If you could only choose ONE lead bullet for your .45-70 which one would it be?

Since you're not going to be hunting with these two rifles, you can pick just about any cast bullet you like. Something in the 300 to 350 grain range will work for target shooting and plinking, and can be loaded light or hot, depending on your needs.

For my hunting 1895, I've settled on the Remington 405 grain soft nose bullet. It's relatively cheap and shoots great. The performance on large game is really good.

I haven't really settled on "one" cast bullet yet for my .45-70's, yet. In cast bullets, I'm getting ready to do some experimenting with 300 and 420 grain bullets and see how my 1895 Cowboy likes them. My Micro-Groove barrel hunting gun doesn't like them at all.

I'll let you know what works in the 1895 CB.

Hope this helps.

Fred

For me it's a 420 grain PB FN cast out of a Lee 6 banger that I bought on a group buy over on castboolits.gunloads.com It has two square bottomed lube grooves and crimp groove. It took forever to get the molds but they come out at .460 if I do my part and I can size them to the gun. (I typically load them at .459)

I can't use my 45/70 for hunting so I'm a paper and steel puncher at 100 yards. If I could hunt then I'd probably be looking for a gascheck bullet. FWIW

Have a good one,
Dave