PC, yeah thanks for the info. I was going to go shooting yesterday but it was -22C so I stayed inside. Haven't bought any .45 Woodleighs yet as I have to get them from the states and they are very dear. Any probs using roundnose bullets in the tube mag rifles?

Yeh, Daryl I got told it is very unsafe. I read somewhere that if you took a round nose projectile and put a flat piece of steel on the inside of your loading press and then sat a projectile on the shell holder raised the ram and squashed the projectile against the steel then this would infact flatten the projectile enough to be loaded into tubular magazines. I have not tried it but if this worked we could load 500 grain woodleigh soft nose .458 bullets!!!!!. We would then have a pretty useful dgr close range load at a reduced cost than the garrets. Garret gets 1550 fps from there 45/70 524 gr hardcast bullets. You could probably start off loads at 10% under the 405 grain starting loads and work up from there.

Daryl there is a book I have read that you might be interested in it is called "40 years with the 45/70" written by Matthews. It was a bloody good read.

Tell us what you think of the above idea!!!!

Regards PC

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PC, the first thought I had was that it might squash the bullet and bulge the sides? What about filing off the nose flat? I like hardcast bullets; no jacket and core to come apart. I'll look for that book! I'm always short on reading material and I have no experience with the 45/70. That 500gr would be gooood bear medicine!

Actually Daryl I reckon I read it in that book I reccomended. That bloke was doing it to 350 grain hornady round nose bullets. Do you think that there would be enough pressure applied to stress the sides of the bullets??. I wonder if you can by Garrets hammerhead 524gr hardcast as a seperate component??. For real close work with that receiver sight your putting on, you could have your first cartridge in the chamber loaded with a 500 gr woodleigh and the projectiles in the magazine could be 405 gr woodleighs. Maybe that would be a good idea just as long as you did not get them mixed up!!!

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You might not bulge the bullets but I'd be afraid of damageing the base of the bullet, easier to just file off point. You might try Lee #90376, thats a flat point 500gn .457 mould that shoots very well in my 45-70.

Hey, PC. That is why I originally asked about RNs because I can get some locally but wasn't sure if they were safe. I guess they aren't so pricey that I couldn't try the press thing. If I screw a few up I can always file the rest

Daryl I do not think that you will muck any up, I was just thinking about what happens to my rigby bullets that are in the magazine when you fire that rifle. Those points get battered very flat on the front of the magazine box due to recoil. I reckon that it would be minimal pressure that need be applied to flatten the lead out.

In response to srx I would not think you would hurt the base, you could put a flat piece of steel along the bottom as well to ensure even pressure, no sharp edges etc. If it did not work like you say fileing would also work.

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PC, y'know, you're right. I never thought about how they get flattened in the mag under recoil I'll give it a try. It's chinooking here--went up to +3C--so I went out and shot my 45/70. With that Federal 300gr. HP crap it was a pussy cat. With the sights adjusted up all the way it still hits 6" low @ 25 yds. I'll put a rear peep on firt and then figure out what size I need for the front blade. Did yours shoot OK?

Daryl, I put a tasco propoint on mine (there great for my intended purpose, shooting running grasshoppers and hogs) and have only shot it with that. Funny though Before I shot it I thought winding the elevation down until the dot was level with the front blade would get me on the board. The thing shot that low it was near landing at my feet!!!

At seventy yards with the propoint I get 2 inch groups with the 300 gr sierras loaded to 2150. It seems to like the woodlieghs better as far as accuracy goes, but for sheer violent expansion those sierras 300gr HP's are awsome.

Keep me updated on how yours is going!

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