Casting for 45 long colt

[Ozark mike]

One other question. Is straight wheel weights ok for 45 colt, or do they need to be harder?

Steve

45 doesnt require a hard bullet. If ya want it harder drop em in water

[wksimple]

to the OP: is this of interest? http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...n-454190-mould

[greenjoytj]

To slk question in post #44.

Modify a .450” top punch or slightly smaller punch example .44” bullet that fits your sizer properly.
I spun a top punch in my drill press, and gently pressed the spinning punch onto 220 thru to 1000 grit aluminum oxide sand paper to sand off a collar than made the punch suitable for only a particular SAECO bullet.

The sand paper was place on a sheet of glass to insure a smooth flat surface.
A perfectly flat punch seats my LEE 452-255-RF cast bullets and any other flat nose bullet including the bullet the punch was made for.

You don’t need a top punch that has been factory shaped to your bullets nose shape if your bullet has a flat nose.

[farmbif]

all I use is straight clip on wheel weights with a little bit of tin added lube sized to 454 with carnauba red

[fredj338]

If you just want plinking bullets for std 45colt loads, the Lee 200gr RNFP is a really good shooter. If it must be 255gr, then the Lee RNFP works there too. My fav 45colt mold is the RCBS270SAA. I shoot them only in my Ruger BH though. The cowbow guns get the 200gr Lee, which comes in about 208gr cast from range scrap, which is plenty hard for std colt vel/pressures.
I size everything 0.452". I used to shoot Carnuba Red but have moved to coated for all my lead stuff.

[slk]

I got the Lee mold in today and have cast some bullets. The bullets are coming out pretty good and full, but they might be really pretty on one side (mirror finish) and a little duller look on the other. I am not so worried about pretty, but just wondering what could be done to get the entire head shinny?

Steve

[Ozark mike]

Polish and elbow grease
Probably just need to cast a few lbs of lead and it should get better

[murf205]

Hello Steve,

I've been casting & loading these with good results.

https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.c...old-452-200-rf

AntiqueSledMan.

SledMan, does your boolits drop out of the mold with as sharp looking driving bands and lube grooves that the Lee pic in the link shows? Is the crimp groove that pronounced as well. I have a 25-5 Smith & Wesson with a 4" barrel that refuses to shoot a comfortable 255 gr load down to the top of the sights @ 25yds and I believe that a 200gr boolit will drop it down where I want it. I have the shorter rear sight blade in it now. I think that speeding a load up 75-90 fps will get me where I want to be.

[USSR]

I have a 25-5 Smith & Wesson with a 4" barrel that refuses to shoot a comfortable 255 gr load down to the top of the sights @ 25yds and I believe that a 200gr boolit will drop it down where I want it.

Yeah, the curse of the Smith 25-5; too short of a front sight.

Don

[murf205]

How well I know. If I could drive boolits at warp speed to get them on the sights, it would defeat the purpose of a mild shooting big bore 4" gun. I wonder if the mothership can put a taller red ramp sight on it without it looking like it was bubba'd. I think I'll call and ask them. My gun is a 98%+ gun and I looked high(er) and low(er) for a 4".

[prs]

I've a couple Uberti SAs [Evil Roy w/4 3/4" barrel and an Artillery w/5 1/2" barrel] and shot a lot of 454190s, 454490s and 45-255-KTs through them. Also have a Uberti 1873 lever action and a Contender barrel in 45 Colt. Over the last 10+ years I've become more partial to shooting lighter weight bullets. I used the Lee 452-200-RF but lately have been using the Lee 452-230-TC, both with excellent accuracy. I load them over Bullseye or 700X for 950 & 900 fps out of the SAs and 1150 & 1050 fps out of the Uberti carbine, very comfortable and accurate loads. I'm a traditional size and lube guy.

Larry, when loading the Lee 452-230-TC for your carbine, which type of crimp die are you using? I have a few pounds of those all sized and ready to load for my Marlin CB Limited and since that boolit has no crimp groove I have been wondering which is the most secure crimp. I was thinking of trying the collet crimp die.

prs

[AntiqueSledMan]

Hello murf205,

Here is a quick shot of my Lee 452-200-RF.
The 5 are Soft Lead, the 3 are Wheel Weights,
the 4 are the Lee 452-255-RF in Wheel Weights.

AntiqueSledMan.

[murf205]

Thank you for the pics. Those 200's might just be what I need to solve my problem.

[slk]

I have a small issue with my brass that I did not notice until last night. I had some old brass that was Hornady and my new Starline. The Hornady is shorter by a 1/16". So now I will have to be careful with those not to seat the bullet the same as the Starline. I would miss the crimp grove. I will load the Starline first and crimp and do those Hornadys last and adjust the dies accordingly. BTW the Federal barss is the same length as the Starline.

I did get the Lee 452-255 to produce some nice bullets. Very happy with the mold.

Steve

[USSR]

The Hornady is shorter by a 1/16". So now I will have to be careful with those not to seat the bullet the same as the Starline.

Hornady shortens their brass when loading the FTX bullets in them. I avoid them like the plague.

Don

[cwlongshot]

Hornady shortens their brass when loading the FTX bullets in them. I avoid them like the plague.

Don

I dont avoid them... I do lod SOME FTX, So I just save for that

BUT something to know and should make ALL HORNADY head stamp a suspect!!

CW

[slk]

So if I am aware of the situation like now will I be ok loading the 255gr bullet. After I shoot them I may just set them aside. I already have them primed

Oh and with the crimp do I want the brass in the center of the crimp groove or towards the top of the groove.

Steve

[USSR]

Steve,

Location of the crimp in the crimp groove isn't the problem, the problem is since the brass is short, the case neck doesn't reach up into the crimp part of the die like a normal case does. Hard to get a good crimp with them.

Don

[slk]

i should be able to adjust the die shouldn't I? They are adjustable. Or am I missing something? I have no problem throwing the hornadys brass away if it is not workable.

Lets get on the Starline brass. Where do I need the brass to be on the crimp grove. This is the first time I am crimping in a crimp groove. Am I trying to get the leading mouth of the casing to fold into that groove? There seams to be a fine line here on where the casing needs to be. Below is a pic of the starline brass with a 452-255 bullet seated(not crimped yet). Do I need to seat it some more? You can see where it was crimped before with the factory 250gr HSM cowboy bullets that I am reloading. I am using 255 gr ones now. Help.............

[Static line]

Well,you might be ok to crimp there if your COL meets the specks that it should be to function in your firearm. Me,myself,I like to seat the bullet to where I am in as much of the crimp groove as possible and then crimp. In the groove but just a hair short of hitting the shoulder of the bullet.I am shooting a 255 gr. WFN cast bullet too and if I have a picture,I'll se if I can attach one here in the next post.