Big Lube 45-70 bullets for the non-caster?

[Mad_Dog]

Hey guys!  I'm doing a bit of pre-game research, not really in the market yet.  That said :

My dear wife has her heart set on a Marlin 1895G in 45-70.  I googled some ammo prices and nearly fainted at $1.85 a bullet in qty 100.  I started looking into reloading, as thats they only way I could ever buy both bullets for the wife and food for the kids.  Sticker shock at reloading equipment set in until I stumbled upon the Lee classic loaders, and found a website that convinced me that it might suffice for my purposes.

If I'm gonna reload these cartridges, though, I'm gonna load them with black powder <evil grin>.  

So -- where do I find appropriate big lube bullets?  I checked springfield slim, but he doesn't seem to cast a .45-70 bullet.  Would any big-lube bullet in .458 fit the bill?  I was thinking I might like to lighten the load a bit for target practice so that the gun doesn't become a wall-hanger after returning from her first outing with a bruised shoulder.  I noticed that DD mentioned using his dd/puk/roa/whateverotheralphabetsoupgoeswiththatbullet in a 45-70, but he didn't mention what size it drops at.

Any advice and/or links to appropriate bullets for sale would be appreciated!

thanks,
Mad-Dog

[Kent Shootwell]

45/70 Marlins were made with the barrel rifled with micro groove or the ballard type grooves. Mine with micro groove wouldn't shoot well with any cast bullet. The most important thing about the bullet is the lube (I like SPG) when firing black powder, then if you can get them of a softer alloy all the better. Weight of 400 grains plus or minus 25 grains will serve in a flat point style.
The Lee loader will make fine ammo and is how I made mine for years.

[Mad_Dog]

45/70 Marlins were made with the barrel rifled with micro groove or the ballard type grooves. Mine with micro groove wouldn't shoot well with any cast bullet.

Yeah, I've read that the ones they make today have ballard grooves rather than micro grooves.  I'd be sure to get one with ballard grooves if there's an option.  Hoping to find a supplier of Big Lube type bullets that are pre-lubed with a blackpowder lube, but I'm not above pan-lubing if I need to.

-Mad Dog

[Blackpowder Burn]

Mad Dog,

You can use the 300 grain 45-60 that Slim produces.  It is of the proper diameter and he casts of the proper 20:1 alloy and lubes with suitable BP lube.  I've used his bullets and they are top notch.  The 45-60 is basically a shortened 45-70 that Winchester produced for the Model 1876 rifle.

Of course, once you get hooked on BP shooting, you'll end up getting casting equipment yourself.  Then you'll end up with every Big Lube bullet that Dick Dastardly produces. I've got 5 of them now, and will have a 6th when he gets the 0.454 round ball on the market.

[Kent Shootwell]

A source for 405 grain soft bullets with black powder lube.  http://www.cheycast.com/ They mail order too.

[August]

Marlin hasn't made a micro groove 45-70 in over a decade.

[Springfield Slim]

I still do the 400 grain 45-70, I just take it off my websight when I get too far behind in my work. Like Aggie said, the 300 grainer is better for most purposes anyway, is cheaper and should have less recoil. Here is a pic of both for a comparison.