Should a bullet such as a .458 gas checked wadcutter feed through a leveraction or would i need a slight bevel on the nose, and if so how much? Is their much advantage or meplat size difference between the wide flat nose bullet molds already available, or would I just be sacrificing BC and stability with no real gain in performance.

I ASSUME you're talking .45-70 . Which one?

Let me speak to Win 94 Trappers: 44 Mag - it handles full flat nose wadcutters just fine. I think it will even cycle an empty (that's the hint). Try an empty - watch what it may hang up on - you'll see if you need a smaller nose on the bullet to guide the round into the chamber.

I assume you're talking about hunting and the 45/70 so I don't think you have to worry too much about BC since you'll more than likely be shooting at relatively close distances. I think you'd be better off going with one of the available wide flat nosed bullets instead of a full wadcutter considering they're proven performers. Even if a wadcutter would feed in your gun a bullet with a radius up front will feed better, especially in the heat of a hog hunt.

Can't say I've ever seen a 45/70 loaded with a full wadcutter bullet but it would be pretty neat looking.

Pat

I was referring to 45-70 and the marlin 1895g, guess I should have included that in my original post. I was almost ready to sit down and draw and spec out a 400 grainish gas checked wadcutter with lube grooves and a crimp cannalure placed for an overall cartridge lenght of 2.6" but then got to wondering if it would feed since even the Garrett bullets have a taper and they sing praises about wide meplats. Then I also started to wonder about the bullets stability and if it would start to tumble or such.

i'll just select a wide flatnose gas check and be done with it.

I've designed three bullets at Mountain Molds, using their bullet design software.
It's easy and fun. You get to see what it looks like, all the measurements, what you design weighs, etc.
Jim

My Marlin 1895 will cycle FIRED cases from the magazine tube and into the chamber, so I doubt that any bullet shape short of seating a mushroomed bullet would cause feeding issues provided the entire thing were long enough to prevent double feeding and short enough to sit on the shell lifter.

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