Has anyone tried the lee 459-405hb in a 1895g
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I use the 459-405-HB in my Trapdoor springfield. It and the 459-500-3R are the only .459 molds listed by Lee. Cast from soft lead, I smear the grooves with thickened alox and shoot without sizing. Loaded to 1200fps they are quite pleasant to shoot.
It should work very well in the 1895, as it has a short nose with a large flat.
I measured one that I had on my desk.
length 1.055
diameter .460-.461
nose flat diameter 0.190
length of nose .425
hollow base diameter 0.225
hollow base depth 0.220
They are easy to cast. When you open the mold, the bullet is sitting on the core pin. Turn over the mold and the bullet falls off easily.
M.
It should work very well in the 1895, as it has a short nose with a large flat.
I measured one that I had on my desk.
length 1.055
diameter .460-.461
nose flat diameter 0.190
length of nose .425
hollow base diameter 0.225
hollow base depth 0.220
They are easy to cast. When you open the mold, the bullet is sitting on the core pin. Turn over the mold and the bullet falls off easily.
M.
That bullet, lubed with NASA lube and loaded over a full load of Swiss 1 1/2F is one of the most accurate loads I have tried in my 1895 CB. I can hit 6 inch steel plates at 300M pretty regularly with it if the light is good. Never tried it with smokeless, it's just so much fun with black!
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522 Posts
Worked fine in mine.supertodd said:
I worked up several smokeless loads for mine and I did not get very good accuracy. I was getting discouraged and tried a Lyman 457193 that someone on the cast bullet forum sent me and they shot like lasers so I quit mid stream in trying to get the 405 HB tuned in and bought a 457193 mold. Funny how different guns have different tastes in lead. I would be willing to trade the HB for some .357 brass if anyone is interested.
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662 Posts
I've had excellent results from this mould in my 1895GG (no ports).
I've cast them from straight w/w, straight lead (Pb), and w/w with 3-4oz of lead free solder added to improve casting and heat treating properties.
I cast them from straight lead for a friends Sharps repro in .45/90. He actually gave me the mould in return for some bullets as my casting set up is elaborate and results are much better than his efforts.
I've loaded them with everything from 5gr of Bullseye to compressed charges of IMR4064 and RL15.
I get ~1,900fps from the Imr4064 load and if I ever go to Alaska again, it's riding in the back of my plane........
I size the "hard ones" to .459" with Lee sizer and then heat treat. After heat treating, I run them through the Lyman #450 at .459" and lube with SPG. Accuracy runs aobut 2" @ 100yds. They perforate deer splendidly. I typically don't use this load much as a 318gr RCBS FNGC is much more pleasant to shoot at same velocities and still completly penetrates anything that I've shot with it (several deer and hogs to ~300lbs) There is such a thing as "too much of a good thing"!!!.
I've cast them from straight w/w, straight lead (Pb), and w/w with 3-4oz of lead free solder added to improve casting and heat treating properties.
I cast them from straight lead for a friends Sharps repro in .45/90. He actually gave me the mould in return for some bullets as my casting set up is elaborate and results are much better than his efforts.
I've loaded them with everything from 5gr of Bullseye to compressed charges of IMR4064 and RL15.
I get ~1,900fps from the Imr4064 load and if I ever go to Alaska again, it's riding in the back of my plane........
I size the "hard ones" to .459" with Lee sizer and then heat treat. After heat treating, I run them through the Lyman #450 at .459" and lube with SPG. Accuracy runs aobut 2" @ 100yds. They perforate deer splendidly. I typically don't use this load much as a 318gr RCBS FNGC is much more pleasant to shoot at same velocities and still completly penetrates anything that I've shot with it (several deer and hogs to ~300lbs) There is such a thing as "too much of a good thing"!!!.
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34 Posts
I have that mould on order and is to be here when I get home tomorrow. Have had real great shooting from The Lee 340 RNFP and figured what the heck, under 20 bucks, I'll try another. Since I can't get my weapon to shoot worth a hoot with 300 JHP's, I'll just go cast all the way. I stumbled onto this thread, and like you, I want to try other bullets besides the 340~350 gr. range. If this HB works half as good as the Improved Minie I use for my .50 ML, then I'll have another winner in a HB design. 
Good luck and just perhaps we'll have some intereesting range reports in the near future...
Dennis
Good luck and just perhaps we'll have some intereesting range reports in the near future...
Dennis
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34 Posts
Well forget a range report on the 405 HB from this oldman. The mould arrived and after careful cleaning and all the aluminum ritiual required, they came out lousy! ......Going back to iron moulds. I'm done with the Lee moulds.....I'll save up my bottlecaps and get me a Lyman.
Dennis
......Going back to iron moulds. I'm done with the Lee moulds.....I'll save up my bottlecaps and get me a Lyman. Dennis
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4,596 Posts
Send it back--someone has to wake those people up--I hear about this same thing way to much lately.Broken Arrow said:Well forget a range report on the 405 HB from this oldman. The mould arrived and after careful cleaning and all the aluminum ritiual required, they came out lousy!
Dennis
Steve
BA,
I think it is unreasonable to think ANY mold will cast good bullets the first time out. Some MAY but I feel you're asking a lot.
I never liked aluminum molds but after awhile I learned how to produce good bullets with them!
I still like cast iron better!
Hip
I think it is unreasonable to think ANY mold will cast good bullets the first time out. Some MAY but I feel you're asking a lot.
I never liked aluminum molds but after awhile I learned how to produce good bullets with them!
I still like cast iron better!
Hip
Most of the "crappy" boolits from my LEE molds were my fault. Once I figgered out the temperature and alloy, the LEE molds work just fine. My 405HB drops good boolits once it is heated properly and the alloy has enough tin.
I'm keeping mine.
Papalote
I'm keeping mine.
Papalote
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34 Posts
I have cast my own for 48 years now. This is the second Lee mould that has failed me. I will no longer go with their moulds even if my life depended upon it. I will find a nice Lyman or RCBS mould made of iron and thus return to using properly constructed moulds that one does not have to "chant" over and baby all the time. Lee has lost a customer here, but Lyman still has one. You get what you pay for in the end really. I should have learned my lesson the first time, but I was trying to be optomistic....my mistake....
Dennis
Dennis
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235 Posts
I love Lee molds. I've owned at least a dozen and never had a drop of trouble.
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I suppose I should say that I am, and I mean this, happy that folks have good results with the Lee moulds. The last thing I want is to cause ANY of us here to even remotely feel that my bad expierence with Lee was directed toward them in any way. That is not what this forum is about. So to that end, I do wish all here good casting and the tightest groups on the planet! ;D I'm just going to do it with moulds that I know how to use properly and get the results that I require. That is with iron. So, I'll step aside from this and find a mould that suits my needs....
Thanks,
Dennis
Thanks,
Dennis
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882 Posts
So we can learn from your experience, please tell us in detail what was wrong with the bullets?Broken Arrow said:Well forget a range report on the 405 HB from this oldman. The mould arrived and after careful cleaning and all the aluminum ritiual required, they came out lousy!
Dennis
I have one of those molds and it works for me.
M.
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