45 Colt suggestions?

[savage1756]

Hi all. I'm a newbie here and have a question on a 45 Colt. I have a Beretta Stampede that uses .452 lead I'm buying from Cowboy Bullets. I was thinking about getting back into casting my own after a loooong time being out of it and I wanted to know is there any mould out there that would replicate the original Colt shape and weight for the 1873 SAA? I'm a bit nostalgic and use Black powder for my current loads. Any tips or information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[beagle]

Probably Lyman's 454190 is the closest you'll come to the factory bullets. Some of the factory bullets are hollow base and no one makes a mould for a HB 454190 except NEI and they don't list it now. Probably they could turn one out but it would be expensive unless you just have to have one.

I just loaded a box of 454190HPs for my son's Beretta this last weekend and he was a happy camper./beagle

[Andrew Quigley]

Been reloading 45 Colt's for the last 10 yrs with black powder and subs, but mainly for my 94 Winchester and 1866 Uberti Winchester. I shoot in Cowboy Action Shooting. Not sure about original but I like the Lee 250gr and use a beeswax/crisco lube mix.

[Heavy lead]

Beagle's got it right, and a new 454190 is a good boolit, I have a new production and it casts an honest 455, I just lube the first groove on mine and load it behind 8 grains of unique and plink all day with it out of everything, I size to 454 even though it is shot in some 452 throated guns.

[compass will]

Savage, what part of PA are you in? We might be neighbors. I live outside Honey brook (village of Compass). I also do Cowboy action with 45 colt in rifle and wheel guns.

[geargnasher]

Beagle's got it right, and a new 454190 is a good boolit, I have a new production and it casts an honest 455, I just lube the first groove on mine and load it behind 8 grains of unique and plink all day with it out of everything, I size to 454 even though it is shot in some 452 throated guns.

I've got a 454190 two-banger made in 2001 and it should be called a 4525190 because that's what it casts in both cavities with ww. That's fine for my Uberti because I size them .452".

Very accurate boolits, though, they have a bit of an edge over the 452665 "cowboy" boolit in my gun and several of my friend's guns with smokeless.

Gear

[cajun shooter]

The 454190 is the bullet that you want as everyone has stated. The lube grooves are fine for the revolvers with the BP. If you use a good BP lube they are also good in the rifle. I make my own BP lube or use NASA that is sold by one of our forum members by the name of Bullshop. You will have some people tell you that the nose is too small to shoot in a tube fed gun. They are fine and myself and several others use them without a problem. If you are going to do this then I would suggest the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook as your first buy. Read all the stickies on this forum and do searches for most all your questions Sam Fadala has some books that are also good reads and reference items. The Complete Blackpowder Handbook 5th edition is his current one. And of course all of Mike Venturino books with out question. Black powder cowboy shooting is the most fun you can have with your clothes on. You will not finish first or near the top as that is for the "Gamers". But you will be the cowboy with the smile on your face and you will stand there knowing you are doing it the same way that it was done in the 1880's and that my friend is what it should be about.

[savage1756]

I'm from West/Central PA up near Altoona...a little place called Hastings. I have a Nephew in Parkesburg though. I do French & Indian War events but haven't got into the Cowboy stuff yet. If I start another hobby the wife may take me out!

I used to cast round ball and 45-70-405's years ago and just quietly gave it up although I did enjoy it. Having the 45 Colt I might just start up again. I am a machinist but never tried to do a boolit mould. Really don't have the right tooling at present. Thanks to everyone for the advice.

[compass will]

I just use the Lee 255 grain mold with 6 holes. It hits the steel targets in SASS if I do my part :)

nice thing about the 6 holer is you can really crank out some boolits.

[Dale53]

svage1756;
I use the Lyman 452664 in my Black Powder Ruger Bisley .45 Colt. My alloy is 25/1 lead/tin and the bullet is sized at .452". The meplat is larger than the original .45 Colt Bullet but it sure shoots well with black powder (has a single, large grease groove that works very well with black powder). My lube is Emmert's Home Mix (50% pure natural beeswax, 40% Crisco, and 10% Canola Oil mixed in a double boiler to avoid overheating). It has the performance, look, and consistency of SPG bullet lube. It weighs 250 grs.

I have won a number of score matches in Black Powder cartridge matches using NRA pistol targets.

Dale53