Bullet Size Confusion

[heavyd]

I am confused with my Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook. The manual says it sizes 44mag to .429 and 45acp to .451. However, manual sizes 9mm to .356, as I would expect of lead. I thought general practice was to size .001 over jacketed so .430, .452, and .356 respectively. What diameter should I purchase my dies for these calibers?

[Echo]

For the revolvers, you should mike the throats of the cylinders and size the boolits to that size, plus or minus a tad. For the autos, I've had best luck sizing to groove + .001, roughly .452 for the 45ACP. But you must let Professor Gun decide - my son's 45 won't accept .452 sized boolits.

[slim1836]

Slugging the barrels first will tell you what size dies to buy.

Others with more experience will chime in I'm sure, but that should be a good starting point.

Slim

[dromia]

The Lyman book is a general reference to give a starting point for those that don't know their firearms dimensions. As has been said take your own measurements and be informed by that.

Also do some searches here, there is plenty of good discussion and advice about that very subject across these boards.

After all good boolit fit to your firearm is the key to successfull cast boolit shooting.

:cbpour:

[cajun shooter]

The 45 ACP has a very shallow rifling in the barrel and for the most part they shoot best with .431 jacket and .432 lead. This is not cut in limestone and is meant as a guide. Stay away from certain brands as the size runs all over the scale. Some gun makers have made the 44-40 guns that have made a come back because of SASS matches to the same as the 44 magnum. That is completely wrong as the standard for that cartridge is .427. The correct thing to do is treat each gun as if it is the only one and slug the bore. This will remove any doubt about the correct barrel size it has and allow you to chose a proper bullet for it to fire.

[bobthenailer]

Over the many years of casting & reloading I size my bullets at .452 for 45 acp & 454 Casull , .430 for 44 mag , .358 for 38 & 357 and .356 to .357 for the 9mm / 38 super with excellent results from possibley 40 different handguns .

[EDK]

I shoot a lot of 44 and some 357 ammo in assorted RUGER VAQUEROS and MARLIN Cowboy Rifles. The MARLINS like over-sized boolits....432+ and .360+. I've found the "fat boolits" work better than standard diameters in the revolvers. The two group buy moulds I'm currently signed up for are .434 and .360.

:cbpour::redneck::Fire:

[largom]

People would like to think that all guns of the same make and caliber are exactly alike, well they are not, each one has it's own identity. The loading manuals are written as a guide to get you Safely started. I do not size any of my cast boolits unless it is necessary in order for the round to chamber. Boolit fit, slugging the barrel/throat, is the first step to acquire good accuracy.

Larry

[mdi]

I believe the sizes noted are the sizes the test techs used when developing the loads listed. In the component section for .44 Magnum load data, 3rd edition, all the lead bullets are sized to .429" and a groove diameter of the test barrel is .429".Also on pg 87 of the 3rd edition a small section is devoted to experimenting with bullet diameter and a few pages earlier is a chart where .44 Magnum is listed as .429" to .431". But in the real world I have a .44 Magnum with a groove diameter of .432" and I don't use a universal receiver with a special vented test barrel. :wink:

[bgokk]

The 45 ACP has a very shallow rifling in the barrel and for the most part they shoot best with .431 jacket and .432 lead.

I think you hit the 3 instead of the 5?[smilie=s:

[plainsman456]

I do as bobthenailer said.Just check your firearm to be sure.

[MikeS]

The 45 ACP has a very shallow rifling in the barrel and for the most part they shoot best with .431 jacket and .432 lead.

I'm assuming you meant to say .451 & .452 for the 45ACP?

[MtGun44]

The only way to really know what diameter to use is to slug the bore and shoot about .001
larger than that for semiauto pistols, some need .002 over for best results.

For revolvers, you should be shooting about at or .001 over throat diameter. The throat is
the cylindrical portion in front of the chamber. Measured best with machinist's pin gages.
You can slug if you remove the cyl and support it well. You can easily bend the crane of
a swing out revolver by trying to slug the throats with the cyl installed.

Read some of the stickies, there is a lot of info there.

Bill

[noylj]

Your son's .45 won't take 0.452" bullets? What is wrong with it? I have never had any problem with shooting my as-cast bullets and, in 9x19, I shoot 0.358" all the time (even in a match-grade barrel on my P08).