300gr GC lee 45Colt mould?

[2ndAmendmentNut]

Hey guys,
Just thinking about ordering one of those 300gr gas check style moulds from MidwayUSA for use in my 45Colts. None of my guns are +P 45s, so I am curious about performance at standard pressures? Hodgdon has load data online for boolits that are this weight in standard 45Colt loads. I have this boolit in mind as a hunting round. I know a 250gr boolit is fine for deer and hogs, but I just for some reason like the idea of a 300gr boolit.:D

Thanks in advance.

[Rickk]

2ndamendmentnut--I have the Lee mold you mentioned and it makes a great bullet for 45 Colt. Gascheck not really needed I suppose for the milder loads but the large metplat is what I want for large game. Accurate and effective.

I shoot them in a Ruger Blackhawk but many times don't load too high (1000fps) but also in a Berretta Stampede. Only thing with the fixed sight gun the heavy bullets shoot quite high. You need a good high front sight.

Hope that helps

[Tom W.]

I loaded up a few for my Super Blackhawk, but haven't fired them yet. They shoot really well in my .454......

[stubshaft]

I use this boolit in the 45LC, 454 and even in the 460 Smith. It works great in all of them and allows a wide latitude of loading options.

[crawfobj]

Stubshaft,

I just ordered one of these to cast for my .460 in all 3 calibers as well. Any suggestions on loads for this one? What alloy and lube are you using? Any leading issues at the higher velocities?

[NHlever]

I shot quite a few of those through my Marlin Cowboy, and my original Vaquero 5.5". They worked well in the rifle, but I found that I had to drive them pretty hard for them to stabilize much beyond 50 yards in the handgun. I kind of gave up on that after a while. Best results were with stiff charges of H-110 that wouldn't be too healthy for your gun. I would stay with the RCBS 45-270 for a heavy bullet in your shoes.

[Tom W.]

I'm using Lar's Carnauba red for lube, and straight w/w for my alloy..No leading in my
.454 Encore with moderately stiff loads of Lil' Gun.

[crawfobj]

Excellent. Glad to hear I don't necessarily have to dip into my (small) stash of Lino! Will be loading these for my 460XVR, in .45LC, .454, and (if things go well in the other two) .460.

Can't wait to get started.

[geargnasher]

Hey guys,
Just thinking about ordering one of those 300gr gas check style moulds from MidwayUSA for use in my 45Colts. None of my guns are +P 45s, so I am curious about performance at standard pressures? Hodgdon has load data online for boolits that are this weight in standard 45Colt loads. I have this boolit in mind as a hunting round. I know a 250gr boolit is fine for deer and hogs, but I just for some reason like the idea of a 300gr boolit.:D

Thanks in advance.


Get it. Unless you don't have any Bullplate, then don't get it.

I recently got one with the exact same thoughts in mind and was not disappointed. Unlike many Lee designs this one has a REAL lube groove. I don't shoot checks on it, but conventional lube (in my case Felix's formula) gets in the shank area inevitably so I tumble lubed with LLA/JPW/MS with excellent results.

Out of curiosity I bought a .453" (29/64" IIRC) standard drill bit and removed the GC shank from the front cavity, leaving enough rib to make a good second lube groove. The base band is narrow, but it holds up fine for me. Now I can use "real" lube and not fool with a GC or cleaning the shank.

I worked up a good load with Blue Dot by reducing proportionally Alliant's published data for 250 grain lead, shoots very well and that WFN hits HARD. The primary use for me of this big boolit is a coup de gras hunting backup pistol, but with this boolit I wouldn't hesitate to take a whitetail at 30-40 yards even with the crude sights. It would make a fine close-range Piggy Hammer too, in a pistol that won't be too hard to pack around all day.


If you want to have real fun (at under 50 yards) with your standard .45 Colts, get the Lee 457-340 rfn mould and run them through a .452" sizer (or 454", then .452") and crimp over the forward driving band (won't chamber in Uberti/Cimarron Bisely but will fit my NV and Henry Rifle). Kinda like lobbing engine blocks at something!

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