Lee 459405 HB in a lever gun

[R-71]

Anyone using this bullet in a Marlin 1895? Does it work well?

I’ll be loading it round 1200-1300 FPS.

[KCSO]

If you load smokeless and it will sit in short enough to cycle it will work just fine. The volume of FFg will be too small for 1200 fps with the short OAL

[bigted]

On the other hand, the old military carbine load of 55 grain 2F Old E powder works well under that LEE boolit in my 1895 JM Marlin.

I crimp over the first bore rider but would be hesitant to do so with smokeless. Bet they would telescope back into the case.

The 55 grain 2F load shoots very well in my Marlin 95. Have not chrono'd this load so can not say what speed they develop. They will go into 2 inch at 50 yds.

[indian joe]

That mold is my favourite for the 45 lever guns - nice big lube grooves for blackpowder -- I have played with it a bit - didnt like the idea that the nose could fit inside the primer pocket of the round in front so I milled it back some to "fix" that - then I took the tit off the base plug to make a flat base and I use a 45thou Hdpe wad under it. still a neat 405 grain - in my 45/75 (1876 Uberti) that one gets about 1260fps over straight black FFg

Made a second base plug that cut the bottom lube groove and driving band off it = makes a 335 grain boolit
in the '76 this one has touched 1500FPS a couple of shots and average a tad over 1490
I shoot the 335 grain in my Chiappa 86 with a duplex load - 6 grains of 4227 under 64 grains FFFg black + 45 thou HDPEwad gets a tad over 1500 - starline brass crimped into the last lube groove works fine in my Chiappa. OAL 2.57 to 2.585
If I try hard with a tang sight these loads will do 2.5 inch at 100yards

[bigted]

Joe, I remember reading your experiments with this Lee boolit and wondering the why of it. Now for some reason I applaud your efforts and begin to wonder how well a shortened boolit would shoot. Sounds like a winner at 330 grain with its generous lube groove.

I have had great luck with this cast boolit in every rifle I have in 45-70. My old Trapdoor really likes it and I shot it in my old Shiloh 45-120 till my eyes just about crossed ... WOWWW that rifle kicked like a mule.

My GBL Marlin JM rifle likes it very well also. I shot it scoped just to ring it out and consistently shot 2.5 inch groups at 50. I know this is not marksmanship accuracy but aint so bad when considering a 68 grain load of Old E 2 F powder pushing it.

[indian joe]

Joe, I remember reading your experiments with this Lee boolit and wondering the why of it. Now for some reason I applaud your efforts and begin to wonder how well a shortened boolit would shoot. Sounds like a winner at 330 grain with its generous lube groove.

I have had great luck with this cast boolit in every rifle I have in 45-70. My old Trapdoor really likes it and I shot it in my old Shiloh 45-120 till my eyes just about crossed ... WOWWW that rifle kicked like a mule.

My GBL Marlin JM rifle likes it very well also. I shot it scoped just to ring it out and consistently shot 2.5 inch groups at 50. I know this is not marksmanship accuracy but aint so bad when considering a 68 grain load of Old E 2 F powder pushing it.

Here's the loaded round
266359

cycles fine in my repro '86
The meplat is .300
From front of the driving band to tip is .380

load is 6 gr 4227 under 64 gr FFFg for the 335 grain and 6 x 58 for the 405 grain version - 45 thou HDPE wad on the powder - the 86 is heavy enough that those loads are quite tolerable.

Heres the first7 shots I fired with this Chiappa (at 100yards and I put a tang sight on). It was bought second hand from a local dealer after the previous owner fired six rounda from a box of twenty, it refused to feed from the magazine at all - I was on the point of taking it back but decided to shoot it first. the stray on the left was the first shot cold and clean - then fired three the upper group - walked up to see - got kind of excited - couldnt quite repeat it for the second lot of three - after that - no way was he getting it back!!! Not sure which of those modified LEE boolits it is
266379

[indian joe]

Joe, I remember reading your experiments with this Lee boolit and wondering the why of it. Now for some reason I applaud your efforts and begin to wonder how well a shortened boolit would shoot. Sounds like a winner at 330 grain with its generous lube groove.

I have had great luck with this cast boolit in every rifle I have in 45-70. My old Trapdoor really likes it and I shot it in my old Shiloh 45-120 till my eyes just about crossed ... WOWWW that rifle kicked like a mule.

My GBL Marlin JM rifle likes it very well also. I shot it scoped just to ring it out and consistently shot 2.5 inch groups at 50. I know this is not marksmanship accuracy but aint so bad when considering a 68 grain load of Old E 2 F powder pushing it.

Here's the loaded round
266380

cycles fine in my repro '86
The meplat is .300
From front of the driving band to tip is .380

load is 6 gr 4227 under 64 gr FFFg for the 335 grain and 6 x 58 for the 405 grain version - 45 thou HDPE wad on the powder - the 86 is heavy enough that those loads are quite tolerable.

Heres the first7 shots I fired with this Chiappa (at 100yards and I put a tang sight on). It was bought second hand from a local dealer after the previous owner fired six rounda from a box of twenty, it refused to feed from the magazine at all - I was on the point of taking it back but decided to shoot it first. the stray on the left was the first shot cold and clean - then fired three the upper group - walked up to see - got kind of excited - couldnt quite repeat it for the second lot of three - after that - no way was he getting it back!!! Not sure which of those modified LEE boolits it is
266379