Ok I,m a LeverHead that needs advice on Favorite 45-70 molds

[reddoggm]

Just picked up a marlin 1895 45-70 and i was wondering if the Cast Boolits Mold genies could shed some light on a favorite mold in or around a 405 grain pill Looks like I,ll be buying one for the ole 94 Winny and now for the 45-70 Man I like Leverguns
Thanks Fellas The DOGG!!!

[btroj]

NOE 405 plain base.

[waco]

Rcbs 405-rf

[longbow]

I had a fondness for the Lyman 457124 385 gr. when I had my old 1970's vintage 1895. It just seemed to shoot better than the 405 gr.

I liked it anyway.

I shot mostly Lyman 457125 500 gr. in my Siamese Mauser conversion but I do not recall if I ever tried them in the Marlin.

I shot that 457124 over both BP and smokeless in the Marlin and some rather stout smokeless loads too. At that time I was young and poor and loaded them all with Lee Loaders and lubed by hand using Valvoline PB wheelbearing grease. Never had any leading issues at all with that grease ~ messy as all get out smearing grease on boolits then loading them though. No, I do not do that anymore!

Loved that Marlin too. It was the old straight grip stock which is my favourite. It was a casualty on my needing money for college. never replaced it.

I am sure you will enjoy yours.

Longbow

[zuke]

NOE 330gr HP,GC that's PP

[Wayne Smith]

When you want to expand from the 405 grain get the Lyman 457122 Gould HP. It is the original Eastern deer/bear boolit for the 45-70

[Clay M]

Rcbs 405-rf

+ 1 on this mold. I have own it for years and it shoots well in everything I have. My bullets come out .459 with Lyman #2

[reddoggm]

Thanks for the Input guys I have alot of thinking to do about which one or maybe 2 I should get I like the idea of having a nice hunting boolit can,t use it in Ohio but can in alot of other states Anyone know If one of the Mold gurus make the 457122 in their flavor ?

[MtGun44]

That RCBS mold is actually the 405 GC, but I agree it is a top design for .45-70.

Bill

[reddoggm]

I was wondering if anyone besides Lyman makes a mold like the Lyman 457122 Gould HP in a 4 or 5 cavity

[John Allen]

I really like the 405 grain ones. They feed nice in my marlin

[Bigslug]

The RCBS 405 GC has proven excellent for accuracy in everything I've launched it out of.

In the process of trying the NOE 405 plain base (they have a GC version too). Nice that they have it as a 4-cavity.

The RCBS has a .27 caliber meplat and does a marvelous job of using it to transfer energy into whatever it collides with. The NOE is bigger at .33. These are sledge hammers - hollowpoints not required.

[reddoggm]

The RCBS 405 GC has proven excellent for accuracy in everything I've launched it out of.

In the process of trying the NOE 405 plain base (they have a GC version too). Nice that they have it as a 4-cavity.

The RCBS has a .27 caliber meplat and does a marvelous job of using it to transfer energy into whatever it collides with. The NOE is

bigger at .33. These are sledge hammers - hollowpoints not required.

Why thank you for the Info Bigslug

[MBTcustom]

Just my 2cents based on my experiences with my 1895 guide gun:
The nose needs to be short enough to feed and function properly. I bought the Lyman 457193 and I had trouble with accuracy. Not surprising because the nose on that boolit is about .430 long past the first driving band, which forced me to jump the boolit about .050 to the rifling. Also, the Lyman cast at 458 right on the money, and I really needed a .459-.460 diameter boolit if I expect any manner of accuracy.
What I have found is that the ideal length for the nose of the boolit in an 1895 GG is .350. If the meplat of the boolit is that length from the first driving band, then you will have no problems feeding, and the driving band can be pushed right into the rifling no problemo.
Anyway, I'm no expert or anything, but take it for what it's worth.
I'm going out with my rifle Saturday and trying two new boolit molds both of which are available from Accurate Molds: http://accuratemolds.com/catalog.php?page=8
46-355R
and 46-405K
I'm hoping the K will work because it's a big nasty SWCer, it drops at .462, and it has a nose that allows me to engrave the first driving band in the rifling beautifully!
I also have high hopes for the R because it's a TL design, and is just so easy to cast and lube. Also it's a touch lighter which makes it less of a laughable option for Arkansas whitetail and hogs.

Just to give you an idea of what you have there, penetration is not an issue with these guns. With that Lyman boolit I mentioned up yonder, loaded on top of 24 grains of 2400 (gives me a lethargic 1400fps IIRC) I can shoot it one handed and it's just such a pussycat of a load. Yep, a real pussycat........and it will blow right through a big, round, wet hay bail from any direction! It will shoot through any sized telephone pole you care to shoot it at (I blew chunks out the other side of a 12 incher the other day while my buddies watched in wide eye'd wonder.)

[Dale53]

I have one of the original Marlin late issues with Ballard Rifling for the 45/70. I tried two home cast bullets. The Lyman 457643 was designed for the Marlin 1895. It never shot up to my expectations. I tried the Lee 457-340F a nominal 340 grs and got consistent 1½" groups at 100 yards with an appropriate charge of RL-7 (my favored powder for the old black powder rounds).

The nice thing about the Lee bullet is that it can be used as the practice bullet and the similar weight Gould 457322 hollow point bullet (which is slower to cast) can be reserved for hunting. Practice with the solid and hunt with the hollow point. The Lee moulds are two cavity and quite inexpensive and frankly, I have generally had good luck with the Lee moulds. I would, no doubt, prefer a Mihec, Noe, or Accurate Molds multi-cavity mould for general use, but the fact remains the Lee mold makes a very good bullet in my Ballard Rifling Marlin 1895. When I bought my moulds, the custom mold people were not yet in business. I have examples by all mentioned except Accurate Molds and agree with everyone that they are FINE molds.

FWIW
Dale53

[GabbyM]

I think this is #46-415V in accurate catalog. Same page Goodsteel linked to. My mold is from a group buy here in a set of Lee six cavity blocks. This photo makes it look smaller that it is. Big hunk of lead. Typically 410 grains form a hard alloy. Bullet was designed to feed in the Marlin. Runs good in a AR-15 in 458 SOCOM also we discovered.

[reddoggm]

goodsteel Ya think you can post how those new pills work for ya I,m very interested in all the posts you guys are giving me Sounds like I might end up with more than 1 mold but want to start with something that seems to have commen ground with a majority I,m not afraid to experiment just don,t want to do it at a hard expense as I think like most my casting / shooting $$$ gets a little tight
Maybe I could send some or all you guys with different bullets some $$$ and buy a little of some of yours and load em up and try them
If anyone thinks they could work this out with me It would sure help in seeing what This 1895 Likes to eat and Hit

[BDJ]

In the 1895 Marlin that I have my favorite bullet is accurate molds 46-405V, very accurate and deadly with it's .37 meplat.
Here in Ohio I can't hunt deer with a rifle but can use a hand gun. My fix for this little problem is a T/C Contender 15 inch barrel in 45-70 shooting Tom's 46-350V shot at 1200 fps, works well on the deer and coyotes.

[reddoggm]

Yea I hunt here in the Buckeye myself Ruger LC or my old Auto 12

[Terrence Clarke]

I also use the accurate molds 46-355R and it has taken very large pigs here in Australia,38 grains of AR2207 is a mild accurate load in my marlin XLR