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Thread: Puma .454 Casull limits

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy Nick Quick's Avatar
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    Puma .454 Casull limits

    Howdy, I am flirting with the idea of casting and reloading for my Puma lever rifle in .454 Casull. Now before I start I need to decide what bullet mold should I buy. Bullet weight, muzzle energy to reach a proper stopping power for moose and black bear(we don't have brown or Grizzly).
    I would like to know from other gents here who own this rifle what are the charging limits for this gun.

    The rifle just sits in my safe unused and I decided is the time to put it at work.
    So what loads are you gentlemen use in this rifle that have good stopping power. I need to start with the bullet mold first and I need to do my home works before buying.

    Thank you

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master
    454PB's Avatar
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    I have the same rifle. Though I've tried several boolit weights and designs, my best results were the Lee 300 gr. GC design, and Lyman 452651. Both of these have to be seated to crimp in the front groove to feed reliably. I've reached 1900 fps. with both of these boolits using H-110, WW296, and Lil'Gun, and had no excess pressure signs while doing so. For milder loads, Bluedot works great. I haven't shot any meat with mine, but I'm sure it will kill anything you mentioned if you do your part.
    You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore

  3. #3
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    its a 92 action and that's a very strong action. I will handle any book level 454 load out there. Really though in my opinion to much is to much. Cast bullets in calibers like 44 and 45 work best at about 1300 fps and going faster doesn't help and can actually make penetration suffer. Theres nothing on earth that a 300-350 grain flat nose bullet at 1300 fps wont kill and very few animals in the US that it wont penetrate stem to stern. I shot a 1200 lb cow bison with a 45 colt using a 300 rcbs swcgc at a raking angle through the front shoulder at 1100fps. It broke that shoulder penetrated the whole buffalo and broke the back leg and exited out of the hind quarter. Ive shot many deer bear pigs and a few bison with 44s and 45s loaded from 1100-1300fps and never afterward said to myself "boy I wish I would have had a faster load"
    Quote Originally Posted by Nick Quick View Post
    Howdy, I am flirting with the idea of casting and reloading for my Puma lever rifle in .454 Casull. Now before I start I need to decide what bullet mold should I buy. Bullet weight, muzzle energy to reach a proper stopping power for moose and black bear(we don't have brown or Grizzly).
    I would like to know from other gents here who own this rifle what are the charging limits for this gun.

    The rifle just sits in my safe unused and I decided is the time to put it at work.
    So what loads are you gentlemen use in this rifle that have good stopping power. I need to start with the bullet mold first and I need to do my home works before buying.

    Thank you

  4. #4
    Boolit Master


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    I have both molds and think the Lyman design 452-651 mold will have better long range accuracy. One note, my mold drops just shy of 452 and have sent it back twice. If you want that mold, Freedom Arms had a run made with a 454 diameter (454651) you can sometimes find on ebay. The other option is to get it through NOE and save the trouble with Lyman and their undersized molds. You might want to slug your bore or do a hammer cast to confirm bore diameter before ordering.

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy Nick Quick's Avatar
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    Thank you kindly gents. Now I have a reference point to get started and look for a 300-350 grains bullet mold. This will be another challenge. I cast on a Master Caster and if I want to use the same machine for these big boolets I might have to see if what Magma sells would be suitable for hunting quite large animals. I will see if I will go Magma route or find a different option and get a hand held mold and use the beat up RCBS pot.
    Thanks again for the useful points

    Nick

  6. #6
    Boolit Master

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    If you can get one ? try a LBT 300gr gc LFN is considered to be a top choice !
    there avalible from some commercial caster ! Leadheads?
    I

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    I use the Lee 300gr with wcww which casts at 317gr over a case full of Lilgun 31grs IIRC for a velocity of 1950fps. I have only shot 1 deer with this gun but it was with a Sierra 300gr jacketed 45 pistol bullet at 1600fps before I got my Lee mold. In and out behind front shoulders at 75yds.

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master pietro's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lloyd Smale View Post
    its a 92 action and that's a very strong action.

    I will handle any book level 454 load out there.

    Besides the Model 92 being a very strong action as-is, Rossi puts the .454 Casull models through a special hardening that the other chamberings don't receive.

    Shoot the snot out of it !

    .
    Now I lay me down to sleep
    A gun beside me is what I keep
    If I awake, and you're inside
    The coroner's van is your next ride

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy
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    I have been looking for one of those for a very long time!!!! If you are interested in getting rid of it or trading.... but my 454s just get 45 colt +p using the lee 45-255

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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