Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting What weight bullet could I cast for both 45-70 and 45-90?

I am looking for a good choice bullet for two rifles.

My good friend has a Browning High Wall in 45-90 and I hope to get a Marlin 1895 in 45-70. He often tries to hunt Nilgai near El Paso with his but he hasn't won that lottery yet. By the time I get good and ready, California will have banned hunting with lead so it's milk jugs for me until I can afford an out of state hunt.
I am still a novice caster but I enjoy it. I could really use some of your experience and wisdom. Of course if one bullet won't work, what are your favorites for these calibers?

Thanks in advance.

Tracy (Ranger) Green

And D@#mmit, I meant Oryx, not Nilgai. I braincramped. Sorry. The perils of a henpecked part time hunter.

Anything from 300 to 500+ will kill anything that walks the earth.

How fast you shoot them will depend on how much smack you can stand.
I use a 325 grain cast in my 45-70 and hogs don't like it.

How much depends on your rifle's twist and your tolerance for recoil. Friend of mine purchased one of the early production 1895 CB rifles in .45-70, shot 510 gr paper patch bullets with sub MOA precision. Used a sufficient amount of RX 7 to achieve 1,800 fps. Didn't hurt him or me, YMMV.

As others said, there are plenty of choices from under 300 to over 500 grains that will work. The single shots can shoot most anything, but the lever action will be happier with a bullet with a short flat nose.

I cast a few different 45 cal. bullets for a single shot 45-70 and 45-90, and a lever action 45-70. I typically shoot heavier bullets (500-540 grains) in the single shots, but those bullets won't cycle in lever actions. I shoot 400-480 grain flat nose bullets in the lever action.

If I were to pick one bullet for all of them (of the molds I currently have), the Lyman 457121PH (475 gr.), Lyman 457193 (405 gr.) or Lyman 457643 (400 gr.) all would work. The 457121PH and 457193 don't have a crimp groove but can be crimped in the top lube groove or over the top of the top driving band for the lever action. The 457643 was designed for lever actions and has a crimp groove. It also has a larger meplat which some feel make it a better hunting bullet.

I also have the RCBS 400 gr. gas check mold which would be a good choice for one to do it all...

Thanks to all. This will be fun.

It have a Ranch Dog mold, (I think they have since sold out). I throws a 430 grain gas check bullet that is extremely accurate in my 450 marlin. I killed a big doe with it yesterday. I like it because of its superior accuracy in my rifle, and it hits like Thors hammer, but yet does not destroy the meat. If you could find a used mold like this I would highly recommend it.

Thank you very much. I was just for suggestion as to ask which mold to get.

I went to Lees site and it looks like they are offering more molds then they used to. It seems like I remember (I may be mistaken)when I was doing research to buy a mold for my 450, that many people had complained that lee was not making a mold in the weight range I wanted that dropped a bullet larger then .457 which people were saying left it undersized. It looks like lee is now offering several molds that drop bullets at .459, so they can now be sized to .458, but I still don't see any that are at my weight and gas checked with a wide meplate, that is something that the ranch dog mold offer, that is why I got it.

Before selecting a mould you might want to confirm the rifling twist and slug the barrels to determine their groove diameter.

Marlins tend to have variable groove dimensions, but are generally on the large side. Mine measures 0.4585. I have slugged two Miroku 45/70 barrels and they were both tight, measuring 0.457.

Sizing your cast bullets on the larger side is fine as long as the loaded cartridges still chamber easily.

I like using RCBS 45-405 FNGC but it may be a little small in diameter if your Marlin has a wide groove diameter. The nose shape and crimp groove location is fine for use in repeaters.

Depending on the alloy, the current run of Lyman 457121PH molds throw diameters closer to .455 than .457/.458. I load mine in a Sharps with Holy Black, so they bump up quite nicely at 20:1. The old Lyman 457121 threw .457/.458 with that alloy.

BTW, I'm not putting down the 457121PH, it's my all-time favorite bullet in my Sharps and will kill anything that walks the Earth.

If I were going to shoot one in both rifles using smokeless, I'd load up the 457193 and go kill stuff.

Ed

Been shooting lots of PH and 193's lately in my '86 Win 45/90 via BP and Blackhorn 209. The 121 is just fine on top of holy black but not so good with the BP substitute BH 209 or smokeless which incidentally shoots like crap.

The 193 does require a healthy crimp over the last driving band for OAL and proper feeding for the lever gun...I recently acquired the Lyman 643 with its shorter nose profile and crimp groove which shoots lights out.This will be my go to for the '86 Winchester since the design originally was made for the '86.

Hardly shoot greasers in the Sharps anymore just PP all the way with big hunks of smoothies doing what they do best..

So, you've finally gone over the edge...

Ed

ET has been a terrible influence you know!..

He's going to burn, you know that, don't you?

One of these days, when I get tired of shooting greasers, I might be tempted to try PP.

Ed

It's a great way to challenge your skills or lack thereof as was my case a few years ago before the bell sounded in the ole gray matter.The reality was, hey dummy you really can do this with a little practice...

I've only had the 121 mold for a short time and have only cast a handful so far. I haven't shot any with BP yet, but did shoot the 121 (30:1) side by side with the 643 (WW alloy) in my 1886 - IMR 3031 in both. The 643 did shoot better than the 121, but not by much. My 121 mold does cast at .455 and I'll probably use it more in the Sharps and Ballard with BP. As you say, I do like the 643 in the '86 due to the crimp groove and nose shape.

That micro grove rifling is not always very happy with cast bullets. So I'd just try to buy a few bullets before invest a lot in the way of molds etc.

I use an older Lee mould that throws wheel weights at 405 grains, and mics at 0.4585". I dump them from the mould into water. Very good bullet, and pretty accurate in my 1895, and cycles flawlessly. Also works VERY well from my Buffalo Classic.