First time caster trying .45

[ziggy777]

Hey guys i just got a Remington R1 45 for Christmas and i decided to start casting was wondering if any of you could help me. i am wondering about what BHN i should cast at, i have heard from 7-15 does that sound about right? Also i was wondering what are good beginner tips for casting 45. Thanks for the help guys

[wv109323]

The hardness will largely depend on how fast you load them. With loads associated with bullseye,hardness is not much of a factor at all. Many bullets for bullseye are swagged are are soft. The sweetspot for accuracy with the 200 gn. SWC is around 775-800 fps. That translate to about 4.1 to 4.2 gn. of Bullseye powder. Hardness of 7-15 should easily work.
The two things that will affect your accuracy with cast bullets are: 1.) a good flat base on the bullet with minimal sprue damage when the sprue is cut. 2.) the second thing is a nice square base from a fully filled mold. You may need to add some tin to get a nice sharp corner on the bullet base.
Actually the .45 ACP is one of the easiest rounds to load and cast for.
Another common problem with loading is not removing all the bell on the case. You should crimp to .469-.470. A taper crimp is considered better than a roll crimp because the .45 ACP headspaces on the rim of the case. Lee is making die sets that include the taper crimp die for just a few bucks more than their standard die set.
The most common bullet designs are 230 RN, 200 SWC and 230 TC. I would try the 200 SWC first but the 230 RN is a good choice.

[williamwaco]

Can't add much to that.

The good news is that the larger the bullet, the easier it is to cast.

The .45ACP bullets are the easiest to cast well that I have ever cast.

[ziggy777]

Thanks guys, this helps a lot i am looking to cast this weekend and i will come back if i have more questions

[knifemaker]

I cast my 45 acp at around 9 bhn. by mixing 50/50 clip on wheel weights with pure lead. No leading and excellant accuracy. You can add about 1% tin if you want for fillout. Just make sure you size about 1-2 thousands over barrel groove dia. and you should not have any leading problems.

[MBTcustom]

:goodpost:
Excellent answer. You can shoot almost anything in a 45 acp. Fit is more important than alloy/hardness. If you cast with 50/50 COWW/SOWW and water drop, then the alloy will not cause you any problems.
Be sure to seat and crimp in two steps. This does away with the shaved lead on the case mouth.
Dont just load up a bazilion of 'em! Load two or three first. Pull the boolits and make sure the brass or the dies did not size down your boolit as it was seated (pulled one of these numbers last year, 'cause I'm experienced and never make mistakes LOL! 200 rounds of the leadingest cartridges that you ever heard of. What a PITA!)
If the pulled boolits are still the same size, and the completed cartridges dunk into the barrel easily, then load up 50 of them and try them. If they work well; go thy own way, and prosper. If the gun chokes on them, document everything and throw the results on the table here. We'll get you lined out in no time!

[jim 44-40]

wait till you shoot remington R1, you will be grinning like a mule eating briars. Sweet right out of the box.

[Sloffie]

I also want to start casting for my 1911 (an Original Colt MkIV Series 70 1911). The barrel is still in very good nick. I am looking at the LEE 452-228-1R. I know LEE molds are a bit temperamental, but I have been casting a .458 hollow base (which is a PITA initially) for some time now and I now cast very pretty bullets with it.
Now I would like to know, would it be safe to assume if I sized the bullets to .452 they will be fine in a stock 1911?
I plan on pan lubing.
My melting pot has WW alloy in it with some tin added. I use the allow to cast for my Martini Henry and they work great.
But I read above WW alloy is a bit hard for a 1911?

[Artful]

Sloffie - think about this - original hardball is soft lead but surrounded by a hard metal jacket (copper or other) - WW isn't hard compared to that.

[rockrat]

I took out my Series 80 GC the other day loaded with 170gr swc and the lee 230tc. I was only shooting at 20ft, but both loads put them in essescially, the same ragged hole. Sized .454" and taper crimped. Where the sight was when the trigger broke is where the boolit went

[Sloffie]

Sloffie - think about this - original hardball is soft lead but surrounded by a hard metal jacket (copper or other) - WW isn't hard compared to that.

Oh yes... duh! :D