BulletWorks 45 Colt 250 load?

[JohndeFresno]

BulletWorks (www.TheBulletWorks.net) offers 1,000 250 gr. RNFP lubed .45 Colt boolits at 9 cents each. Their BHN is around 19, per the owner. For me, that seems viable, although I would prefer the loads to be around 15 or a little less for my moderate 1,000 fps or less loads in a Ruger.

How do they shoot in a revolver? What velocity do you load for?

Thanks in advance for your comments.

[Doby45]

Most people around these parts are not gonna have any information for commercial made bullets. The whole point of the cast boolit forum is casting your OWN boolits. Other than that bit of info I would say do a search for 250gr and see if it brings up some pet loads that someone might have posted..

EDIT: Found this after a simple search..

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=66562&highlight=250gr

[AZ-Stew]

For $90 you can buy your own mould and enough lead to cast your own. Granted, the electric casting pot will cost you a bit more, but that can be circumvented with a good cast iron pot, a ladle and a heat source. Either way, you'd then be on the road to casting for any caliber you own, or more boolits for a single caliber you own.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach the man to fish and you feed him forever.

Regards,

Stew

[JohndeFresno]

Thanks fellas.

Right now, location, time constraints and ventilation limitations prevent this city boy from casting in a small back yard, so I thought there were some other handloaders here who use others' cast boolits. I'll look elsewhere. Cheers.

[Doby45]

Have fun..

[geargnasher]

Nine cents each? I saved a hundred bucks in the last couple of months, including the cost of lead and lube!

Gear

[nicholst55]

Anywhere from 8.0 grains of Unique for around 850-900 FPS, on up to 10.0 grains of Unique for 1100+ FPS (depending on barrel length) has always worked well for me. With boolits that hard, I'd be inclined to load them towards the faster end of the spectrum.

The standard disclaimers apply; start low and work up, those loads are safe in my guns, not necessarily in yours, etc.

[JohndeFresno]

...With boolits that hard, I'd be inclined to load them towards the faster end of the spectrum...

That is what I am thinking. I don't care to shoot magnum speed loads in my .45. The idea of less pressure and blast with a big, relatively slow bullet appeals to me, and it's one of the main reasons I purchased the .45 Colt handgun.

I am looking at some bullets offered elsewhere at about 15 BHN, which would probably suit me better. But they cost twice as much, and I plan to stock up.

We don't really know what February will bring with the Internet ammo sales ban, so I'm stocking up on all of my reloading components now. At the very least, you KNOW that components will go up when loaded ammo online sales are prohibited here - supply and demand.

For my cast .44 Magnum loads, I use moly lubed bullets at about BHN 22 at 1020 fps (chronographed, 6.5" barrel) that are very accurate and group tightly. But I'm brand new to the .45 Colt; just purchased the handgun and have not yet fired it.

I am still mulling over whether to start casting; but I have a small city yard with the typical urban grass, and only a small roofed porch in the back (about 10' deep, 24' wide) that MIGHT suffice for a casting area, after moving some stuff. It is enclosed by the house on three sides - a U shaped porch - and I would need a fan to blow away the lead fumes. I am not sure if this would be safe; so I have put it off. Don't care to have lead lined lungs.

It might be that I will HAVE to cast, if Internet Boolit sales dry up. Then my wife's backyard lawn will just have to suffer the consequences.

[Doby45]

You need toread up on casting some more. There are no "lead fumes" to blow away. You still may need a fan to cool either yourself or your sprue. You could casting tomorrow with your outdoor setup. Walgreens $10 stove burner and a small SS sauce pan and a ladle.

[David2011]

Hi John,

While there are many things to be concerned about with casting, lead fumes aren't one of them. Lead doesn't produce vapors until it gets up around 1100 degrees F. You will want to blow away the smoke generated by your flux, though. The risk of lead is far greater from the fine dust that can be inhaled and from not washing your hands well after touching lead. Don't handle food or, if you smoke, smoking materials until you've washed your hands thoroughly. If lead gets on a cigarette or cigar it will be inhaled when it's smoked. Remember that the lead risk is the same handling ammuition at the range as it is when casting.

After reading everything I could find on lead vapor and realizing it's not a threat at casting temperatures, I cast indoors in an air conditioned workshop the size of your patio. The actual area I use for casting is a garage floor oil drip pan at WalMart for a work surface, sitting on a desk that 's just a little bigger than the drip pan. It's 25" x 47" and made of galvanized steel so lead doesn't stick to it. The edge is turned up a little so boolits don't roll off. It cleans up very easily and is plenty big to contain everything I need while casting.

Jump on in!

David

[JohndeFresno]

I'm a relatively experienced reloader but "new guy" on this forum (not very many posts, no casting experience or exposure); so I sure don't want to offend anybody or their expertise.

The source below causes me some concerns, however, and I need a little more information. What temperature do you bring lead to in order to cast?

Is it safe to say that you never reach 900 degrees?

This particular source:
http://www.oem.msu.edu/userfiles/file/ABLES/LEAD%20HAZARDS%20FROM%20CASTING%20BULLETS-c07-10-09.pdf

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF HUMAN MEDICINE
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE

WHILE CASTING
Know lead properties:
Lead melts at 621°F. Fumes are released at 900°F. Lead can be breathed in and also settle on surfaces. Lead oxide (fumes mixed with air) forms a fine yellowish/brown dust. Even with good ventilation you have 100% chance of lead dust in your “Lead Area”. Good Hygiene and ventilation are the best way to reduce lead exposure. The main hazard activities involve hot lead – smelting, casting and handling dross (the contaminate residue that is skimmed off in the melting process).

I understand about the lead dust thing, which is also discussed in the above cited source document, and so hygiene and ventilation are assumed when handling any lead product, like the bullets themselves.

But are you are saying, that you never reach 900 degrees when you cast lead bullets? This seems to be the critical point, based upon the above information.

If so, then casting in my backyard will be this late summer project - I have always wanted to cast for a 240 gr. .44, the .30-30 Lyman 311041 or Ranch Dog, and my .45 (probably a Keith 250-260 grainer).

[miestro_jerry]

I used to cast bullets in my Condo. I have a hi powered bathroom ventilator fan right over the area and that sucked up all the fumes.

It is incredibly cheaper to cast your own. Check the current Lyman 49th edition Metallic Cartridge Reloading Handbook for information for the bullets you are asking about.

Jerry

[nicholst55]

If your alloy reaches 950 degrees, something is seriously wrong. I've never had to heat my alloy beyond about 750 degrees to get good boolits, and even that is relatively uncommon. The aluminum that Lee makes their molds out of melts at close to 950 degrees, so you'd really be playing with fire if you had to cast anywhere near that temperature!

I thought you Californians had to swear off lead entirely. Just one (of many) reason(s) I would never live in that state!

[HammerMTB]

I shoot .45 Colt boos at velocities from 800 FPS to 1200+ fps, depending on what I want to do.
I lost the desire to have the highest velocity, biggest recoil, largest flame from bbl loads I could fire.
If I want to plink, 800+ FPS loads will work fine. They can be accurate to 50 yds+, which is most of the pistol shooting I do.
I cast a Lee 255 gr RF that is near enough the equivalent of the boolit you are asking about.
Like the rest, I think the best path is to roll your own, not buy cast from the commercial caster.
But moving past that a moment, check your loading manuals for 250 or 255 grain j-word slugs. The pressure is lower with a lead boolit, so you can use that load.
You will need to find out if the boolits you buy are big enough. If they are undersize, they will likely lead like crazy, and the hardness won't be the issue. Thus the reason to cast your own.
So if you work within the loads in the book, you can find something that will suit you. Those hard lead boolits probably aren't the best thing you could choose, but they will probably work as a first effort. Once you decide you can make 'em for a fraction of what you'd buy 'em, it won't take long to cross over to the home cast side.
Unique might well be your best choice as an early effort.

[454PB]

I don't think 90$ for a thousand boolits is not out of line, I would want that much for the ones I cast and lube.

As to them being too hard, it's not a concern as long as they "fit" your gun. If they are undersized, they will lead just like a soft boolit will lead.

I've been casting indoors for 39 years now, and have melted literally tons of lead alloys. I've never had a health problem, and my last blood test for lead put me below the national average. The scare about lead "fumes" is hype. Keep the temperature in normal casting range (800 degrees or less) and there's no need to worry.

[JohndeFresno]

Thank you, all. I have decided to take up casting, using the handy and inexpensive Lee Bullet Sizing Die setup and Lee Liquid Allox or similar stuff.

Nicholst55, the all-copper thing is enforced for hunting, not for shooting lead at the ranges - YET. At least not in the Central San Joaquin Valley of California. But there is a movement to take lead out of the ranges by claiming that ground water faces trickle down contamination. Some day, they may succeed, in every state. Right now, we can still enjoy the benefits of cheap ammo using lead.

I discovered an old thread that I had not received notification for (I didn't set up my profile properly back then); so I am now looking into a primarily Lee setup.

For others who might have the same questions that I had, there are also some great answers and tips at "Cast Bullet Equipment 101" - http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=32001

[cajun shooter]

If you need bullets to shoot in the time of setting up then try our forum member Springfield Slim. His site Whyte's leather works has the info.

[blackthorn]

Just about any question you may have on casting is answered somewhere on this site! You should at least spend the time to read the "stickies" at the top of each forum! There is also a search function for you to use. Happy casting/reading.

[JohndeFresno]

Y'all have been very helpful. Perhaps in time I'll be able to contribute something significant to return the favor. Best wishes to all.