casting/sizing questions

[shavstone]

I have been reloading for several years now. I have always purchased bullets for my 45ACP. I have always purchased .451. I recently got a good deal on a casting kit and mold. The mold is .452. Should I resize to .451? Do I need to resize every mold? I have over 100 lbs of lead that was melted down into sheets. I have no idea what it is. Will it be fine (weight and consistancy)?? The mold I am getting is 230 gr. Thanks in advance for your help!

[nhrifle]

No, you don't always have to resize what you cast. My 45 ACPs have all shot .452" boolits and been very happy with what they were fed. However, you will need to lube them in some fashion. Without knowing the alloy of lead you have, I would probably cut it 50/50 with some wheel weights and add a bit of tin to be sure. Or you could try just casting with it as is and see what happens. Not knowing doesn't mean not trying.

[dromia]

Just lube them and try them, ideally you should slug your barrel so that you then know what to size the boolits to rather than guessing.

[Mk42gunner]

I would bet that 99% or more of the .45 ACP's in existance will prefer a .452" boollit over a .451" boolit.

You will definitely need lube of some sort, tumble lubing works for a lot of people.

Before you start mixing your lead, how hard is it? Can you easily scratch it with your thumbnail?

Robert

[James2]

Usually .451 for jacketed bullets and .452 for lead bullets. I run mine through a Lyman sizer/lubricator which sizes and puts lube in one grove. A mold may give slightly differing sizes depending on the alloy. What do they measure as dropped?

[fredj338]

I load for 6 diff 45acp, all get 0.452" sized & lubed lead bullets.

[supv26]

I use a KKM Match grade barrel in my G21C and it loves the .452's tumble lubed and run through a Lee .452 sizer.

[bobthenailer]

All the 45 acp hanguns ive ever had over the past 40+ years shot cast bullets sized @ .452 excellent with factory or match barrels.

[shavstone]

Thank you for your replies. The lead I have is pretty hard. I will mix some wheel weights with it 50/50. I have some lube coming and will tumble it. I truly appreciate your input.

[shavstone]

I cast and loaded 20 rounds. They were just as accurate as any of the bullets I have purchased. Casting is much more difficult than I imagined. I must have attempted at least 100 bullets before I started to see anything that resembled a solid bullet. I guess expierence is key. Finding the right temperature for the lead and mold is difficult. Anyone know how to determine the difference between tin and stainless steel?

[dondiego]

Stainless is a lot harder to melt..........a lot harder in general! Some stainless steels are magnetic. Tin is softer and melts easily.

[Bullet Caster]

Since slugging my bbl. on my Norinco .45 acp, I found the bore to be .450 so I size my .45's to .451 and they all shoot fine without any leading. I do use the .452 for my Colt .45 clone and it does not lead at all. I haven't tried sizing .45 acp to .452. Guess I'll try that out one day when I get around to loading up some more acp's. Thanks for all you posters who've commented on sizing. Gives me something to think about. BC