Best ML for cast bullets

I recently got into casting bullets and I enjoy it as much if not more than hand loading. So if the purpose of your ML were to throw cast bullets what would you get? I would white tail hunt with it, but mostly for plinking.
Prost
Ben

Some of the decision is dependent on bullet diameter casting and grains sizing. What exactly will you be producing?

That all depends on what you are in to. For instance I have some custom rifles that shoot roundball remarkably. I have White rifles that shoot conical bullets I cast with amazing accuracy. But if you want plinking and maybe killing an occasional white tail, I would look at a Lyman Trade Rifle. They shoot round ball very well and even conical bullets. They can take a deer with ease, and are fun to shoot. Like I said, it depends on what you are into. If its super accurate, then find a used White Rifle, maybe a .451 and cast a nice long conical for it. It will amaze you. And take any game you want to hunt with ease.

So if the purpose of your ML were to throw cast bullets what would you get? I would white tail hunt with it, but mostly for plinking.

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Thats easy, a 45cal 1-20 twist. You can easily shoot bullets from 350gr to over 500gr. You might be able to go even lower in weight for plinking. There are TONS of 45cal molds.

Not many 45cal 1-20s are available atm but its easy to make one. CVA offers a Scout V2 in 45/70 with a muzzle brake. They can be found for about $350ish. They also offer a Hunter model that can be found for around $250. Both can easily be converted to a muzzleloader by threading the chamber for a breach plug. The conversion starts around $200 or slightly less including the price of the plug.

A Knight 45 1-30 will shoot most of the light to mid weight 45cal conical just fine too. Mine would shoot a 360gr with excellent accuracy. Knight offered them in DISC Original, Elites, Extremes and currently in the Mountaineers. CVA offered a 45 1-28 in the Accura V1 and current Apex models. They had a couple much older models in 45 1-28 also.

GoexBlackhorn said:

Some of the decision is dependent on bullet diameter casting and grains sizing. What exactly will you be producing?

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Its a chicken vs egg situation. At first i assummed Id buya CVA wolf and cast for that, it was brought to y attention there may be better rifels for my intrests. Now here i am

GM54-120 said:

So if the purpose of your ML were to throw cast bullets what would you get? I would white tail hunt with it, but mostly for plinking.

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Not many 45cal 1-20s are available atm but its easy to make one. CVA offers a Scout V2 in 45/70 with a muzzle brake. They can be found for about $350ish. They also offer a Hunter model that can be found for around $250. Both can easily be converted to a muzzleloader by threading the chamber for a breach plug. The conversion starts around $200 or slightly less including the price of the plug.

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Does anyone make plugs for the New England version? There is one for sale near me for 225

zymguy said:

GM54-120 said:

So if the purpose of your ML were to throw cast bullets what would you get? I would white tail hunt with it, but mostly for plinking.

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Not many 45cal 1-20s are available atm but its easy to make one. CVA offers a Scout V2 in 45/70 with a muzzle brake. They can be found for about $350ish. They also offer a Hunter model that can be found for around $250. Both can easily be converted to a muzzleloader by threading the chamber for a breach plug. The conversion starts around $200 or slightly less including the price of the plug.

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Does anyone make plugs for the New England version? There is one for sale near me for 225

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Yes, both Hankins and ArrowHead Sporting goods could do it although im not sure if ASG has a FFL. Im not sure if a FFL is needed for converting those or not. SMI can also convert a NEF/H&R 45/70 to a 45cal SML or ML.

what Kind of cast bullet do you want to shoot? Really, you could find something to shoot cast in any muzzleloader. I shoot all kinds of cast from pistol bullets in sabots, to heavy big lead fullbore. Cast in sabot, full bore cast, big longrange thumpers? With some tinkering, you could find something to shoot in any twist or caliber. If its big old thumpers, you want more of a specific barrel type.

I like the idea of shooting the same bullets in my ml as I load for my 45 colt . Rather avoid sabots , but suspect a cva in 50 with sabots is where I'll end up . I'm looking at the 45 saa 270 grain rcbs mold

Its doable, but may require some development. the .454 size is kind of in between. you could try a harvester crush rib, or an MMP HPH-24 sabot, (both for ~.452 size)but either is likely to be very tight. another option is the MMP orange (.457-.458) and possibly knurl the bullet. your not really going to find a bullet that works in your colt, that will also be acceptable as a bore fit muzzleloader projectile. But I am pretty confident, theres a way to make that bullet shoot with a sabot in a .50 cal. whether the journey is worth taking is up to you...

On a good day this is what I can do with my .451 Whites with a 1-20" twist shooting several conical bullets that I cast.

If I could find a 451 white , I'd prob buy it !

GM54-120 said:

So if the purpose of your ML were to throw cast bullets what would you get?

A Knight 45 1-30 will shoot most of the light to mid weight 45cal conical just fine too. Mine would shoot a 360gr with excellent accuracy. Knight offered them in DISC Original, Elites, Extremes

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Well , looks like I found a knight 1-30 on the classifieds !

What mold should I start with

Take a look at a couple of these. http://www.hensleygibbs.com/casting/big45bullets.htm

The 330gr Gould HP is a great shooter and works well with lighter loads. Lyman #457122. At one time this mould was offered without the HP but it was discontinued.

A step up in weight would be the Saeco #018 which will cast around 385gr+ in the HP version and over 400gr in the flat point.

One more step up is the 45-405-FN RCBS. It should drop a HP at just over 400gr in pure lead.

I imagine some of these moulds are no longer available but that RCBS in a HP looks very interesting to me. Dan at Bullshop offers a similar bullet for roughly $40/100. That includes sized, lubed and shipped.

I would suggest you try some bullets in these weight ranges first before sinking a bunch of cash into a mould/s. NoExcuses sells a 385gr flat point fairly cheap too. Going in blind though, i would go straight to the 330gr Gould and have a flat point pin made for it. That will give you around 350gr to 360gr bullets in pure lead.

http://bullshop.weebly.com/-45-caliber- ... llets.html
http://www.muzzleloading-bullets.com/in ... age319.htm

I have posted that pic before. I shoot those out of my 54-120 with a 54 to 50 cal sabot behind 95 Gr of BH209. They work great.

micky_blue said:

I have posted that pic before. I shoot those out of my 54-120 with a 54 to 50 cal sabot behind 95 Gr of BH209. They work great.

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Now that is an interesting hollow point. Almost looks like the mold pin was made from an Allen wrench. 8)

The lehigh bullets have a hollow point like that too I think. Pretty cool looking not sure it's any better than round but I like the looks of it

zymguy said:

I recently got into casting bullets and I enjoy it as much if not more than hand loading. So if the purpose of your ML were to throw cast bullets what would you get? I would white tail hunt with it, but mostly for plinking.
Ben

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In my experience with bore diameter bullets in ML, I've had better results with soft (pure) lead than hard lead. In a sabot, I once tested hard (wheel weights) vs pure lead and I could not tell any difference on paper at 100.

52Bore said:

zymguy said:

I recently got into casting bullets and I enjoy it as much if not more than hand loading. So if the purpose of your ML were to throw cast bullets what would you get? I would white tail hunt with it, but mostly for plinking.
Ben

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In my experience with bore diameter bullets in ML, I've had better results with soft (pure) lead than hard lead. In a sabot, I once tested hard (wheel weights) vs pure lead and I could not tell any difference on paper at 100.

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Ive had the same results, and have tried several styles in sabot.

The hollow point is pentagonal. I have yet to shoot anything with it other than paper. I did dig a slug out of the dirt once, at maybe 35 yards. The top section of the bullet sheered off and the rear solid slug was intact. There was minimal deformation. These are cast from pure wheel weights. I was not surprised by the aftermath. Some day I would love to take a deer with these and recover a slug, but I have the feeling that the slug will drive completely through the animal and imbed itself in the dirt.