Good all around bullet for both the 45ACP and 45 Colt

[wildchild2010]

Like to find a good all around bullet for hunting with the 45 Colt and plinking and maybe hunting with the 45ACP. I was thinking something with a FP or WNFP. Any suggestions.

Thanks

[xman777]

+1 I would love some responses as well. There are a lot of schools of thought here.

[pearcetopher]

thats a difficult question, I find the 45 acp really likes no heavier than 230 grain
but the 230 grain doesn't have a crimp grove for revolverss

[2AMMD]

This might be worth looking into.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ramer-HP-Rerun
2AMMD

[C. Latch]

I have a NOE 452-230-HP that casts ~230 with the large HP pins and ~250ish as a flat nose. It has a very small crimp groove that seems to hold well enough with what I've shot so far out of the .45 Colt (nothing hotter than 20.0 grains of 2400).

I'd rather have a heavier HP for hunting, but as a flat point it ought to be OK.

[CastingFool]

It'll be interesting to follow this post. I reload both calibers and have been toying with Lee 452-200 RF. I liked the results with the few I reloaded for 45LC, can't get them to feed on my 45acp (may be the gun itself)

[Big Steve]

I was thinking a tumble lube designed 230 grain. For the revolver load maybe you crimp on the top groove. I'm gonna be trying that out soon myself.

[Outpost75]

I use the Saeco #954 230-grain flatnosed Cowboy bullet, 4.5 grains of Bullseye in the ACP and 6.5 grains of Bullseye in the .45 Colt. Works for me!

[C. Latch]

It'll be interesting to follow this post. I reload both calibers and have been toying with Lee 452-200 RF. I liked the results with the few I reloaded for 45LC, can't get them to feed on my 45acp (may be the gun itself)

Both of my 1911s will feed the Lee 452-255-rf, but you have to cram it so deeply into the case that I'm afraid to shoot it at very high velocities.

[DougGuy]

For hunting in the .45 Colt chambering, the Lee C452-300-RF is a gas checked design with a wide flat nose that is an extremely efficient killer. The GC allows the use of softer alloy than coww if you favor some expansion, but mostly these are used at velocities that completely penetrate the game, so you have an entrance wound and an exit wound to bleed out of, with a good sized wound channel between the two.

With a wide flat nose like this boolit has, a hollowpoint design is completely unneccesary, as it does terrific damage to tissue just as cast. These really shine in carbines and Ruger revolvers where you can load them to +P+ pressures.. Plenty of load data out there for this boolit, as it is a favorite in many circles.. These can weigh in at 320gr with gas check, depending on the alloy you choose, Lyman #2 for example will put them right at 320gr.



Lee also makes a mold for a 255gr RF which looks much like the 300gr RF and a lot of folks like this lighter wide flat nose for both hunting and general shooting.

I might also add that it is fairly difficult to find decent hunting ammo with heavier boolits in the .45 Colt caliber, and will be quite expensive when you do find it. The win goes to the handloader who casts or has access to cast boolits of various designs and is able to pick and choose the boolit to suit the game animal. This Lee boolit would be devastating on hogs and bear in the harder alloys, yet able to expand if loaded in the softer alloys and driven at moderate to brisk velocities.

I don't think it practical to hunt out just one boolit for both calibers, this will basically hogtie the .45 Colt into a lighter boolit with enough ojive to cycle in an ACP, it might as well be a .44 Special at that point. Choose a boolit that does it's best in each caliber and develop a load that is accurate, don't try to compromise two already established and very fine cartridges into using the same boolit.

[josper]

thats a difficult question, I find the 45 acp really likes no heavier than 230 grain
but the 230 grain doesn't have a crimp grove for revolverss

That is not exactly correct. I'm casting a 230 hp from NOE and it does have a crimp groove. .452 230gr. HP [.20] RG2 cavity PB

[SwedeNelson]

wildchild2010

That was kind of the idea behind our 452 230Gr. HP
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product...roducts_id=251
Its worked out great for me in both 45 Colt and ACP

Shameless plug
Bullet maker, maker
Swede Nelson

[Jupiter7]

Rcbs 45-230cm, mihec 45-225

I'd trust what swede said too

[josper]

And a fine mold it is Swede. One of my favorites for my Ruger Colt.45's

[Bigslug]

My Accurate 45-230F could conceivably be crimped over the front of the slight SWC shoulder on a .45 Colt, but the 45-230X seems like it was tailor-made for somebody with your problem.

[Catshooter]

I like the current production Lyman 452424. It seats deeply in the ACP but getting 800 feet isn't difficult. Some autos may not feed it but most of mine down the years have without problem.


Cat

[fcvan]

Years ago, my Dad bought an 1899 Colt and wanted me to load him some rounds. At the time, I only had the Lee 452-228 1R and the 452-200 SWC. The RN boolit worked fine for him. Since then, I've gotten a Vaquero in 45 Colt, and have picked up a few more molds. I have yet to try the 452-255 RF in my 1911 but I have read many have done so successfully. I would think the 452-230 TC would be a good choice and in a lighter boolit the 452-200RF would also do well. The latter has a crimp groove if you feel you need one. I didn't when using the 228 1R in the revolvers because you can crimp into the boolt if need be. Case mouth tension was always good enough to prevent set back in the auto or boolit jump in the revolver. For heavier loads in the revolver I do crimp more. Over time, I have probably collected more molds for 45 than any other caliber I shoot. You will likely collect more than 2 even if you get one for the auto and another for the revolver. It's an obsession and there is no cure!

[Taco Belly]

I use the Saeco #954 230-grain flatnosed Cowboy bullet, 4.5 grains of Bullseye in the ACP and 6.5 grains of Bullseye in the .45 Colt. Works for me!

This bullet feeds in every 45 ACP pistol I have tried...and shoots perfect in 45 Colt....and 45 AR...I wish it was available in a six-cavity mould.

[Old School Big Bore]

I made up some thumpers for the 1911 once using a 240 gr SWC and they fed great in my gun, but it's throated six ways from Sunday. If you can get one of the NOE molds, that boolit was designed to be 'ambidextrous'. A tumble-lube TC type, crimping in the top groovelet as stated above, would be good too. But don't be afraid to get more molds!

[StrawHat]

Lyman 452423 or one of the clones. A Keith bullet of appoximately 235 grains.