Has anyone loaded .458 premium bullets in 45/70 brass with any success? We have a difficult time getting a wide variety of 45/70 bullets and it was suggested by one reloader here to use the .458. This of course would also allow the use of very heavy bullets such as the 550gr, give me a wider choice of bullet types and .458 bullets are cheaper.

From a ballistics perspective, the solids should work fine, but some of the softs may not expand well due to the lower velocity.

Check the overall length of any rounds loaded with the 500-550gr. bullets; they may not feed properly. Also, the throat your .45-70 may not be long enough to allow seating of the longer bullets.

George

Thanks George,

I presume that your reply means that really the only factor is overall case + bullet length and expansion quality (which I would worry less about). So that if I can seat the bullet deep enough, all is fine?

Well, if you seat the bullet deep enough to make the required OAL, then you may have a powder capacity, or pressure problem. I would approach the heavy weights with caution as far as how much powder I used. And, of course, some .45-70 actions are a lot stronger than others.

Hey Berger,

How about telling us what action you are using. I shoot a Win 1886 that has been throated with 440gr and 500gr hardcast lead bullets. If you are shooting a Marlin, then you do have OAL limitations of 2.550" that will give you headaches with the heavy weight bullets. If you do load the "premium" .458 bullets, consider them as solids, because they will not expand at all at 45-70 velocities.

I just bought the marlin Scout to try out on some of the African antelope and am awaiting the licence. In the meantime, I have been loading different bullets which I will try once I get the gun in a couple of weeks.

Hello Berger

Considering what you want to do with the 45/70 ( shooting plainsgame )and the fact that you have a Marlin you are propably better off using 350 - 400 gr bullets .
In SA the best bullets (the only ones readily available ) to use is propably the Hornady 350 RN , the Rhino 360 ( this bullet was designed with the lower velocity of the 45/70 in mind ) and the Speer 350 ( but I dont know of anybody importing it - I still have a box left of them) . GS also produce a bullet for the 45/70 but you will have to decide yourself if you want to go down that route - at lease , like the Rhino ,it is locally made.

The cheapest currently is the Hornady and for what you want to do propably more than adequate .

Last week I ordered a Melting pot and some moulds to start casting bullets for the 45/70 . The cost of shooting the available jacketed bullets in SA is getting too much at the rate I am shooting currently.

In my opinion it is one of the best Bushveld calibers . Even cast bullets should be adequate for hunting in the bushveld .

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do - seems the 45/70 popularity in SA is increasing .

Bennie

Berger If you can get some of the Hornady 350 RN or the new FN they will work real good on any game short of buff. If supplies are hard to get Yspen has the best solution, cast your own flatnose bullets about 400 gr. works good.

Thanks guys,

YSPEN where did you order your mold and melter from?

Berger

I was lucky - a shop in Cape Town had a Lee Production IV melter on the shelf for R506 - old stock .( City Guns in CT sell them for R970 ) .
City Guns also import the Lee Moulds and will initially get the 340 gr Flatnose from them . It seems that only the Lee moulds are affordable in SA . GRC and Nicholas Yale in JHB didn't have any moulds for 458 in stock . .

Later I want to try something heavier and maybe with a Gascheck - My brother in the UK may have to get a Lyman mould for me from there . The shops here don't import Lyman unless it is special order and then it costs too much .

Good luck
Bennie