random thought here... I'm new to cast bullets and am thinking about picking up a 45-70 to play with. I've read somewhere about the benefits of a wide meplat on a cast hunting bullet but have not seen any full wadcutter designs for heavy slow cartridges like the 45-70. How wide is too wide?

Ian

I have a mold that is a 45cal 350gn with 90% nose from www.mountainmolds.com It's pretty much a wadcutter with just a bit of nose on it. They work great in my 454. I haven't shot anything but paper with them yet though. If it's a levergun, then you might run into feeding issues???

Depends on the type of gun you intend to shoot it in. If you are going to shoot it in a single shot, you can use a full wadcutter. If you use it in a lever action that angles the cartridge upward into the chamber, you *MIGHT* have a problem.

I have never tried the 45-70, but I have a 44-40 rifle and a 32-20 rifle (both of which angle the cartridge up into the chamber) that I tried some wide meplat LBT bullets in. Where the chamber necked down, the edge of the meplat hung up. Damaged the nose of the bullet. This does not happen with my 38-40 lever action (which does NOT angle the cartridge -- it is lifted like an elevator).

The 45-70 necks down some, but not very much. It might not be a problem even with angled lever actions.

12FLVSS...Harry O and Lar are right. The only limiting factor is the feeding.

I've been playing with the huge 462560 in a M1895 Marlin and it's basically a wadcutter with a rounded meplat and it feeds great through the Marlin as long as the OAL is kept within specs.

The Lyman 457463 is also a great shooter and has a very wide meplat. It feeds well also./beagel

The rifle I am looking at is the H&R Buffalo Classic. If you aren't familiar with it, it's a break action single shot with a 32" hex barrel, peep rear and globe front. I'll check out those mountain molds and see what they have.

What kind of lube are you guys using on your big rifle bullets?

good shooting,
Ian

The H&R should take anything that will fit the throat and bore. I took a chamber cast of my 470 and took it to MountainMolds so he could take measurements to see what exactly would fit when he made my 500gn mold. I got a 2 cavity mold with one in 70% and the other in 90% nose. I've been very please with the quality and service.

I've been useing Javalina, but will try some FWFL on my next outing. I haven't had any troubles with velocities up to 2200fps with water dropped wheel weights and a gascheck or a 400gn plainbase also.

[ 11-07-2003, 22:10: Message edited by: Lar45 ]

I'd add that the intended range is also a limiting factor. I tested som .44 cal 280 grain ogival wadcutters a few years ago. They shot great at 25 yards out of my Dan Wesson, OK at 50 yards, 16" group at 100. IMHO they just couldn't keep flying straight as they came down through the speed of sound. On the other hand my 265 grain LBT WFNs will continue to group out to about 175 yards, more than enough range for my purposes. I think it's a balance between bullet weight, velocity and meplat, (BC). BD

I am firmly convinced that the meplat diameter should never exceed the bullet diameter.