Another---Which 45-70 mold

[lightman]

I'm about to order my 1st Accurate bullet mold and it will be for a 45-70. I want something that resembles the original bullet and weight, like the RCBS 405 grain bullet. I'm thinking about the 46-405R in .460 or .461 diameter so that I can size it back to .460 or .459. I'll use clip on wheel weights, maybe with 1% tin added and a gas check. This will be for a Ruger #1 and I'll probably deer hunt with it.

So for you 45-70 guys, whats your opinion? I'll probably go with a 4 cavity aluminum mold so what size mold blocks do you recommend? I'm open to the idea of brass. Thanks in advance!

[country gent]

Brass is heavier than most mould blocks but it does cast some very nice bullets. I have several 2 cavity moulds by Old West moulds. Pre heat them and cast they cast great bullets for me. I would recommend going with brass. I can set the moulds down flux and skim and start casting again and they still drop good bullets.

[redhawk0]

I didn't go high end with my molds. I have the Lee 458-340-FN and the 458-405-FN, 2 cavity molds. I've taken two deer now with the 340gr bullets. The first deer was taken at 100 yards, the boolit went into the deer hit bone and didn't come out the other side. The second deer was a pass through shoulder shot at 30 yards. 1/2" hole going in and 2" hole coming out. I load it down to keep velocity between 1200-1300fps which is a good speed for deer without ruining meat. If you crank up the velocity too much, you'll have a lot of bruised meat (unusable). It's worth giving up some of the power for the savings on the meat.

I have the 405 also...but have not hunted with it. I've only used it for paper at this point. But again...at 1200-1300fps it would also make an excellent deer round.

redhawk

[Deadeye Bly]

A blunt nose design similar to the Lyman 457193 would be ideal. The original bullets for the military 45/70 were all round nose and not always the best for hunting unless you use the 500 grain one. The 457193 was a Marlin design from the 19th century so it has a basis in history. It has been used successfully for about 130 years or so. Soft lead bullets at about 1200 fps are good killers.

[samari46]

Slug your barrel on the #1, I did mine and it came out at .459 results with the Lyman 480 grain gc bullet were disappointing. Soon as thanksgiving and the black friday madness is over will be getting one for the #1 at least .462 along with a couple custom H&I dies in 462 & 461. Have a Pedersoli 1874 Sharps infantry rifle I want to play around with as well as the #1 in 45/70. Kinda fun when you load a 500 grain bullet into a case and hear the thunk of the round slide into the chamber. My #1 was made when different barrel manufacturers were subcontracted to make barrels for Ruger. Think Wilson was one of them. Also had an older M77 with the tang safety in 308 that stunk with factory and handloads, best I could get was 1.5-2" at 100 yds. If the newer bullet molds don't work out then will bight the bullet and have a 24" long semi octagon barrel installed and when chambered will have a tapered throat. My Ruger basically will only allow a 300 grain JHP to be seated out maybe 1/8th of an inch. While I like the ruger #1 that short carbine barrel kinda looks like it wants to be a few more inches in length. That at least on my ruger there are two depressions in the barrel. One where the barrel band is and the other is where the front sight it. From what I gather both the barrel band and front sight are swaged onto the barrel. Creating a compression ring where they sit on the barrel. Would have been better off if they were soldered on. Adding a half octagon part round will also add some weight. Or go with a tapered full octagon barrel. Since I don't hunt and just punch holes in paper the extra weight isn't a problem. Frank

[MT Chambers]

It's pretty hard to beat the designs of LBT, their designs are used by makers of cast boolit ammo from Buffalo bore and others, their molds are aluminum and trouble free.