Lee 476-400-RF ?

[Good Cheer]

Have any of you fellas tried the Lee 476-400-RF as a muzzleloading rifle boolit yet?
I opted for using 45-70 molds in a reworked New Englander but for years have thought about that mold, that it might be a good one.

[Good Cheer]

Nobody at all?

[rodwha]

Would you be looking to use a sabot or have a custom barrel made?

I’ve contemplated a shallow grooved rifle. For anything like that I think I’d want a heavy for caliber bullet to increase the BC but not so big and heavy that it can’t keep within 5-6” of point blank and I’d like for it to reach 200 yds, something I’d likely top with a Malcolm scope. For this to work out I think I’d have to stay under .458”, and probably more like .400”.

What would the guns purpose be? If I recall you mentioned that you no longer hunt.

[Good Cheer]

Yep, I'm not hunting any more unless people get hungry. It's no longer something I like to do.
For that bullet, I'd think people would find it nice, for enjoyable shooting as well as hunting.
Plenty of weight and diameter for hunting. Enough length for accuracy but not so long as to require a less forgiving, more rapid twist. Accurate has some nice designs. The RCBS 400 grain design looks pretty good too.

[Good Cheer]

Would you be looking to use a sabot or have a custom barrel made?

I’ve contemplated a shallow grooved rifle. For anything like that I think I’d want a heavy for caliber bullet to increase the BC but not so big and heavy that it can’t keep within 5-6” of point blank and I’d like for it to reach 200 yds, something I’d likely top with a Malcolm scope. For this to work out I think I’d have to stay under .458”, and probably more like .400”.

What would the guns purpose be? If I recall you mentioned that you no longer hunt.

Have you thought about a .411/.412 bore diameter to use off the shelve molds?

[rodwha]

Yep, I'm not hunting any more unless people get hungry. It's no longer something I like to do.
For that bullet, I'd think people would find it nice, for enjoyable shooting as well as hunting.
Plenty of weight and diameter for hunting. Enough length for accuracy but not so long as to require a less forgiving, more rapid twist. Accurate has some nice designs. The RCBS 400 grain design looks pretty good too.

Makes sense.

I haven’t put too much into caliber specifics, though I have contemplated a muzzleloader barrel to work with the .45 cal revolver bullet I end up making, and maybe the 285 grn one I already have.

[Good Cheer]

I'm tinkerin' around with the idea of getting a .411 bore to use .410 diameter heavies such as have been used in my forty bore Great Plains Rifle with the rifling engraving die. Than way I could shoot the .410 heavies as lubed lead (also shooting paper patched designs). It would probably be made from a TC New Englander and pretty much be a bench gun.
The GPR could be increased a tad with a twist for .41 round ball to match the 1851 but first I need to satisfy the urge to tinker with paper patching in that forty bore GPR.
But the thing is that since I'm retired I don't seem to have time to enjoy my hobbies.

[rodwha]

I'm tinkerin' around with the idea of getting a .411 bore to use .410 diameter heavies such as have been used in my forty bore Great Plains Rifle with the rifling engraving die. Than way I could shoot the .410 heavies as lubed lead (also shooting paper patched designs). It would probably be made from a TC New Englander and pretty much be a bench gun.
The GPR could be increased a tad with a twist for .41 round ball to match the 1851 but first I need to satisfy the urge to tinker with paper patching in that forty bore GPR.
But the thing is that since I'm retired I don't seem to have time to enjoy my hobbies.

That’s a bit funny as I keep thinking about a .40/.41 cal 1851 or 1858. A ball mold would be a little difficult I’d think, especially with me as I like it to be about .004”+ over chamber for the bearing surface. And I certainly like the idea of a carbine that can shoot my pistol bullets that will be .454-5”. A patched .457” ball would be interesting as well.

[Good Cheer]

For the .41 round ball the rifle would probably end up as what, maybe a .42 bore?
Oh, maybe some day I reckon.

[R-71]

That bullet is to fat for a 45 caliber rifle. Aren't most of the sabot/bullet combinations designed to use Pistol caliber bullets?

[Edward]

Have any of you fellas tried the Lee 476-400-RF as a muzzleloading rifle boolit yet?
I opted for using 45-70 molds in a reworked New Englander but for years have thought about that mold, that it might be a good one.

I can tell you what works for me (accurate mold ) 40-290S works in my CVA 1-28 twist 50 v2 pistol /with a blue Harvester sabot / and 45 18 twist using Harvester lite blue sabot 45/40 and would work in a 1-48 twist I bet /Great BC /check it out

[Good Cheer]

That bullet is to fat for a 45 caliber rifle. Aren't most of the sabot/bullet combinations designed to use Pistol caliber bullets?

That 476-400 mold would be for use without a sabot, in a barrel with a groove diameter to work with the as-cast bullets. In doing what works that's what I do with 45-70 molds, shooting them in a barrel relined to .458" bore diameter.