NOE 360 .454gr mold for 45-70

  • 356 Views
  • Last Post 18 June 2019
loophole posted this 14 June 2019

I love NOE molds.  I decided to cast lighter bullets for my 45-70's,  I had a number of rifles which were heavier, but I'm down to an H&R Officer's Model trapdoor and a C. Sharps which is basically a cavalry carbine with a 26" bbl.  My back rebels at maneuvering heavier rifles even to shoot off the bench, and though both these rifles shot very well with 405, 450, and 500 g r bullets, I want something with less recoil for shooting on my 200yd steel target range.  Both these rifles shot 1" 5-shot groups when I had younger eyes, and I hope to do as well after cataract surgery with lighter bullets.  I spent most of the week casting bullets with my new NOE mold and loading a duplex load of 5gr 5744 and 62gr Goex FFg. 

I have used mostly singly cavity molds, but I decided to try the NOE 3 cavity mold.  I am amazed at how much quicker the bullets pile up when you pour three at a time instead of one or two.  The cost of an NOE three cavity mold is not much more than a single cavity, and the process is no more difficult than with the single cavity mold. 

It took a while to get the new mold properly broken in, but no more than steel molds.  After following instructions exactly I still got wrinkled bullets until I sprayed the mold with brake cleaner.  After that perfect bullets.   I seem to remember that bullets were more uniform with one cavity molds in the days when they were made with a cherry.  Now I understand that with CNC machinery multi cavity mold throw uniform bullets.  I'll find out this Sat. if all goes well.

Loophole  

 

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • M3 Mitch
Order By: Standard | Newest | Votes
M3 Mitch posted this 14 June 2019

Are you saying it's a 360 grain, .454" diameter mold?  Most 45-70 are .457 or bigger.   .454 is mostly for older .45 Colt and similar revolvers.  They may slug up with the black powder though. 

Good luck in any case.

Attached Files

Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 14 June 2019

... while on light loads for the 45-70, my current sissy plinking load of 12.8 gr unique and the lee old army 230 gr rn ....  seems to burn clean enough, but does leave a lot of soot on the front half of the case.

i really like that the little ruger 3 jumps a little but doesn't bruise ...

ken

Attached Files

loophole posted this 15 June 2019

Mitch, you are right, of course.  It's a .460" dia.  Had  secretary for fourty years and never learned to type or proofread.  Ken, I was younger and thought I was immune to recoil when I bought the Ruger No. 3.  It taught me better, but I sure wish I still had it.

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • M3 Mitch
M3 Mitch posted this 18 June 2019

I bought a 4-cavity Lyman 292 grain mold decades ago when Lyman had a "clean out the attic" sale.  This bullet works well in my 1886 45-70.  I can't remember the mold # off the top of my head. 

Attached Files

JeffinNZ posted this 18 June 2019

Shooting is supposed to be fun.  No point beating yourself senseless with big bullets if you can have fun and shoot accurately with a little one IMHO.

Cheers from New Zealand

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • M3 Mitch
  • dbarron
Close