Lee 456-220 1R in Uberti .45 LC?

[insanelupus]

I was checking out the moulds I have, dousing them again with WD-40 and putting them in ziploc bags (instead of fold over sandwhich bags). While looking through them, I found a mould dad sent. It is a single cavity 456-220 1R Mould. It's meant for the Ruger Old Army and on the box for the mould it says to use soft lead.

Question, if I used air cooled wheel weights, and threw in some 50/50 tin/lead solder, would it hurt the mould? (As opposed to useing the soft lead?). I'm thinking that would make a soft enough bullet for use in the Uberti Schofield reproduction, 45. Long Colt. The slug that was in it measured .454 (I'm guessing it wasn't sized, don't think dad had a sizer, but I just realized that might not have been the front driving band which should cast .456, I'll have to check tommorrow). With wheel weights the diameter should increase (I think dad used mostly softer lead from some lead pipe he'd been given) and I bet that thing might cast up and could be sized down to .454 or .455 and work great at about 700-800 fps in the Schofield. Mostly it would be used for plinking and paper punching. But it might be I could use it to punch a doe, really, really close range (25 yards or so) if I ever wanted.

The profile is a round nose with two lube grooves (round not squre) and a plain base. I realize iron moulds are better than the aluminum Lee ones. But if I already have a mould in that caliber, I could wait on buying one and just need a sizing die.

Any reason that wouldn't work with this mould?

[DLCTEX]

I have cast WW boolits with that mold for use in my ROA. It will not hurt the mold. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Lee molds, no apologies necessary. The people who bad mouth them and say they wear out quickly must be ham fisted abusers. I have 18 Lee mlods and some of them have cast many thousands of boolits and were used when they came to me. Granted they will not take the abuse an iron one will, but they do not abuse your mold buying budget either. The .456 boolits can be sized to .454 or even .452 easily. DALE

[DLCTEX]

If I were to use a 45 for deer I would prefer a boolit with a flat nose, such as the 255 gr. SWC, but the 45 round nose will make at least a 45 size hole, and under the conditions you describe will probably be through and through. DALE