Mold Recommendation for Buffalo Classic

[nicholst55]

I've got an NEF Buffalo Classic, 1:20" twist, that I shoot (real) black powder through. So far, I've been using store-bought cast boolits, but I want to buy a mold. My concerns are two-fold; first, finding a boolit that will stabilize with that twist, and two, one that will hold enough lube for that 32" barrel. While I don't expect a lube-star in that long of a barrel, I don't want the boolit to run out of lube either.

A double cavity mold would be nice, but I can survive with a single cavity. I'm primarily interested in paper punching and hunting, so a flat point is preferable to other styles. I expect that something between 400 and 500 grains would be optimum for that rifling twist. It doesn't take a 500 grain boolit to kill medium size game, and my shoulder will probably prefer something closer to 400 grains!

Any recommendations?

ETA: preferably a plain base boolit.

[giz189]

RCBS 405 grain mould is a nice mould and usually shoots well in BP guns.

[RMulhern]

Here's my rec:

http://a.imageshack.us/img152/8418/longrangexpress1874.jpg
By rmulhern (http://profile.imageshack.us/user/rmulhern) at 2010-08-11

[nicholst55]

Now don't go bustin' on my Buffalo Classic... I was asking for recommendations for a boolit, not a rifle! :kidding:

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g120/nicholst55/Stuff/22406.jpg

It may not be much of a .45-70, but it's the only one I got! Once I become rich and famous, I'll buy another rifle. For the immediate future, I'm just gonna shoot the one I got! This one's paid for and it don't eat nothin'. That's two positive attributes right there!

Since I ain't goin' to take up BPCR silly-wet shootin' or 1,000-yard competition any time soon, I reckon this one'll hafta do. [smilie=p:

[NickSS]

There are several good molds available first the lee 405 gr HB has lots of lube capacity and shoots really well in a 1 in 20 twist. Second the Lyman 457125 is listed at 385 gr but is casts more like 400 with softer alloy. The Lyman 457 193 (?) 340 gr HP is an excellent deer bullet and shoots well too. The Lyman 405 gr fp is also a good shooter. The RCBS 45-325 and 350 gr bullets are also good and flat pointed. The one thing you will find shooting BP is that you need to use a blow tube to keep the fouling soft. Another way to go is to duplex your load. This will eliminate the blow tube but will also make cleaning a bit harder from my experience.

[nicholst55]

I've heard so many horror stories about current production Lyman molds - grossly undersized cavities, poor block/cavity alignment, etc., that I'm really reluctant to buy a new Lyman mold. From the sounds of things, I'd almost be better off buying 3-4 Lee 1 or 2 cavity molds and using them until they get too sloppy to continue. An RCBS mold is definitely an option - one that I'm investigating.

I'm familiar with the need to blow tube; I made a 'user-crafted' (read: home made) blow tube as soon as I bought the rifle.

Keep the (serious) advice coming, guys!

[Tom-ADC]

I have two new Lyman molds a 457132 & 457677 boolits are .459 & .460 out of the box.
Cast great boolits I'm sold on Lyman molds.
BTW nicholst55 I like the rifle if one show's up in my area its going to be mine..

[Nobade]

+1 on the Lee 405 HB. Don't use the regular Lee 405, just the hollow base one. Cast from soft lead, lube with BP specific lube, and you're set.

[zuke]

Paper patch it, the lead doesn't touch the bore at all.

[nicholst55]

Paper patch it, the lead doesn't touch the bore at all.

One thing at a time; that's coming. Anybody got an idea how a 300 grain boolit would stabilize in a 1:20" twist?

[Nobade]

Works fine. My old BC shot the RCBS 300gr. gascheck boolit really well over 26.0gr. AA5744. Never tried it with black powder, not enough lube capacity.

[nicholst55]

Never tried it with black powder, not enough lube capacity.

That's a shame, because that's the mold I was looking at. I've got an S&W M25-5 in .45 Colt that has .456-.457" throats, and I was planning to try that bullet it it. If I could also use it in my BC, I could kill two birds with one stone. I suppose I could always use it in smokeless .45-70 loads, and use another boolit (or two) with BP.

Anybody tried the RCBS 325 grain 'Universal' with BP?

[cajun shooter]

The 405 with enough lube groove is the best to shoot in your rifle. There have been others who have told you so. You seem to be headed to the lighter bullets and that is not what you asked for. The Lee bullets are lacking with not having enough lube capicity for 32 inches of barrel. The BS is a nice rifle and I wish I would have kept mine. It's only negative point is it's weight for shooting the big 500+ bullets as the recoil is strong. It will fire any round that the $3,000.00 rifles will fire but will kick your butt in doing so. A mercury recoil reducer will take care of a lot of that problem. A set of sights that cost as much as the rifle will allow it to shoot the distance needed for Creedmoor. Ask John Boy about his day at Ridgeway with his BC.

[Doc Highwall]

The only thing I would recommend is your Buffalo Classic is about the same weight as a Springfield Trap Door rifle or a little lighter like the carbine and for what you asked for a 400+- grain bullet will do what you want. The LEE 405-HB would be my first choice and you could use a lube wad under the bullet to take up powder space giving you a load closer to the 55 grain charge used in the carbine and the lube wad would solve the lack of lube volume on the LEE bullet.

[nicholst55]

Thanks for the suggestion, Doc; I'd completely forgotten about the possibility of using s lube cookie! Guess I know what I need to buy, now!

[NickSS]

The 405 Lee HB bullet has plenty of lube grooves for use with black powder. It is a copy of the original GI bullet from 1873 and the grooves are deep and square and hold lots of lube. That bullet is one of my favorites for short to medium range and works very well. Actually I would love to get a multi bullet mold in that mold profile without the HB. It probably weigh around 450 gr and would be a really good bullet for out to 500 meters or so.

[Shooter]

For the best accuracy in my Buff C I use a Lee 505 Gr.. I don't know the number as it was a borrowed mould. It shoots tighter groups than .405's.
I have added a cylinder of lead in the stock bolt hole to add wieght and balance the barrel. I got the idea from a Pedersoli Kodiak .58.
For whitetail I reccomend a Lyman 457122.

[John Boy]

Never tried it with black powder, not enough lube capacity.
May want to re-think this statement

[craveman85]

ive been having horrible issues with the lee 500 grain round nose mold and my bc. ive tried 4 different kinds of powder, 6 different lubes with multiple charges of powder and my best group so far was 4 inches at 50 yards. i have some wool overpowder wads im going to try when i can get to the range. they decrease capacity a bit but i guess they will have to do for now.

[nicholst55]

My understanding from reading the NEF/H&R Forum at Graybeard Outdoors is that the BC (and Handi Rifles in general) can be quite temperamental; either they shoot well, or they don't. It doesn't seem like there's much in between! That said, they do have a lot of info on how to make a Handi Rifle shoot better; might be worth checking out.

This is assuming that you've already done some basic troubleshooting like slugging your bore and matching boolit diameter to groove diameter, etc. Does your BC shoot that way with different boolits? Have you tried factory ammo?

NEF/H&R Centerfire Forum (http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/index.php/board,126.0.html)

[craveman85]

hornady leverevolution shot quarter sized groups at 50 yards but 8 inches low lol. i cut my front globe off the base, filed it down, then jb welded it to the base again to make it so i could use my sights. i shot some cast bullets that a friend of mine loaded for me and they shot worse than mine. im hoping that 405 grain lee will work fine.

[craveman85]

oh when i measure my groups i measure from the outside edge of the bullet hole . i dont do the comp measurements and measure from the center of the hole. so it was probably shooting .75 inches at 50 yards.

[Springfield]

These would have enough lube. The 300 grainer works OK from my BC but then I never shoot further than 200 yards, no ranges around here wth more than that. I have a 400 grain version that has 2 lube grooves also but can't find the pic right now.

[Yellowhouse]

Those scattered groups might be a function of where you're resting the the rifle.

[Rayc384]

I just sighted in my new BC, I used the Lee 405-HB as cast, no sizing. They drop out of the mold at .460. With a smokeless load I used Rooster Liquid lube. With BP I used Lyman's BP lube. In smokeless I shot Unique at 13.5 grains and in BP 55 grains of Goex Cowboy grade. Both loads shot to same POA, BP was a tighter group. I can only shoot light loads because of my replaced shoulder.
I found that the BP lube did not work well with the smokeless load. After two shots the group became a pattern.

[craveman85]

i rest the rifle on the forearm behind the barrel screw i put a spacer in the screw so the barrel doesnt touch the front of the forearm and that helped a little bit. i think the problem is actually my loader since its shaving lead and even ruined a few casings. gonna get a new press and some lee dies with the expander.