polished out to 0.460".

[plainsman456]

I use a 325 grain Accurate mold for mine,sized to 460 with 2500+.

Never fails to get the job done and won't kill you when one is touched off.

[GRUMPA]

All mine are sized to .460 and my groove diameter is .4578, and yes I can check it accurately. The NOE 405 I have chronied at 1500FPS and shoots a ragged hole at 100yds. The LEE 405HB I load on the lite side going just over 1000FPS and I haven't checked those for accuracy yet. The NOE Collar Button I use for the real close up work with 10gr Unique that I personally call a gallery load, real easy on the body.

And I use the NOE sizer for all my work, whatever size is on the sleeve is the size you get on the boolit when it goes through it.

[44man]

Don't spend money on plug gauges when a good mic that reads to 10 thousandths is not more money. Plug gauges will only give you bore and then you guess at groove.
Buffing compound in a die is a waste of time, need to get aggressive with a split rod and 320 wet or dry.

[dubber123]

I sized mine to best fit the "generous" chamber. .461" boolits just drop in with no issues, and shoot the best. That is about as big as any of my molds cast.

[17nut]

I have Cowboy model from 2002 (wich slugs .4575") and i size to .460" (if i size at all!)

[RugerFan]

I size to .459" for my Guide Gun. The RCBS 45-300-FN is very accurate and the 45-405-FN does good as well.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

were can you get star lubrisizer dies? anyone on here have them for cheap?

[osteodoc08]

NOE and Accurate 350/400 class sizes to 459 or 460 using RL7 or Varget.

[Pumpkinheaver]

My late 90's guide gun likes .459" bullets.

[TXGunNut]

.459 seems to work in my 1895's; my moulds drop boolits that just barely touch the sizer so going to a .460 would make very little difference in my case. Sooner or later you'll need to acquire a decent micrometer or a good dial caliper. I'd recommend "sooner".

[therealhitman]

were can you get star lubrisizer dies? anyone on here have them for cheap?

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?160-Lathesmith-s-Custom-Dies

Great guy, great dies, less than Magma by at least a few bucks. Spec your size and lube holes and Chris gets it done right.

[Scharfschuetze]

.459" for my circa 2000 Marlin 1865. I've never bothered to slug the bore as it shoots just fine (2 MOA) with an aperture sight using the Lee 405 grain or the Lyman 457193 designs.

[Lloyd Smale]

.460 has allways worked in the 4570 marlins ive owned through the years.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

say my boolit needs to be 458, but I size it to 460, the pressure wont jump to dangerous levels will it? ( considering I am using standard WW boolits, not hardened)

[Geezer in NH]

No problem

[Nueces]

As for the elevated pressure question, consider that casters commonly resize bullets using hand tools and that a large slug has been sized to bore dimension upon traveling it's length after firing. That may help put this in perspective.

[quasi]

.460 works for me in Ballard and Microgroove barrels. Stars prices on dies and machines have gone way up the last few years, mostly because of this forum I would bet.

[waco]

Accurate 460-405-V sized to .460" with 42gr IMR3031 is my go to load in the Marlin.

[knifemaker]

My Marlin 1895 LTD-V prefers cast at .460 It will shoot 1 inch 3 shot groups at 100 yards with several loads with my Ranch dog 350 gr. GC boolit. It will also shoot the Hornady 350 gr. flat point jacketed bullet into 1 inch and that bullet is sized .460. Several guys in this area use the Marlin guide guns in 45/70 and they also use a .460 sized boolit for best accuracy.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

ok, thanks, sounds like there isn't much variance, most say 460, i am started with .457, someone is sending me some boolits sized to .459,which i believe will show significant improvement, from there, depending on those results, i will try .460 and find my true " Happy Place" lol. have a good one, Travis

[Scharfschuetze]

Good luck Travis. Post your test findings as you proceed. I'm sure that they'll match ours and you'll be quite happy with the result.