RepackboxLee PrecisionMidSouth Shooters SupplySnyders Jerky
Titan ReloadingReloading EverythingLoad DataInline Fabrication
Wideners RotoMetals2
Results 1 to 19 of 19

Thread: The most boring pistol caliber to cast for....

  1. #1
    Boolit Master




    TexasGrunt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Kaufman, Texas!
    Posts
    1,049

    The most boring pistol caliber to cast for....

    IMHO it's .40S&W/10mm.

    Very few boolit molds available. You basically have TC, SWC and WFN. There's not even a lot of SWC molds available. I know Accurate has some listed in their catalog but I can't stretch my $$ that far.

    I love shooting my 10mm pistols but casting for them is work, there's just nothing exciting about it like there is for other calibers.
    Semper Fi!


    Currently casting for .223, .308, .30-06, .30-40 Krag, 9mm, .38/.357, 10mm, 44 Mag and 45 ACP.

    I like strange looking boolits!

    NRA Patriot Life Endowment member.

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master

    dragon813gt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Somewhere in SE PA
    Posts
    9,989

    The most boring pistol caliber to cast for....

    Nothing boring about it. Less bullet selections is a good thing. Saves you money in the long run. I have four molds, two WFN, one RF and one RN. Spans weights from 180-220 grains. That's enough selection for the cartridge.

    In comparison I have thirty-five 35cal molds. Some of those are for rifles. But the selection just means I shoot less of all of them. I could honestly cut it down to a few molds because most of them don't do any better than the others.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master FISH4BUGS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Inland from Seacoast New Hampshire
    Posts
    2,758
    You would think 38 special or 357 would be the most boring. Right? Well let's see....I have to choose from:
    * 2 cavity H&G factory hollow point #51 - bought it many years ago and have yet to use it
    * H&G 4 cavity #51 swc plain base - my go-to bullet
    * H&G # 73 145gr 4 cavity pointed bullet plain base - just for fun but VERY accurate - shoot them in Officer's Model Match Colt
    * H&G #39 4 cavity 158gr RN - for the Rossi 92 and good old fashioned 38's
    * H&G #39 4 cavity rn gc - for the 357's in the Rossi 92
    * H&G # 50 4 cavity 148gr wc - but I don't shoot wc's
    Did I forget any?
    Collector and shooter of guns and other items that require a tax stamp, Lead and brass scrounger. Never too much brass, lead or components in inventory! Always looking to win beauty contests with my reloads.

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master
    Shiloh's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Upper Midwest
    Posts
    6,763
    LEE 175 gr. TC.
    Sure wish LEE made that 145 gr. SWC in a 6 cavity mold.

    Shiloh
    Je suis Charlie

    "A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves."
    Bertrand de Jouvenel

    “Any government that does not trust its citizens with firearms is either a tyranny, or planning to become one.” – Joseph P. Martino

    “If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert , in five years there would be a shortage of sand.” – Milton Friedman

    "Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns; why should we let them have ideas?" - J. Stalin

  5. #5
    Boolit Master




    TexasGrunt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Kaufman, Texas!
    Posts
    1,049
    I've got a bunch of .38/.357 molds, I've got more .44 molds than I do .40 molds. I'm going to see what Arsenal offers and try and pick up a multi-cavity for my 10mm. I agree with ya Shiloh on that 145 SWC.
    Semper Fi!


    Currently casting for .223, .308, .30-06, .30-40 Krag, 9mm, .38/.357, 10mm, 44 Mag and 45 ACP.

    I like strange looking boolits!

    NRA Patriot Life Endowment member.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master popper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Posts
    10,586
    Only one mould I use for 40, it works -all I need. The worn out Lees are on the shelf. I like boring casting - means no problems. I tinker with the 30 cals. Then there is the 9mm, boring to cast but a pain to load. Don't shoot the 9 much as it's SD.
    Whatever!

  7. #7
    Moderator Emeritus


    JonB_in_Glencoe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Land of 10,000 Lakes
    Posts
    15,877
    Besides the Lee 175gr TC
    I cast the NOE 402-160-RN
    Attachment 197341
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
    ― The Dalai Lama, Seattle Times, May 2001

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Fargo ND
    Posts
    7,103
    I like the 175 TC by lee, works fine.

    I only have one .40 and it is actually a Hipoint carbine not a pistol.
    Does a dang nice job of putting holes in things though.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Posts
    861
    I use 2 molds by N.O.E and they are 160-180 grain.

    There is nothing wrong with boring calibers.

    It just leaves more time to shoot with out all of drama.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master

    Moonie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Thomasville North Carolina
    Posts
    4,695
    Boring???

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	19092962_1572921212768146_2668526345178194573_o.jpg 
Views:	28 
Size:	69.5 KB 
ID:	197348
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	19029591_1573328249394109_6969939828484840784_n.jpg 
Views:	34 
Size:	55.5 KB 
ID:	197349
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	18954728_1573418952718372_3503702459703086712_o.jpg 
Views:	28 
Size:	57.7 KB 
ID:	197350

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    On the Colorado River in Arizona
    Posts
    1,436
    Boring is good. For me, 230 grain RN for .45acp, it seems to always work well where many other bullet shapes go stupid.

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    139
    I would argue it is 45 ACP, while you have a ton of different bullet shape you do not have any issues with lead hardness causing leading, I have shot 45 cast from pure lead all the way up to pure lino with no leading.

    Sent from my XT1565 using Tapatalk

  13. #13
    Boolit Master




    TexasGrunt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Kaufman, Texas!
    Posts
    1,049
    Quote Originally Posted by acoop101 View Post
    I would argue it is 45 ACP, while you have a ton of different bullet shape you do not have any issues with lead hardness causing leading, I have shot 45 cast from pure lead all the way up to pure lino with no leading.

    Sent from my XT1565 using Tapatalk
    There's a huge choice of boolit shapes for the .45 ACP Everywhere from the 155 gr SWC to those hulking 255 gr SWC.
    Semper Fi!


    Currently casting for .223, .308, .30-06, .30-40 Krag, 9mm, .38/.357, 10mm, 44 Mag and 45 ACP.

    I like strange looking boolits!

    NRA Patriot Life Endowment member.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master murf205's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Dead center of Alabama
    Posts
    2,410
    For me, it is a BORING old Lyman 429421. I bought the mold in 1974 and it has cast about a bazillion boolits and everything I stick 'em in seems to shoot great when I do my part. I know a lot of people here have said that they loose accuracy at long range and don't enter the forcing cone as well as some designer boolit, but I think I will keep being bored with Elmers old boolit.
    IT AINT what ya shoot--its how ya shoot it. NONE of us are as smart as ALL of us!

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master
    Shiloh's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Upper Midwest
    Posts
    6,763
    I have a LEE 175 gr TLSWC with the back band trimmed to the next groove. Lowers to about 158 gr.

    Shiloh
    Je suis Charlie

    "A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves."
    Bertrand de Jouvenel

    “Any government that does not trust its citizens with firearms is either a tyranny, or planning to become one.” – Joseph P. Martino

    “If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert , in five years there would be a shortage of sand.” – Milton Friedman

    "Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns; why should we let them have ideas?" - J. Stalin

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
    Bent Ramrod's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Southern Arizona
    Posts
    4,292
    Any round ball mould. From .25 to .62. If you've seen one, you've seen 'em all. Once the wrinkles are out, there's nothing of visual interest.

    Next in line in the "Hallelujah it's over!" line is .45 Auto pistol. Cast a supply, put the mould away, and hope you don't have to see it again for a long time.

  17. #17
    Boolit Grand Master

    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    England,Ar
    Posts
    7,696
    Thats a hard question. If the alloy is right, the alloy temp is right and the mold temp is right you will get good bullets. Its monotonous for sure, and I guess boring covers it pretty well. Now, if something is not right it can be a challenge getting things going. I would say 45's, because at one time I cast and shot more of those than anything. My working stock of 45's nearly fills a 5 gallon bucket.

  18. #18
    Boolit Grand Master

    dragon813gt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Somewhere in SE PA
    Posts
    9,989
    Quote Originally Posted by TexasGrunt View Post
    There's a huge choice of boolit shapes for the .45 ACP Everywhere from the 155 gr SWC to those hulking 255 gr SWC.
    So you're saying there's other options besides the HG #68

    I kind of agree w/ them. The point is that 45acp is extremely easy to cast for. Only issues I've ever had was needing to throats a barrel. Even then if I would have stuck w/ the #68 it wouldn't have been necessary.

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Indiana
    Posts
    106

    Red face yup , same here,

    the old 45, 230g rn, it just works, soft lead or hard,

    and like above said, pour a bunch of them , a bucket or several buckets, and put the mold away for a long time,

    ----------------------------------------

    now 44 and 357/38 boolits, a nother story, seems everytime I turn around noe or someone has a neat new boolit design to play with, and wala, got another mold laying around
    best one of the month,

    about unique and IMR unequal, They really did duplicate it, made it equally unobtainable

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check