.45 ACP hardness?

[ChuLai 68]

I am just getting started casting boolits for my .45.The alloy i have... tested out to a BH of 16. By the info i can gleam here and there for loads in the 800-1,000fps range i should have a BH of 12 or a little lower. Do i need to find some pure lead to bring down the BH?Or can i just remelt them and dont drop into water like i did the first time?
I read an article about how there is a minimum psi as well as a maximum psi you want in order for the bullet to expand properly? The formula used was 1,400 X the BH....or in the case of a BH of 12 that comes out to 16,800 psi that you must have as a MINIMUM psi... Is this true?
Thanks!

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Hi, There is a thread currently running on this forum under "Cast Boolits" that deals with the hardness required/or not required for 45ACP casting. Suggest that you check it out. In my own experience I have used only standard WW and not water quenched them. I have consistently used 3.5 grains of Bullseye or 4.0-4.1 grains of Red Dot in four diffent guns ( two autos and two revolvers), have never gotten any leading and these loads run between 750 and 850 fps. I size them to451 and put a slight taper crimp or .473 on the finished cases. Recovered bullets show good obturation/upset and good imprinting of the rifling. Straight WW runs between 9 and 13 BHN which is neither dead soft nor very hard. In loading for autos some degree of hardness is wanted to avoid damaging the nose of the bullet when it is fed. Again my recovered bullets show only slight denting which could be eliminated by casting them with a bit of tin added or else quenching or heat treating them. My accuracy/grouping is very good at 25 yards/meters and this is why I have never tinkered with any of the factors in this arrangement. If I go to 50 yards/meters of range I may have to make adjustments to hardness factors, changes in how much powder, etc. It all takes a lot of experimentation and patience. I hope that this is of some help. Good shooting. LLS

[ChuLai 68]

Thank you sir, I will go ahead and load this alloy up as is and use 3.5 gr. of Bullseye and see how it goes.Thanks for the info!
Rick

[Char-Gar]

A few thoughts on the subject at hand.

1) Unless you have a hollow point bullet, expansion of cast bullets in the 45 ACP round is just a pipe dream.

2) If terminal performance is a concern of your, stick with a bullet that has a meplat. It doesn't need to expand to do it's job.

3) I don't subscribe the the dictum that you must use a hard bullet in the 45 ACP round because of the shallow rifling in most pistols chambered for that round. At target to factory spec loads velocities (700 to 850 fps) soft alloy does just fine. When the first Speer soft swaged 45 ACP bullet appeared on the marked in the mid-60's, I shot about 50,000 of them with excellent results and won several matches with them.

I have loaded and fired about a half million rounds through various 1911 pistols in 45 ACP over the past 48 years and many of them have been butter soft. I think I would have noticed the need for a hard bullet, if such need truly existed.

[missionary5155]

Greetings Chu lai 68
If you were there I tip my hat Brother at arms !
I would use WW/pure mix at 50-50. Actually I have also used 30-1 also and there is no problem. I use whatever lube is in my Soft Lube Lyman. I normally shoot a 200 grain boolit with 6.5 grains Unique and my 45´s go chunk chunk chunk. I probably have used WW back some years but now I think SOFT is a better way. A 45 boolit smacking something at 900 fps or so does not need to expand to hurt bad. But 30-1 will flatten out some.
God Bless you ! Mike

[ChuLai 68]

Thanks for the help guys, i am avoiding a lot of mistakes by getting some sage advise here.Wish the internet had been around back in the day.
Yes Mike i was there for the the Tet festival in 68...quite a show. Thank you for your kind words and Welcome Home!
Rick
196th Light Inf Bde
RVN 67-68