.45/70

[Cornbelt]

What's the best Lee mold in the 400 gr range for long range .45/70 shooting? Haven't loaded any yet, but I'd like to get some ideas. Thanks.

[Larry Gibson]

What rifle or level of load?
BP or smokeless powder?
Define what "long range" is to you?
 
Larry Gibson

[Cornbelt]

 Its built on an old Remington RB action, so I don't want too much pressure, though I would prefer smokeless pdr. And long range will have to be the length of the pasture, which is about a thousand yards.
  I also want something I can tumble lube. Thanks.

[jhalcott]

 The 500 grain bullet (3R) with a rather pointy profile MAY be best for your needs. I have a pointy 420 grain gas checked NEI mould that I "soft point" and use at rather low velocity in my TC Contender. It flies so much flatter than any of the flat nose bullets I've tried. I have a bolt action Siamese Mauser rifle that LIKES these too! But they must be single fed in the Mauser.
  you can tumble lube any bullet with Lee Liquid Alox, Ive done it to 7mm to 35 caliber with no regrets. You CAN thin the LLA with Mineral spirits to!

[Bob J]

Its built on an old Remington RB action, so I don't want too much pressure, though I would prefer smokeless pdr. And long range will have to be the length of the pasture, which is about a thousand yards.
  I also want something I can tumble lube. Thanks.

For a thousand yards in 45/70 you are going to need the highest BC bullet you can get your hands on which effectively means round nose and heavy....  The classic is the 535 postell but the pressure will probably be too much for you.....  The lyman 457483 might do the trick for you but is a hard to find mould since it has been discontinued.....  There is a group buy for a variant bumped up to 460 over on Cast Boolits but it won't run until July which is a pretty long wait.....  Lots of FN/WFN moulds out there but not many RN.....


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=127242

[Larry Gibson]

The 500 grain bullet (3R) with a rather pointy profile MAY be best for your needs. ..........

+1 on that recomendation for a Lee mould.  Work up to 28 gr 5744 under it or 25 gr with a 1 gr dacron filler.
 
Larry Gibson

[Ranch13]

I don't really think any of the lee bullets are much good to 400 yds, the 500 3r does alright to there, but craps out beyond that especially if theres some wind. The blocks are pretty lightly constructed for those big bullets and don't hold up very well, and whether or not the set you order to  replace the first set will be the same diameter is anybodies guess.One of their 405 gr versions might be alright, but they'll have troubles past 600 yds.
 
 The Saeco 645 mould throws a 480 gr bullet that works rather well to 1000 yds and a bit further , plus is very accurate at close ranges. While I haven't shot that bullet with smokeless I would expect that at the standard velocity smokeless loadings it will do just as well as with black.
 Most folks make the mistake of going with a bullet that is to heavy for the 45-70. The heavier bullets over 500 gr are better left to bigger cases, and even then if you look to see what the old deadguys used, they seldom if ever loaded a bullet over 500 grs unless the powder charge was in excess of 110 grs.

[Lloyd Smale]

Id recomend you save a few more pennys and buy the 405 rcbs rfgc mold. Its probably the most accurate 4570 bullet across the board that ive found. Its shot real well out of 500 yards for me and the nice thing is its a good game killing bullet to boot. I doubt youll win 1000 yard matches with it  but then again you wont with any of the lee designs either.

[Cornbelt]

  Lots of good info here and experience as well. Thanks, and keep it coming.