Lee 4522302R size idea

[Jal5]

Been using this TL boolit in my 1911 45 auto over Bullseye. But it tends to drop a little big so I size them to .452 now I want to skip the sizing. Will .453 or .454 be a problem?

[frkelly74]

It may be. It was for me when I tried to shoot the TC 230 452 boolit in my RIA 1911-A1. Fat boolits did not want to chamber. I no longer have that mold and my TL452230 RN boolit drops at the correct (for me) .452.

[Jal5]

I'll setup some dummy rounds with the 453-454 BOOLITS and see what happens when I do the plunk test

[DrCaveman]

Not sure if you are asking because you want to load a larger boolit, or just dont like sizing

If the former, it is really easy to hone out the .452" die a bit, start with maybe 1/2 a thousandth, if your boolits still chamber easily maybe you can continue honing it to .453" or even larger

If the latter, then im afraid i cannot agree with your position. Sure, it is always easier and quicker to eliminate steps, but the additional headaches caused to me during loading FAR outweighed the time saved by skipping sizing.

Im probably not a good (consistent) enough caster, and maybe a lot of my molds have inconsistent cavities, but in any event, skipping sizing either led to boolits being shaved by the case mouth, or sliding in waaay to easy. This indicates irregular neck tension, a very important thing for accuracy and proper load evaluation

Of all the steps involved in handloading, i find sizing to be the most forgiving and relaxing. Very little concentration required, a nice cool down after a hearty casting or loading session. I can sit down after an exhausting day at work, or after some evening beverages, and size up a few hundred boolits without worry of making a disastrous mistake.

[Jal5]

I'm trying to eliminate a step with this TL design. If the boolit can function in this gun at .001 or .002 more than .452 when sized then the sizing isn't needed. The dummy rounds passed the plunk test so now I'll shoot a few and see how they affect accuracy.

[GBertolet]

I have fired bullets as large as .454 in a 1911. Usage of bullets this large depend on thickness of the brass and how tight the chamber is cut. If it chambers, you are OK. Some guns actually shoot better with the larger diameter bullets.

There was no mention of the alloy used when getting the oversized bullets. Switching to a different alloy may reduce the diameter slightly.

[Jal5]

Tried them today. Not as accurate as the .452 in my 1911 but pretty close. I also tried a different lube at the same time probably shouldn't have done that because I got a little leading that removed easily. Not sure if the different diameter caused leading or the lube. Leading was at the first inch none the rest of the barrel. Perhaps the larger diameter got squeezed down at the beginning of the barrel causing slight leading?

Alloy is range scrap. No leading at all with .452 diameter boolit.

[Jal5]

Some additional information.
Measured 15 boolits TL in new lube. 4 at .454, 10 at .453, 1 at .452
I tested the idea that loading squeezed them down. Measured a .454 boolit loaded to 1.248 and pulled it. New size was .451-.452
Same process starting with .453 boolit. Size after pulling was .452
All were .472 at case mouth after a very light taper crimp just enough to smooth out the bell.

I don't think it's the loading process. But I still don't know if the barrel at the leade point squeezes the slightly larger boolit down leaving lead or it's the new lube that failed. All ideas appreciated!

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Maybe sharing what the old lube is...and what the new lube is,
along with your procedure for making them as well as, applying them, would give folks a chance to share their experiences with similar lubes and the successes and failure of such.

But one observation I can make is, if you have no lead fouling and good accuracy with boolits sized to .452 with your old lube, then I can say your Lead fouling and slightly lessened accuracy with unsized boolits and the New lube, probably isn't the Gun barrel.

[Jal5]

Old lube was the standard 45-45-10 recipe Alox JPW mineral spirits. New lube is Bens Liquid Lube. Probably tumbled with more of the first on the BOOLITS than with Bens lube but two coatings of each type. Maybe I will make up a new batch of Bens lube and be as precise as possible on the ratio of mix.

[Jal5]

Update- used a new batch of Bens liquid lube on unsized TL452230-2r and made sure they got an even coating. No problems with accuracy and no leading. I think the solution was making sure they were adequately covered.

[11B-101ABN]

Gathering raw materials, sorting, melting into ingots, fluxing, casting, lubing, loading, and shooting cast boolitts is LABOR intensive. If you eliminate sizing, you take away the one step that gives any kind of uniformity to your method. Most people cannot recognize an out-of-round boolit with bare eyeballs. If you shoot 15 or 20 rounds and change something, it is difficult to know if you solved the problem. The group I shoot with run thousands of boolits downrange before making any change to the recipe. Using range scrap and the TL 452230 2R Lee mold I can get boolit weights that vary from 243 grains to 219 grains. There are a boatload of variables to this hobby. We also check every single loaded round in a Wilson case gage.....EVERY single one. Ask around, there ain't no shortcuts. Sizing is Not the step you want to leave out. Just one more opinion in a whole bucket full.

[rsrocket1]

I've been loading the TL452-230-TC's unsized for a few years now. I seat them to where the cone meets the case rim. My 1911 chamber is generous enough to accept the loaded bullet. If yours isn't you might be able to get away with using the Lee FCD but that will swage the bullet down. If your barrel does not lead from that process, you are good to go. Be sure to seat the bullets to where the wide part is below the case rim and adjust the powder charge accordingly.
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Be sure to seat the bullets to where the wide part is below the case rim and adjust the powder charge accordingly.
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