Loading my cast 200grn RFN

[Blackcat]

I just made my first cast bullets.
Both Lee precision RFN .452 diameter 300 grain and 200 grain.
The 200 grain I want to load in my .454 brass at +p 45 colt pressure.
I have Titegroup, Unique, and H110.
For primers I have CCI 400.
No gas checks so I want to keep the pressure below serious leading pressures.
This is for a Taurus .454 revolver.

Any thoughts on which powder and number of grains works best for something like this and will the CCI 400 primers be ok.

Im thinking of 7.5 to 8 grains of Titegroup.

Thanks.

[Floydster]

In my experience Titegroup is not the powder to use with cast bullets--especially without a gas check, it just burns too hot.

[Blackcat]

Ok so erhaps the unique with 7-8 grains ? that looks decent.
Im also trying to find a good simple online ounce to grains conversion chart... I have no idea how to calculate grains of powder.

[ipijohn]

Ok so erhaps the unique with 7-8 grains ? that looks decent.
Im also trying to find a good simple online ounce to grains conversion chart... I have no idea how to calculate grains of powder.

I think the conversion is 7000 grains = 1 pound.

[Carolina Cast Bullets]

That is correct, 7000 grains = one pound

therefore 7000 divided by 16 = 437.5 grains per oz

Jerry
Carolina Cast Bullets

[rexherring]

Ok so erhaps the unique with 7-8 grains ? that looks decent.
Im also trying to find a good simple online ounce to grains conversion chart... I have no idea how to calculate grains of powder.
I wouldn't even try to convert. To hard to get an accurate weight unless you have a very expensive digital apothecary scale. Buy a scale in grains or even a set of Lee dippers.

[Blackcat]

I have a .7cc lee dipper that came with the lee die set. and I have a balance beam style powder scale and an RCBS powder dispenser. Thats kind of the problem... Im having trouble figuring out how to use this stuff mostly because there seems to be several differnt conversions unless im wrong. For example I want 7-8 grains of unique. I gather I set my RCBS dispenser to throw in grains... then I put that on the balance beam measure to check the accuracy in... what ounces I think and convert that to grains... Where does the Lee scoop come in ?

[rexherring]

If it's an RCBS powder scale it should be in grains. Set it for 8 grains and throw a charge on your RCBS powder dispenser, adjust it until it throws the set amount on your scale. The settings on the powder measure is just an approximation and not accurate due to the different powder densities. Lee dippers are if you don't have a scale or measure. They are close but not accurate and I wouldn't use them for max loads, I used a set for a couple years for plinking loads before I purchased a good scale and measure.

[Blackcat]

Perfect ! so far this is making sense.
So I think the only other questions I have are... the primers, if this is a .45 colt load in a .454 brass can I use the .454 primer which is a CCI small rife primer in this case.
And how should I prep once fired brass. Does the case mother have to be expanded or trimmed ? Thanks for the replies this helps a lot.

[captaint]

cat - you do have a set of .454 Casull ?? dies, right ?? Just size & deprime - if it's new brass, just size it. Those cases probably use large pistol primers, no ?? So go with large pistol or large pistol magnum primers. I would consider using the H110 for near max loads. NOW - if it were me, I generally avoid hot loads, period. Just don't see a need for it. enjoy Mike PS. I guess I should add, after sizing the cases we then run the brass through the expander die to get the correct dimensions for boolit fit and "bell" the case mouth, so as not to scrape lead off the sides of the boolit in seating. Then seat & crimp. After you load these cases a couple of times, you can look at case length to see if they need trimming.

[Moonie]

cat - you do have a set of .454 Casull ?? dies, right ?? Just size & deprime - if it's new brass, just size it. Those cases probably use large pistol primers, no ?? So go with large pistol or large pistol magnum primers. I would consider using the H110 for near max loads. NOW - if it were me, I generally avoid hot loads, period. Just don't see a need for it. enjoy Mike PS. I guess I should add, after sizing the cases we then run the brass through the expander die to get the correct dimensions for boolit fit and "bell" the case mouth, so as not to scrape lead off the sides of the boolit in seating. Then seat & crimp. After you load these cases a couple of times, you can look at case length to see if they need trimming.

454 Casull brass uses small rifle primers.

[snuffy]

Whoa!!! Pull back hard on those reins. In Other Words STOP!

Am I the only one that sees a person that has NOT read a reloading manual? Does he even have one?

All the questions so far have been about very basic knowledge from a rookie reloader.

Blackcat, take some time out, read and study the front part of ANY reloading manual. We're here to help new reloaders delve into the world of cast lead boolits, but you need some basic knowledge first.

Lee decided to make his dippers and other powder measuring devises in metric units of volume . Conversion to grains is as simple as using his measures to dump powder on a beam scale that reads in grains. He has conversion charts that give what his measures should throw in grains, but most actually dispense less/lighter that what the chart says they should.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

one of the least expensive things you can do is read , i ordered every reloading book i could from the library first , that helped me decide on the loading manual i wanted to own

i choose modern reloading the Lee book , the first 200 pages are dedicated to learning the process , I read that through and re-read any section that i still had questions on then i got a bit of help from the members here at cast boolits