If only one?

[Blackhawk45hunter]

If you could only have one Lee .452 bullet mold for your 45 Colt, what would it be?

[Blackhawk45hunter]

Also, what are your thoughts on using a 252gr. semi-wadcutter for hunting?

[bbs70]

I don't hunt, I use my 45 for target shooting and plinking.
I prefer the swc , but Lee doesn't make it in a 6 cavity mold.
So I settled on the 255 g rnfp in 6 cavity.

[stubshaft]

252 SWC - It gives me slightly better accuracy than the 255 and works well on hogs.

[MtGun44]

Lyman 200 SWC 452460 is a very accurate boolit, as is Miha Products 200 gr RN HP, which can be cast with
or without the HP, or with round or penta HP.

I apologize - just re-read your post and you were asking about Lee molds, my mistake.

Bill

[RobS]

As to a Lee mold then I would go with either the 252 SWC or the 255 RF. The Lee SWC is not a Keith SWC thats a given but it does have a decent meplat diameter. These two choices in consideration for a SAA or clone 45 colt however I believe you are shooting a Ruger BH if I remember reading some of your posts lately and your login name says it too. If you are using a Ruger heavy then the Lee 452-300-RF gas check design would be a good candidate if for only hunting. My end, I always think of hunting/defense first and then move from there when selecting boolit design.

[btroj]

I have the 255 rf. Shoots well for me, out to 50 yards or so. Have never gotten good accuracy at 100 with it. Maybe it is because I have other moulds that shoot so well so I have never spent the time to make it work.
Not a standard Lee mild but I saw that someone on swappig and selling had a NIB group buy 6 cav for Cayoots kinda heavy flat nose. That is my go to bullet for 45 Colt. Might want to take a look.

Brad

[RobS]

The GB Cayoots is a good design. I had one of the molds however if you are wanting to size to .454 there may be issues with the body drive band as my mold would only cast at .452. This made it impossible to keep the boolit from jumping under heavy recoiling loads. The .454 base band made way and would stretch the brass leaving only it, the base band, and the crimp for boolit tension. Despite this the design is very accurate and was the basis of my later designed boolit molds for my 454 Casull.

[btroj]

I size to .452 so it is not a problem for me. I like the smooth taper from nose to bore diameter. I think, no proof here, that the taper helps it center in the bore giving better accuracy.

[fredj338]

For hunting, the RCBS 270grSWC is a great bullet, same design in 355gr as well. For CAS, the Lee 200grFP is my choice.

[pistolman44]

I use the Lee 255RF and push it fast in my 7 1/2" BH. WC820 14gr. Well over 1100FPS. Quenched.

[RobS]

Just a bit of info: I measured the meplat of the Lee 252 SWC and it's not as far off as I thought vs a Keith SWC. Keith designed SWC's that I have lying around measures in around .320-.325 and the Lee right at .310 on the flat. The Cayoot is 75% meplat or right at .340 meplat. I use to have a Lee 255 RF but can't seem to find it in my collection-o-boolits, does anyone have the meplat diameter on this one so Blackhawk45hunter can have the dimensions for comparison.

[btroj]

I get .310 on the meplat for my 255 rf.
The 255 rf is short and fat. Good for short range shooting but i prefer something longer for hunting or longer than 50 yard shooting. Th 255 rf is easy to get to feed in about any 45 Colt gun you could want.

Brad

[MT Gianni]

Lloyd Smale Group buy from Lee. I would save until I found a 454424even if I had to pay e-bay prices or get a custom NOE or BABore before sticking with the current batch from Lee.

[convert69]

I'm going to second what MtGun44 said!

[AZ-Stew]

452424 or the RCBS 270 SWC. And you don't have to drive them over 900fps for good results. Big meplat for tissue disruption and lots o' mass for penetration.

Regards,

Stew

[geargnasher]

Did anyone read the OP?

My pick for Lee is either the 250-ish RF or SWC, the weight works with SAA sights at SAA velocities, both are excellent designs from Lee and work well in a variety of guns, including leverguns.

Gear

[AZ-Stew]

Did anyone read the OP? Gear

Yeah, everything except the "Lee". My eyes were moving too fast.

Regards,

Stew

[NHlever]

So far, I have tried the Lee round flat nosed 255 gr. , 200 gr. and 300 grain designs. Out of those designs I would choose the 452-255-RF 255 grain flat nose. It has worked in every gun I've tried it in. The 200 gr., and 300 gr. are both good designs too, but are somewhat more picky to deal with. The 300 gr. needs lots of velocity to stabilize well at anything over 50 yards, and the 200 gr. bullet has been just a bit harder to find accurate loads for. Actually my best luck with that one has been in 45ACP loads.

[btroj]

Did anyone read the OP?

My pick for Lee is either the 250-ish RF or SWC, the weight works with SAA sights at SAA velocities, both are excellent designs from Lee and work well in a variety of guns, including leverguns.

Gear

Yes I did. I have the 255rf in a six cavity. Good bullet, at shorter ranges. Past 50 I don't get the accuracy. Me thinks it is too short and fat for good down range grouping.
And from a purely technical point of view my 290 Cayoots kinda heavy is a Lee. But I digress.:bigsmyl2:

Brad