45 ACP alloy

[wtfooptimax200]

What is your favorite alloy for casting 45 ACP plinking loads?

[williamwaco]

Clip on wheel weights. Air cooled.

[white eagle]

recycled lead from my range
but that is my favorite for everything anna way

[jmsj]

For light target and plinking loads for the 45 ACP, I use the Lyman 452460 cast from 50% Range scrap/ 50%PB. This boolit/alloy and 3.2-3.6 grains of Bullseye has worked well for me.
jmsj

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Just plain ol'WW.

Quenched right from the hot mold also works fine.

Keep em coming!

CRusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Shooter6br]

20-1 for me

[knifemaker]

I use a 50/50 mix of clip on wheel weights and pure lead. have driven it to 1000 FPS and no leading in several 1911s. My standard load is the 230 gr. backed by 5.3 gr. of W-231 for about 825 FPS. Very accurate and reliable in all my 1911s.:mrgreen:

[bobthenailer]

clip on WW water droped from the mould ! has worked excellent for me for a few decades. With many 10s of thousads of bullets & alot of different 1911s

[imashooter2]

I think you'll find that most people's favorite alloy for pretty much anything is what they have on the shelf...

[USSR]

25-1 for my cast hollowpoints.

Don

[Buddy]

Buckets n buckets of WW's. Simple, easy, nothing to remember.

[zomby woof]

25%WW 75% range scrap, little tin

[gray wolf]

If it comes out of the mold it goes into the pistol. ( 1911 )
I say this because all I have is my 1911 and I can only shoot gifted lead unless I trip over some WW. I find the 45 ACP to be a very forgiving pistol to cast, load and shoot.

[fredj338]

25-1 for my cast hollowpoints.

Don

Me too, works great! For plinking loads, 50/50 lead/clip ww or straight range lead, add 1% tin to sweeten as req'd. for good casting.

[UweJ]

plain range lead for me cause there is no need to push the .45 over 1000fps. for me that is.
Uwe

[MBTcustom]

Man, 45 will eat anything! I have even run pure PB through it with no problem. So whats the best alloy for 45? Whatever is free and can be poured into a mold.

[Shooter6br]

20-1 alloy or 25-1 for HP

[dnotarianni]

4 part pure lead, 2 parts WW and 1 part reclaimed shot water dropped. Cast a 280 gr bullet for bowling pin matches in a 625 Smith. No leading at 820 FPS
Dave

[Char-Gar]

Years ago, the common wisdom was the 1911 in 45 ACP needed a hard alloy to hold the shallow rifling. That has proven to be an old wives tale as attested to by the posts above. I tend to use straight wheel weight, but I have used other alloys both softer and harder with equal results.

[LabGuy]

Currently, I’m using 2/3 clip on WW, 1/3 stick on WW + 1% tin air cooled. But I just signed up for a couple of group buy hollow points. I’ll probably make them softer.

[Boolseye]

Pretty much pure range lead, but I may start to mix it with Pb after reading this thread,

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Make em as cheap as possible, they all go out the barrel just fine!

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[garym1a2]

Whatever I have with a dab of Tin solder mixed in. Air dropped on a towel.

[bslim]

For my 1911, I use WW's with a touch of 50/50 bar solder.

[captaint]

Low pressure, low velocity. That's what makes it easy. 50 WW/50 Pb for me, air cooled. Been doing it for a while. Works real well!! enjoy Mike

[Sonnypie]

If it comes out of the mold it goes into the pistol. ( 1911 )
I say this because all I have is my 1911 and I can only shoot gifted lead unless I trip over some WW. I find the 45 ACP to be a very forgiving pistol to cast, load and shoot.

When I trip over wheel weights, I'm usually pretty awfully drunk. :kidding: :veryconfu

[blackbike]

run what ya broung

[Sonnypie]

Pure silver.

(Hey, you never now when a Wolfman is going to invade your house.) :hijack:

[avogunner]

I'm another one who's never been too picky with the alloy for 45 ACP. Usually though, it's COWW but range lead seems work just as well.

[inkedbylee]

no ??? about it range pure cold broped i us a lee 230 round nose on top of 5.2 gr of herco thay work really well in all my 1911's

[SciFiJim]

I wind up getting more stick on the clip on WWs in what I pick up at the tire shops. Instead of running pure lead in my 45, I mix 50/50 clip on and stick on. Works great air cooled for my 45 and water dropped for my 357 rifle.

[Dale53]

I have a variety of bullet metals to work with. My choice is WW's+2% tin for all of my "standard" pistol and revolver bullets.

Hollow points get 20/1 lead/tin for positive expansion.

Dale53

[HDS]

I try to go 50/50 WW and pure lead for .44spl and thats what I aim to be using in 45ACP once my mihec mold gets here, maybe some added tin too.

[Dave C.]

The best mix I have found is 2%SN, 6% SB and 92% PB.

Distinguished, Master, 2600 club, President 100 badge holder.
Dave C.

[Sonnypie]

Just in from the shop.
I ran off a small batch of 45's made from Magnum Shot melted down. I only added a small amount of tin in the way of some Lead-Free solder. About 2' of 1/8" to 20 pounds of melted shot. Because it was laying around.
I wanted to see what the water dropped Vs: air cooled tested out at.
Since they were both made today, age hardening tests will come later.

Lee Hardness test kit:
Air Cooled ........tested @ 11.8 BHN (.066" Dia) \
.................................................. .........................- these are my initial tests. :popcorn:
Water dropped tested @ 12.1 BHN (.065" Dia) /

The air cooled tested the same as an older one tested the other day, 11.8 BHN out of the same shot, but probably a month ago.


My reason was I can get Magnum Shot for cheap and plentiful at one of the local ranges. 25# for $35, picked up. And I can use it in shotgun reloading, or melt it and cast it for the 45 ACP.
Lyman #2, I think I want to save for my rifle boolits.

I think I'm becoming a hoarder... :shock:

[evan price]

Generic range scrap (8-10 bhn usually) water dropped because I like the sizzle & 12 bhn. Run it around 850 fps with a Lee 228-gr ball profile boolit tumble lubed in straight alox.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

OK, I am not a "Bullseye" shooter, my .45acp being simply for up close and personal situations.

So having said that, 37 posts over what is to me a non-issue sure seems like a lot!

"KISS" - keep it simple stupid - water quenched wheel weights is more then enough, any addition of expensive things like tin etc, is just wasted money and effort.

Just an Ol'Coot opinion of course.:wink:

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Dale53]

Obviously, there is a bit of difference in opinion as to what makes the best alloy.

I have run many side by side tests (including many Ransom Rest tests) and, for me, WW's + 2% tin simply casts better than straight WW's. I get better fill out and it is simply easier to get a match worthy bullet.

On the other hand, if straight WW's are working for you and your particular needs, then full speed ahead.

FWIW
Dale53

[Sonnypie]

OK, I don't have, and can't get wheel weights.
So what then???
So I look at threads like this to get ideas for what I can cast up for my 45.
I think Lyman #2 is a waste for a round that is designed to knock a human on their keester by a big, slow chunk of lead, when I can melt down shot and use that.
I can buy shot all day long. So last trip I got 100 pounds (4 sacks) with the duel purpose in mind.
But they are trying to force lead out where I am.
And soon it will hit where you are, too. :wink:

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

As Dale53 indicates, whatever works for the shooter/gun combination.

However, Sonnypie, if your .45acp is to be used for "social issues", buy a few hundred well tested and proven "J" boolits such as the Speer Gold Dot for function firing and then carry ammo.

Use the cast for lots and lots of UP CLOSE practice as you will work long and hard to get cast boolits to fulfill the the relyability of the proven personal defense "J" boolits currenty available.

If pressed to use my 45 for that up close and personal social issue, something I hope NEVER!!!! happens, I want that boolit to dump every single foot pound of energy in the bad guy, where my cast boolit is more then likely to make a complete pass through of the bad guy/gal, a situation that can have a number of negative outcomes.

I understand others may use the 45 for other then my use, up close and personal social issues, but if I want to target practice at extended or greater ranges, I have a number of handguns much better suited for that situation, both .22 and centerfires.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[odfairfaxsub]

i use 50 50 of pure lead and ww. works just freakin awesome

[jfischer]

Is their a reason not to water drop? Just seems cleaner to doso and no chance of sticking body parts on hot Bootlits.

[Sonnypie]

jfisher, Welcome to Cast Boolits.

No reason I can think of. Once I tried it myself, I found I really like it and I am doing mine that way routinely now.

Conversely I would ask if there is any advantage to air cooling. (Other than your boolits don't get wet.)

I have my own test going on comparing the two methods.

[Dale53]

Is their a reason not to water drop? Just seems cleaner to doso and no chance of sticking body parts on hot Bootlits.

That's an interesting question. I air dry exclusively. However, that is not to say that water dropping your cast bullets is inferior.

I prefer air cooled WW's+2% tin for most of my general use bullets (most of what I need to shoot). I shoot 5000-7500 rounds per year of .45 ACP, alone (my most shot caliber). The hardness obtained with A/C is about correct for my purposes.

However, water drop has the advantage with magnum pistol bullets of hardening them without additional cost, if you are limited as to what bullet metal you have available.

Air cooled requires less work for me (I have a small fan cooling mine as they are cast) and I don't have to retrieve them from water, dry them, etc.

If you are water dropping and like that procedure then continue.

This is a case where there IS more than one way.

Dale53

[astroskg]

i guess i am also one of the poor souls who has problems finding wheel weights in my area. i was luck enough to stop by one of the local Machine Shops and asked the owner if he had any scrap lead . a 12 pack of soda later and over 800lbs of scrap lead i was in lead heaven. i have since melted down all the scrap into muffin tin ingots. but have yet to find out that perfect mix for my guns always have leading in my 40 and 9mm . am in the market for a 1911 45acp and hope to translate that 800lbs into usable ammo because of the slower speed. have read hundreds posts but nothing real clear like in this blog. its always "add wheel weights" or "lino" i have neither only pure lead. Roto metals has been mentioned but my math is rusty and i can never figure out how much ROTO metal ingots i need to buy to make up good boolets . i have a 10# and 20# pot usually use the 20# how much lead and how much Roto Metal (i think they call it super hard) would i mix to get a good mix for 45ACP

thanks for any help

[bumpo628]

how much lead and how much Roto Metal (i think they call it super hard) would i mix to get a good mix for 45ACP

thanks for any help

A lot of people have good results with a 50/50 mix of pure and WW. They usually add a little tin for fillout, but it may not be necessary. That mix would give you approximately 0.25% tin, 1.5% antimony without any added tin. Using that as a guide for the antimony content, here are a couple recipes:

1 lb superhard + 29 lbs pure lead = alloy with 1% antimony
1 lb superhard + 23 lbs pure lead = alloy with 1.25% antimony
1 lb superhard + 19 lbs pure lead = alloy with 1.5% antimony
1 lb superhard + 16 lbs pure lead = alloy with 1.75% antimony
1 lb superhard + 14 lbs pure lead = alloy with 2% antimony
1 lb superhard + 11 lbs pure lead = alloy with 2.5% antimony
1 lb superhard + 9 lbs pure lead = alloy with 3% antimony

[Roundnoser]

i use 50 50 of pure lead and ww. works just freakin awesome

Same here! I use 50/50 WWs and lead pipe....air cooled. No leading, and accurate.

[Ronbo256]

I'm always fooling around with new alloys, but I really like 98/2 PB/SN air dropped on a wet towel for my .45 with the lee TL230 RN, with around 5.2 grains of herco pushing it. I cast about 100 today out of 10lbs of COWW with about 4 ounces of pewter added for a little better fill out, I'm sure that will do a good job also.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

????????????? Droping on a wet towel???

I understand cold water quenching, and I float a towel in the bucket to keep the boolits from getting dinged as they contact each other in the bottom.

But wet towel ---- Wouldn't that tend to make the boolits uneven in temper, meaning harder on one side then the other - which ever side hit the wet towel.

More info please.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[fredj338]

Is their a reason not to water drop? Just seems cleaner to doso and no chance of sticking body parts on hot Bootlits.
I don't see the point unless you want a harder bullet. There is no other real benefit IMO. I use a folded shop towel & drop on that. When the towel get full I trasnfer to a cardboard box & repeat. I don;t have to dry bullets or anything else. Even 50/50 lead/clip ww can be too hard for good results in a low pressure 45acp.

[Ronbo256]

Well, when I say wet towel, I mean one just barely damp, it doesn't even steam when hit with a hot boolit. You have a point though from now on I'll just use a dry folded towel. I started doing that with 98/2 which won't heat treat anyway, but maybe it would cool unevenly. I do use a wet towel to catch the sprues when I water quench my .40 boolits.