.45 cal boolit options?

[DeadWoodDan]

A friend recently purchased a .45 Hawkins and i'm trying to help him on what his choices are. I found the Lee REAL and RB, but thats about it. He knows he can shoot sabots. He has some 98% lead he wants to use to cast with.

thanks
DWD

[mooman76]

There isn't much out there for 45's. Most went to 50 or better. The Lee reals do well some times depending on the gun. There are some used 45 mould around if you look or you could try paper patching a regular boolit. A Hawkin doesn't usually have a tight enough twist to do sabots well or at least I have never heard of one.

[HARRYMPOPE]

my TC 45's(flint and cap) with a 1-48 shoots a .445 RB very well at 50 yards(under 1.5" many times").I shoot maxi-balls and Minie-Balls but the old RB seems as accurate to 50.At 100 yards the hollowbase Minie-Ball with its more streamlined shape shoots better in the wind than my blunt maxi-balls(under 3" occasionally).The RB is OK in calm weather at 100 but is all over if it it blowing.Out here in Eastern WA in the Columbia basin it is almost always windy.

[Underclocked]

The one I had years ago shot Maxi-balls wonderfully. 100 yard 2" groups even with factory sights wasn't uncommon. But I could see then.

[idahoron]

The one I had years ago shot Maxi-balls wonderfully. 100 yard 2" groups even with factory sights wasn't uncommon. But I could see then.

Seeing make a huge difference. Ron

[FLINTNFIRE]

should be somewhere with the maxi ball mold , have one from years ago , shot pretty good , even though at the time I was using a h&r huntsman in 45 , did not really care for the gun , it is long gone now , like the comment on the wind in eastern wa. , as being on the river the last week it has been windy

[bigdaddy0826]

LEE makes a 200gr round nose flat point mold for 44 mag that is stated to cast at .429. As with most of my LEE molds, it cast a little bigger at .432. I patch with pillow tic patches liberally saturated in lube over 40gr of FFF BP. Shoots like a dream from a .45 T/C cherokee. Nice clean round holes in sub 6 inch groups at 150yrd. (the longest shot I have at my home range). Not sure of my twist rate but I'll bet a quarter it's 1:48. I cast with a 30:1 alloy with all my patched bullets and round ball. I tried it on a whim because I picked up the wrong box of boolits on the way to my range and was too lazy to walk back to the shop. Its about all I shoot out of my 45's.

[quilbilly]

I have a T/C Seneca in 45 cal and it has shot both sabots with 358 boolits and RB well. I shoot exclusively RB in it now for deer and it has put a lot of venison in the fridge. It groups at about 2" at 100 yards with RB and 55 gr of FFF Goex. No deer has ever gone more than a few steps.

[ml45]

I shoot a lot of paper patch .Size to 445 two wraps of onion skin . any weight upto 330 that i have shot give 2 in or less at 100 yds Bear grease lube of choice T7 up to 100 gr Of course accuracy will determin top load Lee molds i use 252 swc 255rf and a lot of custom molds i have had cut over the years

[sharps4590]

Lyman still makes a Maxi-type in 45 cal. Check this link

http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/bullet-casting/mould-details-blackpowder.php?entryID=84

I have a similar mould for a 50 and it's very good. Can't see that this one would be any different.