Almost 45/70

[Idaho Mule]

Just hang on guys!! Jeez, I been working my tail off at work and am tired when I get home these days. The project is in full swing, trust me. Even had wife take a few pics on Sunday afternoon of freshly pan-lubed boolits. They are the Lee 459-405's cast of 70/30 (what I had on hand). CDOC aught to love this, I used my first re-formed 348 brass to make my "cutter out of the lube thingy", worked great after a little bit of a resizing. Anyway, I do finally have some live loads made up and am working on a full report, complete with pics and everything. I sure hope some of the rounds hit the target. JW

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

JW,

If ya use enough Bullseye, something WILL hit the target!

CDOC

[Artful]

I sure hope some of the rounds hit the target. JW

In the old days, it was vitally important to have the correct pencil of appropriate caliber to insure your round count was accurate.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Love it Artful!

Need to be really careful with some of these North Ideeeeho guys, likely we should demand certified photographs of any groups, witnessed by not less the 5 other North Ideeeeho shooters.

CDOC

[Budbax]

OK, folks, here are some pictures of the dies... I also slugged the bore with one of the bullets out of the Lee 459-405-HB mold, it measured .456 after exiting the bore, across the flats, one land and one groove. I believe this is what's called "5R" rifling... funny, one of the things touted about my .300BLK bbl was that it had this same rifling!

[Budbax]

I have some Trail Boss, IMR3031, IMR4198, Pyrodex CTG, Bullseye, as possible candidates. I calculated 16 grns of TB to start, if I go that route. Any ideas on the others?

[skeettx]

405 grain lead 29 grains of 4198

COTW 10th Edition

BudBax, your de-capping stem block a view of the imprint on the top
of the sizing die.
Any better picture?
Looks like a full length sizing die

Made in year N, same year as my 218 Mashburn Bee dies

Mike

[Budbax]

The die is stamped "11.7x51R FL N RCBS". I didn't know the "N" was a date code, would RCBS's web site have that data available? The original price tag on the die box says $138.00! I guess I need to find COTW... I have an old copy of Nonte's "The Home Guide To Cartridge Conversions", it has load data for a 300 grn using 24 grns of 4759, whatever that is... IMR? I also goofed, I have IMR4895, not IMR4198! Knew there was a 4 and an 8 in there somewhere

[Artful]

I think the N is die group code not date code - I have RCBS with actual dates on the box.

https://shop.rcbs.com/WebConnect/Mai...categoryId=C09

[skeettx]

It is a date code. Fred used them before the actual dates were used.

RCBS date stamped dies virtually from the beginning when Fred was making them in the back of his dad's laundry in Oroville. They just started numerically dating them somewhere around 1966-68. Before that they were alphabetically date stamped

Mike

[Budbax]

It may be a Full-length resize, but I can't full length size the brass that came with the rifle. Maybe they were meant to resize 45-70?? I may try to as I have a few empties I can sacrifice. I also bought a full bag of Norma .45 Basic (.45-120) cases at Ca
belas out of their Bargain Cave, I can trim it to length and try...

[Idaho Mule]

Ok guys, sorry this has taken so long but here we go with some pics.

Attachment 66039
boolits cast and being pan-lubed in my makeshift outfit
Attachment 66040
same as above
Attachment 66041
close up of above stuff
Attachment 66042
the rifle in question,left side
Attachment 66043
same only right side
Attachment 66044
close up left side of reciever
Attachment 66045
tang
Attachment 66046
stamp on top of butt stock
Attachment 66048
where the boolit goes in
Attachment 66049
details of load and wife is yelling at me

[Idaho Mule]

Aaaand some more of above. Probably shoulda called CDOC to verify group but wife won't let me lie anyway.

Attachment 66052
the boolit going in!!
Attachment 66054
Kabooom
Attachment 66056
the target, these were shot at a range of 25 yds.
Attachment 66057
close up of final results, notice CDOC, that 2 of 'em (3 & 5) are in the same hole!!

[Chicken Thief]

The die is stamped "11.7x51R FL N RCBS". I didn't know the "N" was a date code, would RCBS's web site have that data available? The original price tag on the die box says $138.00! I guess I need to find COTW... I have an old copy of Nonte's "The Home Guide To Cartridge Conversions", it has load data for a 300 grn using 24 grns of 4759, whatever that is... IMR? I also goofed, I have IMR4895, not IMR4198! Knew there was a 4 and an 8 in there somewhere

Did you pay that?

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Thief,

He must have!!! Considering he couldn't afford the lead to make whole bullets.

Mule, How many bullets do you need to short on lead to make one more bullet?

Or does the shortage of lead in the base of those bullets vary from bullet to bullet?

If it would help, you could bring those half bullets by and maybe I can scare up some zinc or something to fill the base with.

If ya follow my advice about using a good duplex load with Bullseye, the pressures should hammer the zinc in tight enough that it won't fall out most of the time.

By the way, did you have your wife plow all the snow back before you shot those photographs? Ya can't be that snow free over on the North side of the mountain! Just CAN'T be!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

P.S. And please make up your mind, was it 2 or 5 yards?

[skeettx]

Well done, well done
THANKS for the report and pictures
Mike

[Budbax]

I will hopefully get to the range this week and try my loads. The 138.00 price tag is an old one, I did NOT pay that... Will try and post the results, and which load was the best. I hadn't cast any boolits in about 20 years, but once I started, it all came back to me! Hopefully not by way of a ricochet!

[Budbax]

Well, the dies will work on the WW and RP 45-70 brass... It will full length resize it. Now I am not so sure about what to do when I get around to shooting the other rounds I reloaded. Just neck size and go on??

[skeettx]

Yes, neck size and go on,
The pressures are light
The cases go in the same gun
Some anal folks always orient the ww or the RP at the 12 o'clock position

Mike

[Budbax]

I think orienting the cartridge IS a bit too anal for me...