Lee HB 405 in the Marlin?

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  • Last Post 17 March 2009
RicinYakima posted this 27 August 2007

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

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CB posted this 28 August 2007

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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JONAH posted this 21 October 2007

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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WRDSMTH posted this 02 December 2007

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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JimmyDee posted this 19 December 2007

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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RicinYakima posted this 19 December 2007

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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JONAH posted this 19 December 2007

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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JimmyDee posted this 20 December 2007

Thank-you! I'll report back when I decide what I'm going to do...

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CB posted this 25 December 2007

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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45caliber posted this 20 July 2008

RicinYakima wrote: 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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WyrTwister posted this 13 October 2008

RicinYakima wrote: 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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CB posted this 13 October 2008

Lee makes a .460 sizer that Ranch Dog Molds sells, http://www.ranchdogmolds.com/>http://www.ranchdogmolds.com/

RD  has a 425gr bullet that works very well in my Marlin 1895.

Jerry

 

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WyrTwister posted this 13 October 2008

miestro_jerry wrote: Lee makes a .460 sizer that Ranch Dog Molds sells, http://www.ranchdogmolds.com/>http://www.ranchdogmolds.com/

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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CB posted this 13 October 2008

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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WyrTwister posted this 13 October 2008

miestro_jerry wrote: 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 459-405-HB  .  Meaning .459” - 405 grain .

     The mold code for the other Lee .45-70 molds begin with 457 - .457"  .

God bless Wyr

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CB posted this 13 October 2008

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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WyrTwister posted this 14 October 2008

miestro_jerry wrote: 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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CB posted this 14 October 2008

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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454PB posted this 14 October 2008

Jerry, how about the Lee C-457-500-F....

 

I've used it in my old 1895 and more recently in my GS. It performs well in the Marlins, although hard on the shoulder above about 1500 fps.

 

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6pt-sika posted this 14 October 2008

miestro_jerry wrote: 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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WyrTwister posted this 16 March 2009

RicinYakima wrote: 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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RicinYakima posted this 16 March 2009

Wyr, Thanks for the advice. I have them loaded, but it is still to cold and snowy here to shoot much yet. Ric

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WyrTwister posted this 17 March 2009

RicinYakima wrote: Wyr, Thanks for the advice. I have them loaded, but it is still to cold and snowy here to shoot much yet. Ric

     Was in the 70's here , Monday .   :-)

God bless Wyr

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