AKA Hugh Uno
As to SHOOTING oversize BULLETS:
1. I have NEVER had to do this and have had excellent success with ALL of my TD rifles (and I have owned well over a dozen).
The use of "excellent success" may be very poor success to another. Can you quantify with 5 or 10 shot group sizes at 100 or 200 yards?
2. It is virtually IMPOSSIBLE to SEAT a .460 bullet in a modern (even unsized)45-70 case as the case mouth is gonna size it down to about .459" and/0r it ain't gonna FIT in the chamber. This was verified by a gentleman on the old Jousters TD forum. Thus "or larger" is NOT gonna work.
Actually it is very easy. Perhaps had you paid more attention to Wolf's book you would have learned that an over size expander is needed. That expander comes with the special Lee die set also recommended in that book. I have seated numerous 45-70 bullets in appropriately expanded cases and not had any "sizing down". Now that is my own measurements and not depending on someone else's statements. I regularly seat .464 bullets cast of 1 to 16 or 20 alloy in neck sized cases. .465" bullets are still a slip fit in most all cases fired in all of my TDs. I also regularly use a .4615" Rapine 460500 bullet with excellet accuracy (quatified as 10 shot groups at 200 yards under 4" or 2 moa). The .464" Lee 405HBs run 3 moa at 200 yards for 10 shots. Either of those bullets or Lyman's 457124 or 457125 sized .459 shoot into 3-4 moa.
3. I would try shooting a remington or other JACKETED bullet. If that keyholes, you can either try a hollow base bullet (and good luck with that) or buy another shooter.
The shooting of jacketed bullets in original TDs is generally not recommended by most TD authorities due to the softer steel of the barrels.
As for the late Mr. Wolfe's book,I personally think it is a very poorly written and researched book and a last choice for a beginner handloader.
Very easy to criticise another's work, especially when you fail to supply an alternative view. Spence's book is about replicating the military service loads for the TD. It is not about getting the best accuracy from a TD. Again, had you paid more attention reading the book, if you actually read it, you would know that. Most of us consider Spence's book to be the primer for reloading for the TD. It gives all of the basics in a simple and easy to understand format. If one wants to further work on accurate loads beyond the relm of Service loads then other methods can certainly be used. However, If one just wants to replicate the original service loads for their TD Spence's book is theway to learn how.
You have a nice day.
Larry Gibson