Favorite cast bullets for 45-70

[Al N.]

Hello everone, I just purchased a 1895G and would like some input before buying a couple of molds. I will probably be plinking and hunting hogs and southern white tails. Any info will be helpful. I havn't fired this rifle yet and just can't seem to get off $25 a box for plinking. I certainly hope this one shoots as good as my other Marlin Lever actions (humm, these things are really habit forming)

[John Traveler1]

Plinking quality cast bullets is no problem at all!

You can buy bulk 405 grain and 350 grain cast bullets at the gun shows for about the same money as you can buy lead alloy, cast, and lubricate your own.  The copper-plated ones work even better.  I load to approximate .45-70 M1873 levels with 13 grains Unique, 35 grains IMR 3031, or similar loads using IMR 4895, IMR 4198, ect.  These are starting loads in the loading manuals and safe in all models of .45-70 rifles.  You can load hotter for your 1895 Guide Gun, of course, if you want to put up with the increased recoil.

Most ANY 350-405 grain cast bullet is suitable for casual shooting.  All of the various RN and FN bullets by Lyman, Lee, or RCBS, etc are good.

HTH
John

[cwh]

John T--Do you use any kind of filler with your Unique loads?  Thanks.

Chuck

[marlinman93]

I'm using the same Unique load as John, and I never use fillers with Unique! I prefer the 350 grain bullet, and my mold casts a 360, so that's what I use the most. For most game loads in the Trapdoor range will do a fine job with the 350-360 grainers.

[jpuke]

Lyman Gould HP.  Mine casts 345 grains with wheelweights instead of the 330 gr the catalog lists them as.  Shoots great, recoil isn't bad at all.

[jtaylor1960]

I recently bought a NEI #337 .458 350gr. flat nose mold. when using wheel weights it drops bullets weighing about 420gr. including the lube and gas check.the bullet doesn't have a crimp grove so I crimp it with a lee factory crimp die.I loaded it with 45gr. of RL-7 and no fillers.Went to the range yesterdayand with a peep sight at 50yds. shot a group with 4 out of 5 shots touching and 1 flier.At 100yds. I shot a 3 shot group of about 2in.I am quite pleased.Any questions let me know.Good luck,Jeff Taylor.

[stuffit]

Here are a couple of good bullets from NEI.  I got them both in the same mould.  They are the 337B 350grGC (falls at 360 grs) and the 342A 405gr which falls at 435grs, both with a WW alloy with just a little tin
.
Both are very accurate, and I have a hard time deciding between them.  So far I've shot them mostly with 31.5 grs 5744 which puts both of them close to 1600 fps. Cloverleafs at 100 yards are common.  I shoot them in a BC so don't use the crimp groove, and use a Lyman taper crimp for consistancy in tension. The lube is the Felix formula and it does mighty fine.   If I was shooting them in a lever, I'd definitely get the Lee taper crimp die.
 :wink:
stuffit

[Scota]

For smokeless loads I am partial  to the RCBS 300 and 405 grain gas check bullets.  For actual hunting I like the Lee hollow base.  I modified mine to eliminate the hollow base.  That makes it about 420 grains in pure lead.  Lube it with some SPG or homemade BP lube.  Load over a compressed drop tube load of 2F BP.  It will shoot great.  Killed a huge buck with that load at about 100 yards.  Seemed to flatten the buck better than a modern high velocity cartridge.