I have a 23" SS barrel for my contender ordered, I am thinking the lee 340 or the Ranch dog 350 grn bullet. I will be using LLA to lube them. Any one know the sizer I will most likely want.

I have used the Lee 340 for many years in my Contender carbine. I shoot them unsized, two coats of Lee Liquid Alox.
Pete

Welcome to the forum. Rules are to join in and be polite and generally play nicely with the rest of us kids. More rules are in the stickies at the top of the General forum.

Ranch Dog's molds are tumble lube designs that should be Lubed with Lee Liquid Alox or White Label Xlox (exact same stuff, but $10 a quart in the White Label packaging, so it costs less). You can let the lube dry just enough to get tacky, then dust the bullets with motor mica if you want added insurance and less tacky handling? The tumble lube designs do not typically require sizing and may be fired as-cast, which saves you some money. You will want to slug your bore to be sure your sizing dimensions are correct for that, and e-mail Michael (Ranch Dog) to ask if he thinks you will need any sizing with your particular bore dimensions? That might save you the cost of buying sizing gear.

I have a 23" SS barrel for my contender ordered, I am thinking the lee 340 or the Ranch dog 350 grn bullet. I will be using LLA to lube them. Any one know the sizer I will most likely want.

Do not know about Contenders , but Marlin .45-70 rifles like big bullets , .460" .


So , get the Ranch Dog mold and his .460" sizer .

Or the Lee 405 grain Hollow Base mold , it is a bigger mold than the Lee 340 grain .

I have to paper patch my Lee 340 grain bullets to get them big enough to shoot OK .

God bless
Wyr

Oh, yeah. Forgot you need a way to seat the gas checks. Michaels sizers will probably be Lee, also. No need for a separate lubrisizer; they just fit onto your loading press.

An alternative to the metal gas check is the p-wad, sold by NECO, but they are possible to make yourself by cutting up a sheet of 0.063 LDPE from your local plastics supplier.

Oh, yeah. Forgot you need a way to seat the gas checks. Michaels sizers will probably be Lee, also. No need for a separate lubrisizer; they just fit onto your loading press.

An alternative to the metal gas check is the p-wad, sold by NECO, but they are possible to make yourself by cutting up a sheet of 0.063 LDPE from your local plastics supplier.


What is LDPE ?

God bless
Wyr

low density polyethylene

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_density_polyethylene

low density polyethylene

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_density_polyethylene


And you cookie cut " wads " from this stuff & use it in place of gas checks ?

God bless
Wyr

Basically, yes. You can sharpen an old case with a chamfering tool and use it as a cutter and push the wads out with a wire through the flashhole. The wad is placed in the case over the powder before the bullet is seated. The side of the P-wad that you started your cut into is usually slightly rounded on top, and that side is usually oriented upright (against the bottom of the bullet).

The plastic protects the bullet base from heat and gas at the muzzle. LDPE melts a little and is a waxy lubricant, so a small amount tin the bore is thought to be a good thing. The only potential downside, other than the added time and material effort, is that the thickness of the wad takes up a little of the powder space. Since most of us aren't driving lead bullets to maximum velocity, that usually doesn't become an issue when using them.

this has been the most helpful forum