what mold for marlin 1895 45/70 to buy

mrq5daw

mrq5daw

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I just bought a marlin 1895 GBL 45/70 9 (I do not have it yet) and would like to buy a mold for it..I am eying for Lee bullets mold but I do not know which one will be compatible with this rifle, I saw on loading sites they only goes up to 400 gr only, but you can buy mold up to 500 gr. I will only use the rifle for target shooting, should I go for 300 gr, 350 gr or 400 gr? which one is the best what powder to use and recipe..thank you in advance..
 
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I would go for the 400 grain. I have a similar Marlin and 420 grain work fine.
In pouring bullets with scrap "lead," you will find that the actual weight of the bullet usually does not match what the mold says it should. Different alloys of the metal could easily make 10 grains, or more, variation in weight, one batch to another.
 
I do not own a Marlin, but I do believe the Lee 405gr Hollow Base will cycle in it. I like this bullet in my Rolling blocks, sized .459" or as Cast 460-461" in softer lead for BP loads. I think the heavier 500gr may not cycle in your lever action.

Mold # SC 459-405HB
 
For your Marlin, any of the Lee moulds for 300, 350 and 400 grain will work. That includes the 400 grain Hollow Base mould. All of these, when crimped in the crimp groove, will fit the correct over all length for the Marlin.
The 500 grain Lee bullets are not suitable.
If you are only using this for targets, you might want to consider the lighter bullets. A caution with the Marlins and the Lee moulds, is that barrel groove diameter for Marlins are often larger than .458, and Lee moulds, except for the 400 grain HB, often drop at .457; this is a clear mismatch and can result in leading. The HB bullet is intended to drop larger and might be a better choice of the Lee moulds, depending on your barrel.
 
bullet molds

I have rcbs 405gr gas check for hunting and lee 340 gr for targets and plinking. The 500 gr bullets are to long to feed through marlin action.
 
Go to "Ranch Dog" molds and see what he offers - it's a good selection. I think that 350 grs is an optimum bullet weight for a hunting bullet for the Marlin 45/70.

http://www.ranchdogoutdoors.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1_5_14

TLC460350RF.jpg
 
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Sometimes it's kinda difficult because it is entirely possible that the mold you buy may not shoot well in your rifle, Lyman's #457193 is a 405 gr. and is kinda the std., and varying amounts of Reloder #7 does well with it. The Hollow pts. and hollow base molds may be a bit slower to use, though Lyman's #457122 the 330 gr. Gould Hollow pt. is another standard for deer hunting.
 
How much lead do you have?
A lighter bullet use's less.
100 x 300gr = 4.28 lbs.
100 x 400gr = 5.71lbs.

Last weeked I cast up 26 1/2 lbs of 330gr or 562 bullet's.
 
I'm suprised only 11 responses. My bullet of choice is a Lee 500 grain flatnose in my Marlin 1895CB 45/70. In fact there sitting on the reloading bench waiting for there turn on the press. I use the Lee 500 gr pointed in my H&R Buffalo Classic, out to 500 yards, soon to be 1000. 12 grains of IMR 700X and it sends them down range at 1200fps.
Have fun!
 
I have stayed away from from the Ranchdog molds, my understanding is that they are made on Lee blocks and are meant to be tumble lubed only, 2 strikes against them. I believe and correct me if I'm wrong but there is no provision for sizing them to your bore. Sizing them would wipe out the grooves and you are stuck with the "as cast" size and the mess of tumble lubing them...someone edumacate on these molds and why I'd want one....IMHO
 
ben hunchak said:
I have stayed away from from the Ranchdog molds, my understanding is that they are made on Lee blocks and are meant to be tumble lubed only, 2 strikes against them. I believe and correct me if I'm wrong but there is no provision for sizing them to your bore. Sizing them would wipe out the grooves and you are stuck with the "as cast" size and the mess of tumble lubing them...someone edumacate on these molds and why I'd want one....IMHO
Click to expand...

Ben - you're not ever going to want one because they're Lee, and they're tumble-lubed, both of which you are stridently against. Many others use them and are satisfied.

I have MANY molds: Lee, Lyman, RCBS, NEI, Mountain Molds, MiHec, Hensley and Gibbs, etc. made of various alloys of aluminum, steel and brass. I still like Lee.

The Ranch Dog molds I have work well, both dropping from the mold, being shot from the gun. A nice thing about the 45 cal ones, is that they drop at about 0.460", and Ranch Dog sells a Lee push-through 0.460" sizer - neither Lyman nor RCBS do that. As for the suggested Lyman mold, beware - Lyman quality has dropped significantly in the past few years and they are now notorious for being undersized. I have no use for a 0.457" bullet and that's what you will get (or less).

As for the "tumble-lube" micro-grooves, I know the limitations of Alox and use it accordingly, but you are not limited to Alox tumble-lubing. There are alternate tumble-lube recipes (e.g. "45/45/10") and you can also pan-lube, or lube in your Lyman or RCBS Lube-Sizer. If you size it down 1-2 thou, you lose a fair bit of lube capacity, but there will still be a significant volume and surface area of lube. I don't size down, so it doesn't matter.

Then there's the price - they are inexpensive, and that irritates many of the "casting elite". Yes, they will not last the longest, but they will last long enough for most. Fact is, they are all that many casters will ever use, because they don't want to buy an expensive mold, and handles, and a lube-sizer, and heater...... Without Lee, they would not cast, and would never "graduate" to the big boy molds.

and that's all I have to say on the matter.
 
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