I have one of the Lee 405 HB moulds made for the Trapdoors. I am planning my fall casting sessions, and wondered if this was a good bullet for the Marlin 1895's. If it is, I would make a few hundred extra for the Marlin. Does anyone have an experience with these? Thanks, Ric
Lee HB 405 in the Marlin?
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- Last Post 17 March 2009
Ric,
Yah, I bought the mould a while back and was wondering the same thing. Never got a chance my self to try it yet.
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I have been using the Lee 405 HB bullet for several years now in my Marlin 1895. I have been very pleased with it's performance. My only complaint about the bullet is that I have higher reject rate when casting this bullet than I do when casting other bullets.
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I have used the 405 grain Lee HB bullet in both a trapdoor Springfield and an “86 Winchester 45-90 with a one in thirty-two inch twist. It does very well in both guns and is one of the most accurate bullets I use in the Winchester. If the mould is smoked and kept lubricated, I have no more problem with it than any other mould. Those big grooves hold a lot of lube which helps keep the fouling soft in black powder loads. I like the mould so well I bought a spare!
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I'm about to start using cast bullets in rifles and decided my 45-70 Marlin 1895 a good place to start. I saw this mould and was wondering....
What sort of alloy are you using? Lube? Powder and charge?
Do you have any idea what sort of velocity you're getting?
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JimmyDee, I am using half and half WW's and pig lead, mostly, some 30/1 lead and tin. Lube is NRA formula beeswax and Alox. 12 grains of Unique is 1040 f/s and 22 grains of 2400 is 1200 f/s. Ric
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In my Marlin 1895 CB, 25.0 gr. 5744 powder with the Lee bullet at 1298 fps, lube my own mix 60% beeswax/40% Crisco and alloy approximately Lyman #2 or tire weights sized .459. In my Sharps, the same load at 1270 fps. I get no leading. If I do my part, these loads will shoot into 2” at 100 yds using tang sight on both guns.
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Thank-you! I'll report back when I decide what I'm going to do...
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I have been using in my Marlin 1895 45-70 the 405gr Lee bullet using 4198 powder with a load at 48.5 grains.
Jerry
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I have one of the Lee 405 HB moulds made for the Trapdoors. I am planning my fall casting sessions, and wondered if this was a good bullet for the Marlin 1895's. If it is, I would make a few hundred extra for the Marlin. Does anyone have an experience with these? Thanks, Ric
While I have no experience with the Lee mould you speak of,I however have had very good luck with the RCBS 405 mould with a gas check. They weigh in at 420 grains with the gas check attached and with lube. The RCBS mould is the proper overall length made especially to fit the lever guns,RCBS was thinking ahead for sure. They also make a 500 grain mould to fit the Marlin and have a crimp groove in the same spot as the 405 grainer,so loading is easy and your seating die doesn't have to be changed back and forth between bullet weights. In my 1895 Marlin,I have shot under an inch at 100 yards on many occasions. H4198 is used and burns cleaner than anything I have used to date.
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I have one of the Lee 405 HB moulds made for the Trapdoors. I am planning my fall casting sessions, and wondered if this was a good bullet for the Marlin 1895's. If it is, I would make a few hundred extra for the Marlin. Does anyone have an experience with these? Thanks, Ric
That mold throws larger bullets than the other Lee molds . There fore it tends to shoot better in a Marlin ( they like big bullets ) .
I shoot it cast pretty hard , water quenched and sized to .460” .
The Lee sizer is .457” , my cousin and I honed it out to .460” .
God bless Wyr
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Lee makes a .460 sizer that Ranch Dog Molds sells,
RD has a 425gr bullet that works very well in my Marlin 1895.
Jerry
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Lee makes a .460 sizer that Ranch Dog Molds sells,
RD has a 425gr bullet that works very well in my Marlin 1895.
Jerry
Now that you mention it , I seem to remember that . But I do not think Lee lists it in their literature ?
I get dealer pricing from Lee , direct , since I have a FFL .
God bless Wyr
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You can only get Ranch Dog molds and his stuff through Rand Dog. He spent the time to develop his designs and the products to support them.
Jerry
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You can only get Ranch Dog molds and his stuff through Rand Dog. He spent the time to develop his designs and the products to support them.
Jerry
Yes , I know . I was not complaining . Just explaining why I mostly go about things in a different way .
If I decide I want a product he sells & Lee does not , I will buy from him .
By the way , I have heard nothing but good about Ranch Dog . He seems to be a real stand up guy .
But , I found out through , trial and error that Marlins like big bullets . And that the Lee .457” sizing die was causing more problems than it cured .
So we honed it out to .460” ( since I already had it ) . And the HB bullets sized to .460” shoot better than the bullets from the other molds I have . Which are smaller .
If you notice the mold code is
The mold code for the other Lee .45-70 molds begin with 457 - .457" .
God bless Wyr
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Wyr,
I have several different sizers for my 45-70 CBs. from 457 up thru 460, this is not only Lee, but for my Star and I think I have a good range for RCBS sizer also.
I own a machine shop and generally can duplicate what other make or modify, but I do respect their rights and skills, as well as the effort these folks put into their work. Mostly I widen molds with basic reamers in the shop and buy every thing else that people have produced.
As to the Marlin 1895s, I am looking into a 500 gr bullet for mine, but it would need to have a either a lot of lube rings or be a Tumble Lube type of bullet. This one maybe be a custom mold from one of the small shops that are normally setup to make molds.
Yes I could make my own, but many resources would get tied up to make a mold that should be used on my regular work. J
erry
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Wyr,
I have several different sizers for my 45-70 CBs. from 457 up thru 460, this is not only Lee, but for my Star and I think I have a good range for RCBS sizer also.
I own a machine shop and generally can duplicate what other make or modify, but I do respect their rights and skills, as well as the effort these folks put into their work. Mostly I widen molds with basic reamers in the shop and buy every thing else that people have produced.
As to the Marlin 1895s, I am looking into a 500 gr bullet for mine, but it would need to have a either a lot of lube rings or be a Tumble Lube type of bullet. This one maybe be a custom mold from one of the small shops that are normally setup to make molds.
Yes I could make my own, but many resources would get tied up to make a mold that should be used on my regular work. J
erry
I seem to remember hearing about 500 grain bullets , so there must be some one that makes a mold for them . Try asking some one that shoots black powder ?
I never much considered sgooting that heavy a bullet , so do not have much information .
Might try this mold
http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/cart.cgi?1223973268.3102=90376
or
http://www.midwayusa.com/ebrowse.exe/brandlisting
But you are most likely going to have to lap them to a little larger ?
God bless wyr
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Wyr,
I am looking for a 500 grain Gas Checked bullet for my 45-70, then I can get a decent load behind the bullet. When bullets are flat based then you have to reduce the loads because of leading.
Jerry
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I am looking for a 500 grain Gas Checked bullet for my 45-70.
Go on Ranch Dogs web page and then click on his new forum section !
He has been putting out feelers for the intrest in a 500 grain gas check bullet for use in Marlin 1895's .
Now personally I don't know what I need it for in a hunting situation , but I did tell him I would like one to shoot at least paper with and finally to probably kill some poor unsuspecting deer with !
I've been fortunate to get in on many of his trial molds . SO I have some that were never turned loose to the general public ! And while they may not have done exactly what he was looking for , in the Marlin's of the masses . They worked pretty darned well for me !
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I have one of the Lee 405 HB moulds made for the Trapdoors. I am planning my fall casting sessions, and wondered if this was a good bullet for the Marlin 1895's. If it is, I would make a few hundred extra for the Marlin. Does anyone have an experience with these? Thanks, Ric
I found through a lot of experience that Marlins like big bullets . Around .460” .
It just so happens , the 405 HB mold throws .459” and bigger bullets . These WORK ! :-)
All my other Lee .45-70 molds are around .457” . Too small . :-( I spent several years struggling with too small bullets .
The other choice I can recommend is the oversize Ranch Dog molds .
God bless Wyr
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