457132

[Don McDowell]

Kenny's library thread got me to thinking on some of the stuff we were lead to believe is right and proper, to a certain extent it is, but sometimes "the rest of the story" needs to have some light shed on it.
The venerable postel bullet is a good case in point. The original version (not the regenerated offered by Lyman today) had a nose quite similar to what many have come to call the "creedmoor".. Now we also been told it's been around for ever in the 535 gr weight.. Well yeah, but how many know that it was also available in 475 and 415 gr weights?
I'm inclined to think that the 475 gr weight may have been more popular with the long range 45-70 shooters, the trapdoor men etc, than the heavier bullet. Especially given that the "45-70" cartridge the War Dept first excepted as being the best was loaded with a 480 gr bullet (Peabody design and rifle) that looks an awful lot like the saeco 645.
Ok send the flames,, I have the romex and wildland fire shelter handy.

[Gunlaker]

A friend of mine shoots the 475gr version of the Postel bullet in a .45-70. He's quite happy with it. I believe that he's had that mould for more than a few years. I'm not certain whether it has the original nose or the newer one though.

Chris.

[Don McDowell]

Chris would it be possible for you to get a picture of that bullet and post it for us?

[bobw]

Paul Matthews had a Lyman 457132 at 535grs and then had it modified by milling the bottom off to the base of the first driving band, above the original base. It weighed at 475 ,he swore by it as a major improvement over the heavier slug even to 1000 yds. He covered that multiple times in his various BP books. bobw

[Kurt]

Don I'm not going to flame you for your thoughts on the 132.
I have always said that the 132 is the one bullet I would use if I could only get one mould. It is good in any of the .45 caliber rifles I have shot it in from the slower ROT the Trapdoors have to the 1/18 the rest of my rifles have.
I also agree the 475 grain would be a good one to go with.
If you ever see an old 132 Ideal mould you will see that the base band is a lot thinner than what you see now in any of the postell moulds.
I will also add one more Ideal mould if I may Don.
The second mould I would add is the .457-121. I can’t figure why Lyman is making it in the .456" diameter. The first 121 mould I had was .458". And that original .457-121 came adjustable for the 215g, 250g, 295g, 340g, 385g, 430g, 475g depending on what base band you set it for. I have a picture of this adjustable mould if I still have it my back up. My computer crashed over the weekend and I lost whatever I did not have backed up.

Kurt

[Don McDowell]

Kurt you bring up a good point on the difference in moulds Lyman in particular offered then and now, and a person just has to wonder why did they change things the way they did?

[Kurt]

I don't know Don.
With the three different postell weights makes me wonder maybe if that mould was at one time offered in a adjustable.

[Gunlaker]

Chris would it be possible for you to get a picture of that bullet and post it for us?

I'll ask my friend to bring one to the range the next time I see him.

Chris.

[Don McDowell]

Kurt it sure could have been, but it also tells us that the ODG's knew there was more than one bullet weight to be used.

Chris that would be great , thanks.

[Gunlaker]

I talked with my friend today and he'll try and remember to bring a bullet to the range next week. It turns out that his mould is an old Lyman nose pour mould that he has modified by removing one band. It was a full length Postel that didn't work well in his early CSA rifle. He shortened the mould by milling it down and he's modified the nose As well :-). It comes in at around 490gr and he likes it for his .45-70.

Chris.