45-75 Boolits in a muzzle stuffer?

[Super Sneaky Steve]

Has anyone tried using 45-70 boolits sized down and stuffed into a 45 cal muzzle loader? I see Lee has quite the selection. The 459-405-HB is a nice hollow base boolit that I think might work well. They also have the big momma 459-500-3R which looks very interesting if not scary.

My intention is to buy a CVA inline for these boolits but I want access to cheap boolit moulds first.

I will be buying their improved mini but that only tops out around 294gr.

[ascast]

yes, but it was made from a demilled trapdoor barrel, so it shot well. most front stuffers have a twist of 48 inch too fast for round ball and too slow for big heavy conicals. I'm sure we'll get lots of input from peeps with far more experience than me.

[sharps4590]

You're gonna have to size them down. Most 45-70 bullets are .457-.460. A 45 cal. muzzleloader is usually .450 bore diameter. Oughta be interesting to see them started.

[Super Sneaky Steve]

The LR-X I'm looking at is 1:22. I have a .452 sizer handy but I can purchase a .451 from Lee as well. People are complaining that these new CVA's are oversized which might work out for the best.

[AnthonyB]

I use the Lyman Gould HP sized to .452 in a couple steps with very good accuracy from a $100 Remington inline I bought many years ago. Never hunted with it, but that was my reason for the purchase when we were in VA. The bullet will get longer and the lube grooves shorter unless you lube it in a .460 die before sizing to .454. I never bothered and they shot fine.
Tony

[AnthonyB]

Forgot to mention those were in a sabot.

[Nobade]

It works fine. I shoot pretty much nothing but rifle bullets in my Gonic and other inlines when I had them. 1:22 will work great with that 405HB, marginal with a 500. Use a pin gauge to measure the bore when you get it and size to .001" less so they load easy. Cast from pure lead or as close as you can come so they bump up easily. You'll basically have a caseless 45-70.

[Edward]

Has anyone tried using 45-70 boolits sized down and stuffed into a 45 cal muzzle loader? I see Lee has quite the selection. The 459-405-HB is a nice hollow base boolit that I think might work well. They also have the big momma 459-500-3R which looks very interesting if not scary.

My intention is to buy a CVA inline for these boolits but I want access to cheap boolit moulds first.

I will be buying their improved mini but that only tops out around 294gr.

Cheap molds ? My renegades shoot a 443 paper patched 530 grain to 700 yds /My 1-17 Rice barrel ,the other shoots same with a 1-18 twist. And my new to me Pedersoli 1874 1-18 BP cartridge uses a 444-530 gr, all have a couple of traits in common #1 Baco Arms and Accurate molds /#2 THEY AIN'T cheap #3 they work /Ed

[John Taylor]

Many years ago I made several muzzle loaders with fast twist ( 1-20 ). Several of them I used a piece of barrel for a bullet sizer. The barrel piece was shrunk down by turning it down and pressing it into another piece that would screw into a loading press. This engraved the rifling and made for easy loading. As the bullets get longer the rate of twist needs to increase.

[LAGS]

Years ago.
I took a cut off section of an octagon barrel and welded 4 pieces of steel rod to the cut off piece so it slipped on to the rifles barrel indexed.
Kind of like a False Muzzle.
I would load the slugs thru the cut off section
I could also use the cut off section to presize the
slugs to put in my bag.
The threading of the barrel section to fit a press is a great idea.

[725]

I had a Gonic rebarreled, as the original .45 barrel was left to rot by the former owner (the son of the Original Gonic owner guy). Had to use a .458 WM barrel and and it turned out to be a nail driver. I sized down one of castboolits, long ago, group buys; a 458-420. Great boolit and a real performer in that Gonic.

[BLAHUT]

I shoot the .459 - 500 - 3r in mine. 42 gr. Black horn with a mag primer. Shoots very accuratly.

[idahoron]

Has anyone tried using 45-70 boolits sized down and stuffed into a 45 cal muzzle loader? I see Lee has quite the selection. The 459-405-HB is a nice hollow base boolit that I think might work well. They also have the big momma 459-500-3R which looks very interesting if not scary.

My intention is to buy a CVA inline for these boolits but I want access to cheap boolit moulds first.

I will be buying their improved mini but that only tops out around 294gr.

My paper patched bullet tutorial actually shows this picture. I used the exact same bullet.

[Woodnbow]

45 70 barrel that John Taylor breeched for me and it shoots very well with bullets sized to .450. My Rice barreled Hawken loves the heavier 500+ grain bullets but does ok with the Gould bullets too. The Gould bullets work very well in TC 1 in 48 barrels too. The only caution I have is to size down in steps. Bullets that drop closer to bore size are ideal but don’t let that stop you…

[Super Sneaky Steve]

Just a quick update. Going from .460 (as cast) down to .454 in one stroke was no problem at all. I had hand dipped each one in beeswax/lard so there was lots of excess lube on hand. I tried stepping down to .457 first, but it was just as easy to go all the way and I didn't see any difference in the boolits.