45-70 Guide Gun recommendations?

[Explorer1]

Probably not a new question, but my quick search did not find it.
I picked up a 45-70 Guide Gun and want to cast some bullets for it. I picked up a few 425 gr bullets which look great but want to make my own (a common sickness?).

Anyone have some hints? Maybe a 45 mold of 425-450 grs they are willing to part with? I have a 300 gr Lee awaiting use, but want a heavier bullet for elk and bear use.

[JFE]

I have an early 1895 with the much maligned microgroove barrel. In the weight range you are looking for, I use a RCBS 45-405FN GC and it works very well for me.

I cast my bullets quite hard and quench them on the way out of the mould. I have found that 47 gr of IMR 3031 works well. This load gives around 1.5-2 moa if you use the bullets unsized and hand lube them. Its not a hot load but it is about all the 3031 that can reasonably be loaded into the case. You could get a little more but you need to mess about too much in my view.

Apart from being quite accurate, it turns the 45-70 into a mobile drill press.

Joe

[SharpsShooter]

Probably not a new question, but my quick search did not find it.
I picked up a 45-70 Guide Gun and want to cast some bullets for it. I picked up a few 425 gr bullets which look great but want to make my own (a common sickness?).

Anyone have some hints? Maybe a 45 mold of 425-450 grs they are willing to part with? I have a 300 gr Lee awaiting use, but want a heavier bullet for elk and bear use.


The Lyman 457193 is a fine choice for large game. It is a plain base boolit with generous lube grooves and a .250 meplat. Cast to fit your bore requirements, it can easily be run to over 1400fps and perhaps a bit more if you tinker with the alloy composition. 1400fps is plenty and as mentioned 3031 is a good choice for powder as is 4064. I have an early 1895 with the Ballard cut rifling and it shoots these into 2" groups at 100yds regularly.

Yep, casting your own is a common ailement and you get no sympathy from this bunch. Slug the bore, buy a mould and get busy.



SS

[PatMarlin]

Here's what I posted last year on the Lee 340gr which is a must have for your rifle IMHO..

"Took the day off, and got a new (new to me) scope for my Marlin 45-70 Guide Gun, so I thought I'd sight her in with my first time using Mil Surp powder, and a Lee mold, that I had cast up last year, but never used.

This was 38 grns if IMR 4895 with the Lee 340gr (No GC) boolit, 50 yrds out my back door.

After sight in- First three shots placed 1 ragged circular hole, and I got real excited, and thought Hmmmm... I can't stop at 3, and need to got to 5. So the last two shots opened up of course, but I don't care... noooo- this is some shootin' and I can't wait to go 100yds"

[hiram]

See if you can get into this:


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=8337

[NickSS]

My favorit bullet for my guide gun is an RCBS 45-325-FN I use a relatively soft alloy and the bullets come out weighing 335 gr. I load them up to about 1400 fps using either 3031 or 4895. Accuracy is under two inches at 100 yards and they work terrific on game. I have killed two deer, one elk, Two wild pigs and a large black bear using it. I also use the Lyman 457193 when I want a heavier bullet and load it to about the same velocity. My rifle likes 42 gr of 3031 and gets three shot groups that you can cover with a quarter at 100 yards. I started with this bullet but went to the lighter one to reduce recoil when I got older. It works really good in my old micro groove 95 Marlin. I size both bullets in a .459 sizing die.

[GooseGestapo]

I've got the Lee 340grFN, 405grHP-FN, and a friends 405gr FN-HB.

I got these about 11yrs ago for an 1895-SS with a micro-groove barrel. The M-G barrel shot the 405hp bullet best with #2400, and Blue Dot at about 1,350fps.

Fast foward to the last 2 weeks, I picked up a 1895G to replace the long ago traded off 1895-SS.

The new gun has Ballard cut rifling and is absolutely amazingly accurate.

It much prefers the 405gr HB, which I am lubing with SPG and sizing .459". Both 30gr of IMR4227 (30gr for ~1,500fps), and 35gr of IMR-4198 (same speed) are tack-driving accurate. ( I LIKED THE "PORTABLE DRILL PRESS ANALOGY!)

At 40.0gr (highest I've worked up to, can't shoot today as it's raining outside) is faster at ~1,650-1,700fps and not quite as accurate, but still minute of whitetail (3" at 100yds) with the just installed Williams WGRS top mounted reciever sight and FireSight front sight. But, this could have been it had been more than 50rds of the previous rounds through it since cleaning. It only took 10 passes of brush, and three passes with patches to make it sparkle though.
Plan to try as high as 43.0gr of IMR4198 before going to slower powders.

Try the .459-405 Hollow Base, as the lube grooves are much wider than either the 340 or 405 FN's.
My experience is that these are running out of lube much above 1,450fps, not enough lube for high velocity loads IMO.

Mould is seriously cheap at less than $18.00.
Heck, try them ALL !!
Several sticks of lube are more expensive than the mould.

[Explorer1]

Thanks guys, these ideas will should me narrow my load search quickly.

[PatMarlin]

ANybody try the Lee- C457-500-F , or the 450?

And why do they list them as 457? Are they that skinny? My 340 was come to think of it, and I lapped it to .459.

[threett1]

As I have mentioned before, I shoot the 457122 Gould hollowpoint. Casts right at 340gr with ww. You could water drop them and have a real innard wrecker for about anything. My Guide Gun seems to like them just fine. Cast out about 459-460.