Lee 45/70 Hollow

[Ben]

I've bought myself a 45 / 70 :

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=85442

I ordered a Lee 45 /70 hollow base mold. They advertise their mold as a .459 mold. Mine drops at .4605 " I'm sizing with a Lyman H & I .459".

I hope these shoot as well as they look :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/45%2070%20Hollow%20base%20bullets/PICT0007.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/45%2070%20Hollow%20base%20bullets/PICT0008.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/45%2070%20Hollow%20base%20bullets/PICT0009.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/45%2070%20Hollow%20base%20bullets/PICT0012.jpg

[Dframe]

Boolits look good. I'd suggest slugging your bore to determine optimum for sizing purposes.

[George Tucker]

Good looking Bullets.

[Freightman]

Mine drops about the same, I lube and shoot as dropped, if they chamber they shoot.

[Buckshot]

................My copy of that mould is about 13 years old and drops slugs at .463+, and maybe even more, as I don't really recall now it's been so long since I used it. I don't intend to be negative about it, as it shot well but I wasn't using BP and for smokless that slug carries about a quart more lube then needed :-)

As usual however, excellent photo's and a great job of casting!

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

[Nobade]

Shot as cast, they work great in my Trapdoor and C Sharps 1875. Out to 500M they're as good as anything I have tried and better than most.

[Doby45]

You, and your fancy micrometer. ;-)

[Dale53]

Ben;
Well cast bullets. I believe that Lee bullet was designed by Spence Wolfe for the Trapdoor Springfield. Trapdoors vary greatly in groove diameter and the hollow base when used with black powder compensates for varying diameter from bore to bore.

FWIW
Dale53

[dromia]

Spence did a good job there with Lee, it is one of the few Lee moulds that I absolutely treasure.

[Tom-ADC]

Question to all using/shooting that mold/boolit, since its a hollow base do you use a OPW or lube cookie or nothing? I just pick this mold myself up for my trapdoor.