How 2 Pour Your Own 45-70

[Jack Ryan]

I've poured for black powder bullets and shot gun slugs but never for modern rifle bullets. I don't have a clue about gas checks, when you need them or any of that.

I've got a bottom pour melter and some lead. What else do I need to pour some lead appropriate for hand loading 45-70 for a handi rifle? I've got a mold for 45 maxi balls in my hawken rifle could I load these and black powder in that handi?

If I need a mold what one do I need? I figure lead caste must stay low velocity so make that up with bigger bullets. So do I need the biggest grain bullet mold and there seems to be some 45 molds with only minor diameter differences.

[Nobade]

I can't speak for all of them, but my 45-70 Handi shot quite well with the Lee 405 plainbase bullet up to about 1500 fps, the RCBS 405 gascheck bullet to 2000 fps and the RCBS 300 gascheck bullet up to 2200 fps. At these levels the recoil is fearsome, and not all that much fun. I tended to run it at black powder velocities or so, at which point you don't need gaschecks or hard bullets. Just plain ole wheelweights with a pinch of tin, aircooled, with some 50-50 Alox/beeswax lube works great. Just make sure your bullets are at least as big as your groove diameter and you'll be fine. Start with bullets about 400 grains or so, the lighter ones are sometimes harder to get to shoot as well.

[jhalcott]

  jake, your maxi's are about .455" diameter, your handi will need a .458-.459" bullet. Midway has a 340 grain plain base 45 cal mold for about $19.00. You CAN get heavier bullet molds or buy them precast from many dealers. Slug your bore to see exactly what size you need. Go about 1 or 2 THOUSANDTHS bigger than the bore. Get a few loading manuals and start low and work up to a max load.Midway also sells a pan lubing kit,or you can use their tumble lube and sizer. Just doNOT USE tHAT WITH BLACK POWDER!
 It will make a tar like substance that's hard to get rid of. After you load a few hundred of the 340 grainers you can buy the gas check molds in various weights. Go to castboolits.com and ask those guys.

[tomzuki]

Looked at Midway for "pan lube kit" but couldn't find anything.  Could you give more information please??

[stuffit]

There's so much information involved regarding the subject of your query that it makes it difficult to find a place to start, but I think a good cast bullet manual would be a good place.  The Lyman cast bullet manual is the one that comes to my mind. 

As far as Midway is concerned, their "search", while better than some, is certainly not always successful.  Order their current master catalog and you'lll be better equipped for finding  the basic casting accessaries you need to cast good bullets for your 45-70.

 
stuffit

[jhalcott]

I see what you mean. they MAY have discontinued the pan lube kit when they started the tumble lube product.
http://www.leeprecision.com/html/catalog/surplus.html   
 this is a surplus page they have a couple molds you might be interested in.
  The "pan lubing" is a process where you stand the bullets in a dish or pan and pour melted lube in to a depth to just cover the lube grooves. Let it cool/harden then push the bullets out thru the bottom OR use a case or other tool to cut them out. It sounds more complicated than it really is. You CAN use the Lee liquid Alox to "tumble lube the bullets then use a Lee push thru sizer to size them.
  You REALLY need a cast bullet book to gain some info and have handy when you start this project.

[Jack Ryan]

Thanks a bunch guys.