Do you think this 45LC load will lead up a rifle?

[Tripplebeards]

I take that back. I sized them at .451 so they can be pushed through all the forcing cones with the pressure of my finger. At .451 my boolits are sized .0005” over what they slugged through the bore with great accuracy and zero leading.

[lotech]

I bought a new .45 Colt Winchester Trapper about thirty years ago. The load I've used most has been the Lyman #454424 cast of wheelweight alloy, about 12-13 BHN and 8.5 grs. of Unique. Muzzle velocity is around 1,100 fps (I think), but I'd have to check my notes to be sure. I've sized bullets as large as .456", but .454" has been the most accurate with .452" a very close second. I've never had a leading problem regardless of bullet diameter.

I don't remember trying a hard bullet in my carbine. In recent years, I've gone to HS-6 powder and get even better accuracy than with Unique.

[tacotime]

Update, did not fire the Winchester factory ammo, but did fire a few factory loaded MagTech 250 LFN Cowboy and some from an old box of Bitterroot BVA 200 LFN Cowboy (looked hard cast), and did not detect any leading in the bore.

But I did recover a MagTech boolit after it shot through a 2x4 board and lodged in some dirt. The bullet did not expand but apparently hit a pebble in the dirt and was mangled on one side. Most alarmingly, the lube groove appeared to be intact and largely full of lube, maybe as Larry suggested.

Was going to slug the bore but didn't have a sinker. But I did have a 250 gr Speer swaged bullet, which pushed through fairly easy, and it showed that all sides did not apparently touch the groove bottoms. I could not get a good caliper reading due to the uneven wear on the slug. These bullets are advertised as .452, but not sure how consistent they are out of the box. Does the condition of that bore slug bother us?

[Outpost75]

Sounds to me like you have a .454ish barrel. The Speer bullets are soft lead and will "slug up" in a full charge load with a fast-burning powder like Bullseye. A charge of 7-1/2 grains is correct for a full-charge with soft lead 250-grain bullet. This data from Larry:

Attachment 254759

It also helps to apply a light coat of Lee Liquid Alox or LSStuff 45-45-10 over top of the existing factory lube on the Speer soft-swaged lead bullets, as the lube on them may be adequate for revolvers, but is taxed to its limits in a rifle-length barrel.

[Thumbcocker]

Take a swagged boolit and give it a couple of whacks with a hammer and it will be fat enough to slug the barrel.

[tacotime]

I should have thought of that. Thanks.

[gpidaho]

tacotime: I agree that leading a barrel should be avoided but it isn't as hard to clean out as some would like you to think. Using a little tumble lube as mentioned above is good advise Or use powder coated bullets is another option. I'd much rather clean out a leaded barrel than one that is severely copper fouled. Experiment a little until you find a load that works well in your rifle. Gp

[Drm50]

The only major leading I’ve ever had was with factory swaged lead bullets. I cast for several calibers and size for individual rifles. I use to cast hard bullets but I don’t anymore. I shot loads of cast in revolvers and original LV type rifles at near factory duplication of the period.

[tacotime]

That bore slugged to .4509 using a micrometer. I'm thinking .453 cast with Alox.

[Walks]

I've been happy with the old standard load of #454190 (.454) lubed with 50/50 or WLL BAC over 8.5grs of Unique. Cast of 50/50 - COWW/#2.

Shoots great in My Marlin 1894CB 24", bore is .4515.
You just have to listen to Folks like Outpost75.