Finally got a 45/70

[Namerifrats]

Finally got myself a nice Marlin 1895 45/70 rifle. 1972 era with scope. Planning to cast for it. I was looking at some Lee moulds on Midway, see they offer some with no gas check. What are your thoughts on this? I would load medium power rounds for plinking and general target shooting. Only higher end with (most likely JHP) for any hunting. So for casual shooting, you guys think the NGC would be alright? Prob be ordering one in the next couple of weeks.

The exact mould I'm looking at-

Lee 2-Cavity Bullet Mold 457-450-F 45-70 Government (457 Diameter) 450 Grain Flat Nose
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r203/namerifrats/121901.jpg

[No_1]

Congratulations on your new rifle. I cannot comment on the lee mould because I do not have one but I can comment on the use of non-gaschecked boolits. All I have ever shot in my Guide Gun are plain base boolits and they have done fine be me.

R.

[DragoonDrake]

I load for that exact gun and with that boolit. I cast them out of 20-1 lead-tin and use 40grs of Varget. I do not have a chrony yet, but I do shoot at 25yrds and 100 yrds and am able to keep all holes in contact with one another.

Adam

[Namerifrats]

Very good info guys! What I was hoping for! Just one less step and many dollars saved not having to use gas checks.

[Buckshot]

..................That Lee 450gr slug is probably one of the best, but most overlooked 45 cal hunting slugs out there. A possible issue for you in your M95 is the cartridge's OAL with that design. A 385 - 405 gr would be no problem. There is a bunch of excellent 45 cal rifle boolit moulds out there dropping slugs from 300 to 400 grains. The 2 lighter Lee designs, their 340 and 405gr are neat and a good weight, but I've had 2 of the 340gr and 3 of the 405gr moulds and every one has cast just a bit too small for me to use in a rifle.

BTW, I really see no need (this is just my thoughts) to switch to a jacketed slug for hunting. A 400 gr 45 cal rifle boolit at 1200 to 1600 fps would do just fine, and easily shoot stem to stern through most big game animals.

.................Buckshot

[725]

I know you said "no gas checks", but when you get the itch, look seriously at the ad below for Ranch Dog bullets. That man makes his boolits specifically for the Marlin lever action, has done beaucoup research and even sells the Lee lube/sizer to go with it. Very well respected around here. Good luck and enjoy that beauty.

[Dale53]

I have used the Lee 340 gr .45/70 bullet in my Marlin and smokeless powder. I easily get 1.5" groups at 100 yards with a low powered scope. It's a really good combination.

I have never shot any game with it, but if it were allowed in Ohio (no rifles on big game here) I would certainly be confident with it. I'm getting a bit "old in the tooth" for deer hunting but all of my deer have been taken with a cast lead bullet in the .44 Magnum handgun.

Dale53

[jack19512]

I have used the Lee 340 gr .45/70 bullet in my Marlin and smokeless powder. I easily get 1.5" groups at 100 yards with a low powered scope. It's a really good combination.




I also use the Lee 340 gr. boolit in my Marlin 1895 CB and have real good accuracy. I prefer the 340 gr. over the heavier boolits if for no other reason it's easier on my lead supply. My mold is the Lee 457-340-F.

I am in the process of working up my load for my 45/70 and here is my last 5 shot group from 50 yards. The 45/70 is left side and smaller holes are 44 mag.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/jack19512/4570-340.jpg

[largom]

No need to use jacketed bullets for hunting. The moulds I have for my Marlin all use gas checks. One box of jacketed bullets will pay for close to 1000 gas checks, also you do not have to apply the check for plinking/target loads.
You will love your Marlin 45-70.
Larry

[jack19512]

I got to thinking, something I shouldn't do much of because it hurts my head :mrgreen: but with my cast boolits I have had trouble with my boolits feeding in my Marlin 1895 45/70 CB and my Marlin 1894 44 mag. more in the 44 mag than the 45/70 but none the less feeding problem with both.

Both are new rifles so it is not a mechanical problem but a problem with my boolits as commercial jacketed ammo feeds well in both. I have 3 Lee 45/70 molds. A 457-340-F, 459-405-HB, and 459-500-3r. The 500 gr. boolit is just too big for my uses so I have been using the 340 gr. because it gives real good accuracy and it also saves some on my lead stockpile when compared to the larger boolits.

I had some of the 405 gr. boolits already cast from long ago when I first started casting and was shooting them out of a NEF Buffalo Classic before buying my Marlin so I decided to load some of them up and see how they fed. They fed excellent with no problems at all.

With the 340 gr. boolits feeding was fair but with some problems so if I can get the 405 grain boolits to shoot accurately I will just switch to them because I plan on using the 45/70 for deer hunting and one thing I don't need is boolit feeding problems in the event of a needed second shot. Unless of course I could find out exactly why the 340 gr. boolits are not feeding reliably.

[Namerifrats]

Thanks for the info guys! What size would you recommend, or that you have good results with? I'm not going to bench shoot. Prob just deer hunt, and target shoot/plink. The accuracy I require of my rifles, is that free standing I can hit a 1 gallon jug at 100 yards at least 8 out of 10 times. I'm probably going to order this evening. Most likely going with the mould I have listed above, 457 dia.

[dubber123]

If the boolits chamber, I would reccomend to not size at all. Many Marlins have "generous" chambers and bores. My 1895 is a New Cowboy, and .460-.461" boolits chamber just fine.

Finding an over .459" size die for a lubrisizer may involve having one made. No biggie, Buckshot here on the forum does an excellent job, and for no more $$$ than a factory one. I wouldn't start any smaller than .459". Thats a common sizer die diameter. Good luck.

[DragoonDrake]

Namerifrats

I don't size at all, I tumble lube with liquid alox and a lube I made from here; the WWVA. I am currently loading with saeco green but have not shot any rounds yet.

Enjoy

Adam

[44man]

I have been switching all of my boolits to PB for my revolvers. My 45-70 BFR has shot PB to near 1800 fps without a hitch.
Main reason was cost until I found how great they shoot.
RD boolits use checks but to tell the truth, I don't think they need them. I would like him to offer each boolit either way for a choice.
It is more important to choose the right boolit then to be concerned with what is on the bottom.
I also would not change to jacketed for hunting, nothing at all wrong with cast. In most cases they are much better.
I don't know if you noticed but bullet makers have been working for years to make a condom bullet hold together like a cast boolit. :Fire: