I am new to casting, as declared on a previous thread (I take the opportunity to thank everybody for all advice given).
Following the advice of some of the members I have decided to start with caliber 45-70 (Marlin 1895). Slugged bbl measured .457â€.

Now I am facing a LOT of difficult decisions regarding which equipment to buy (on a limited budget):

- What is really necessary and what can I do without?
- Some of the equipment is available from various manufactures: which to choose?

1 – Furnace – RCBS, LYMAN and LEE are available. LEE “Production Pot IVâ€â€ seems a reasonable choice (at least price wise).

2 – Moulds – RCBS and LEE are available – RCBS’ are REALLY very expensive when compared to LEE’s!. But I can’t find a .458†LEE mould (just .457â€)!

3 – Sizer/Sizer die/Sizer punch/Sizer kit – RCBS sizer, LYMAN die and LEE sizer kit available (in .457â€).
Is LEE sizer kit (inexpensive) any good? Does it actually eliminates the need for a sizer and lubricator + sizer die + punch ?

Thermometer, dipper, ingot mould, etc available from RCBS, LYMAN and/or LEE. Shall I go with the less expensive?

ADVICE NEEDED!

Thank you

B.Martins

I like RCBS, Lyman and SAECO, but there are a lot of guys on here that swear by Lee. Make your best judgments on the responses you get here, and then buy what you can afford. I, for one, like to buy one time and be done with it. In my experience, Lee products just don't hold up...

You don't say what your budget limit is, but FWIW, here goes...

Casting for the .45-70 is probably best done with a ladle and using 1:20 to 1:30 alloy (one part tin to 20 parts lead...). Having said that, I would either look on ebay for a lead pot and ladle, or go buy the Lyman Mag Dipper, and either a Lyman or RCBS dipper. They will probably outlive you if taken care of. The Lee pot will work, but to me it is smaller in diameter and a bit harder to use... In short, you get what you pay for.

Depending on what you are going to do with the rifle, consider buying a mould that casts a heavy bullet, at least 405 grs. That is what the caliber was developed around. I like the RCBS 500-gr BPS mould. Ladle casting with 1:20, it shoots to one hole in my Remington #3 Rolling block... SAECO also makes good moulds, as does Lyman. And (you will hear some differing opinions on this) I like "steel" moulds. They just allow you to cast longer without overheating and warping, which I have had happen with the Lee moulds...

And you don't need to buy a sizer, at least initially. The .45-70 bullet shoots very well if left unsized and "pan lubed", which is what a lot of BPCR shooters do... There are several good lube recipes on the 'net, just do a search and try one. You cal also buy SPG, but to me it is VERY pricey, and I can't see enough difference to justify the price.

Doing the above will get you started, and then, if you decide to expand, you can buy sizers, dies and top punches, extra moulds, etc., off ebay or our classified section.

Have fun, and ask the guys on these forums. They will gladly offer their suggestions and experiences...

b.martins, I have the very rifle you have and took it with me to the range yesterday. As it happens, I was using both the Lee 340gr. FP and their 405gr. HB, both sized to .459". Suggestions: Dies, RCBS because of their warranty (Look for a used 3-die set on E-Bay). Many do not like Lee Precision's products, but I haven't many complaints about their molds or their furnaces. Sometimes one of their molds casts too small, but you can return it and ask them to lap it out to a larger size (specify your alloy though). The Production Pot IV is fine, but their 20lb. furnace is more convenient to use. (I have both.) You may also find dipper/ladle casting gives better results than bottom-pouring, so keep that in mind. (The Lee "dipper" is too small to be useful and is best avoided.) Lastly, the Lee sizing die can easily be lapped out to .458" or .459" and is an excellent product. Btw, I placed 7 of the Lee 405gr. HB's into ~1" @ 50yds. yesterday, but have obtained even better performance in the past.

There is very little in the world of bullet-casting that is cut-and-dried. Get used to the term "nominal", because that's what most moulds, dies etc amount to for dimensions.

Although the Lee-Lyman-RCBS etc moulds are NAMED 457something-or-other, that is NOT repeat NOT a dimension you're too likely to end up with. Many of my 457xxx moulds cast bullets from .4575 to .461.....but that's in MY ALLOY, and everyone else's alloy is likely to be a bit different, and also likely to cast a different diameter in MY mould. Then you add in the possible differences among moulds of the same design, and.....?

The LEE 405-grain hollowbase gets full-circumference sizing in my .459" die (meaning, it's large enough to completely fill that die...but DIES vary from the stated dimensions, too, and even then different alloys can end up at different diameters after sizing in the same die! Confusing, yes??? The only way to find what diameters YOUR dies and YOUR bullets will have, is to cast and size, then measure YOUR production to see what you have.

Fortunately, most bullet designs and their makers have a history among casters, and some research should be able to tap into the group's experience. For example, a Lyman .38 SWC pistol design, 357466, is well known as a bullet that almost always casts undersize, and is thus best avoided except for certain special purposes.

That Lee .45-405 hollowbase is equally well- known to cast OVER the .457 figure. I'd recommend it to you, both for modest cost and fine results obtained in my rifles. When you start casting, run the alloy HOT, above 800 degrees, to get proper fill-out around the hollow base.

Enjoy; it's really no biggy to make and shoot decent bullets, and experience mounts up quickly.

Get the Lee 459-405-HB mould. It's only about $20 and will cast thousands of bullets for you if you keep it lubricated per the instructions. The other Lee moulds are a gamble because Lee is notorious for undersized moulds.

If you are set on a bottom pour furnace, get the Lee 20 pound pot. It leaks a lot less than the 10 pound version, and dripping is the chief complaint against the Lee furnaces.

If money is all that tight, you can skip the furnace. All you really have to have is a quart iron or steel saucepan and a heat source. The Lyman or RCBS dipper already mentioned is well worth the money.

The Lee push through sizers work fine, but you probably won't need one to start. Just give your bullets a coat of Liquid Alox and shoot them.

As you go along, you'll find all sorts of things that you need/want. Pick them up one at a time as you go. Important thing is to get started now.

My outfit, melts 70lb at a time, cost less than $40 and has served me for 35 years. I've probably cast 150,000 projectiles with this outfit

I use LEE casting equipment and it gets the job done.

Yes, the LEE sizer kit works and it does not use a top punch.