.45lc casting

[icebones762]

I was looking for some wisdom on casting boolits for a .45lc Ruger Vaquero. I have never cast for cartridges before. Up until now I have only cast round balls and conical for black powder firearms. Quite frankly Im lost. I haven't bought a mold yet but I was looking at a Lee brand name. They are the only brand of mold I have ever owned and so far Im happy with their results. I was just planning on using these cast hand loads for general target practice and plinking. Not looking for barn burning velocity or 1/2" groups at 50 yards. A decent mid power load with decent accuracy will suffice.

So do I need to invest in a sizer? What about gas checks? Do I need to lube the boolits?

Im a newbie when it comes to casting for cartridges so any help yall can give will be appreciated.

[diabloken]

I have had good luck with Lee 452-200grain molds.
I just cast 1500 boolits with a 6cavity mold..I also have a
2 cav..but it is too slow in my opinion.I use these for cowboy guns and
they run in my 1911.Great Molds for starting out. Diablo:Fire:

[diabloken]

No need for gas checks unless you are pushing over 1200fps.
I have a 310 grain Lee for hunting bullets.Most of my Lee molds I
don't size and I tumble lube with Alox.Messy but cheap.

[44MAG#1]

If you can get one a Mihec 270 SAA bullet mold is one of the finest molds you can get. Mine is a 4 Cavity. Another bullet I like is a Magma 250 gr RNFP. Also a Lee 250 gr RNFP. I cast the first 2 but buy occasionally the Lee.
A load I have found for any of the 3 is 6.0 gr Bullseye for 775 to 810 depending on bullet weight in a 45/8's barrelled Ruger NEW Vaquero. Another load with any of the 3 is 18.5 gr 2400 for a stouter load.
Bullseye has been around for many, many, many years, has a teriffic track record, is economical, consistant in smaller charge weights, is accurate at 50 yards (a relative term so no need to pick the word to death). I like the bullseye load. Another powder is Titegroup but it is Hodgdons attempt to grab some of the Bullseye market and offers no real advantage over Bullseye as I see it. Yes I have tried it. All these with standard primers.

[jmsj]

icebones762,
Welcome to castboolits.
Check this link out, it will answer a lot of your questions. http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm
As to sizing, for good performance you'll need to "slug" your bore and throats. Around here you'll hear many say that "fit is king" and it is sound advice.
For medium speed/pressure loads if the fit is good gas checks are not necessary.
There are many methods for lubing besides using a lubesizer but many find it easier and faster method to size and lube boolits. Read the "stickies" and you'll find many articles on methods lubing and sizing
I have had great success using the Lee 452-255-RF in my 45 Colt. It can be had from Lee in a 2 or 6 cavity mold.
Welcome and good luck, jmsj

[David LaPell]

I tried Lee cast bullets in my Vaquero but the accuracy was so-so. I got a Lyman 452424 250 grain cast SWC and in that and my New Service the accuracy is much better. Casting them is not too hard you just need to know what to size the bullets at, I know my Vaquero was .451 and my Colt likes them a little bigger. I use Lee alox lube (shake and bake style) with very little problems.

[icebones762]

Good stuff guys thanks. Would I need to use gas checks if I fired these same load from a rifle? Say a 20'' bbl Rossi M92? I have seen load data showing some people have used shotgun powder for milder loads. I seem to remember one guy used Green Dot and another used Universal. Any luck with these powders?

[44man]

Good stuff guys thanks. Would I need to use gas checks if I fired these same load from a rifle? Say a 20'' bbl Rossi M92? I have seen load data showing some people have used shotgun powder for milder loads. I seem to remember one guy used Green Dot and another used Universal. Any luck with these powders?
I think they will shoot OK from a rifle without GC's.
I would stay around 250 gr for boolits. It is a better match.
So you don't think you can get 1/2" at 50??? Hey, maybe you can!

[bigboredad]

IF it was me what I would do is get a lee 255 rnfp get get some alox learn how to mix it with jpw and mineral spirits get a pound of red dot drop 6.5gr and go see what happens. The biggest mistake I made when I started was no patience. I would cast lube and shoot the same day or the next. you gotta give them little dandies a chance to harden up if the alox doesn't work make sure you throats and bullets are the correct size and give pan lubing a try if that works but you just can't stand pan lubing then buy a lubri sizer. if done that way you will find what works for you and your gun. That is what I would do but that doesn't mean there isn't a better way it's just my way and only matters to me

[Larry Gibson]

Good stuff guys thanks. Would I need to use gas checks if I fired these same load from a rifle? Say a 20'' bbl Rossi M92? I have seen load data showing some people have used shotgun powder for milder loads. I seem to remember one guy used Green Dot and another used Universal. Any luck with these powders?

I've shot a lot of different cast bullets in the .45 Colt over the years. I have setteled on the Lee 200 gr RNFP for use in my 2 SSAs and M92 Rossi rifle and M73 Carbine. Cowboy action loads are fun butmy standard load runs 935 fps out of the 4 3/4" revolver, 948 fps out of the 5 1/2" revolver, 1200 fps out of the Rossi M92 rifle (24" barrel) and 1150 fps out of the M73 Carbine (20" barrel). Accuracy is excellent out of all of them.

The alloy I use (range scrap + tin = lead) is soft at 11 - 12 BHN and drops from my 6 cavty mould at .453 - .454 so I use a .454 sizer to size and lube them with . The load is 7.5 gr Bullseye which is at SAMMI MAP (14,000 psi) for the 45 Colt.

My Lyman 452454 260 gr SWC is my favorite "heavy" cast bullet for "standard" .45 Colt loads. The old standby of 8.5 gr Unique under that bullet is very hard to beat in revolver or rifle.

Larry Gibson

[Fishman]

The lee 255 gr offering is a fine design. If you are just starting out, don't make it difficult. Just cast them, tumble them in a butter tub with a little bit of lee alox, let them dry for a couple days on wax paper, and load them with trail boss. Since it sounds like you are brand new to cartridge loading, trail boss will keep you out of trouble since you physically can't double charge it.

[Muskyjerk]

If you are cheap get a round nose 200 grain lee, then you can make 20 percent more Boolits with the same lead, and you can use in your 45acp,

Read your manuals

Starting out I would stick with a 2 cav.

[High Desert Hunter]

I will second the Miha 270SAA mold, I started out with the RCBS, loved it so much I jumped on the group buy for a 4 cav. I shoot more of the bullets than all of the other bullets I cast combined. Mine drop from the mold at 289grs, I usually load them over 8.5grs of Unique which is safe in all of my 45 Colts, it even serves the bulk of my 454 shooting. I shoot this bullet in a Flattop, SS Bisley, NM Blackhawk, and a 25-13. Accuracy is generally in the 1 1/2" arena if I do my part.

[icebones762]

No Ive reloaded for years. Ive just never hand loaded with cast boolits. Thanks for the wisdom and tips guys.

[Bodydoc447]

For starting out, I would echo the advice given here. A Lee 250 RNFP mould with Lee Liquid Alox (given a tincture of time to set up properly) and 8.0 grains of Unique would be very nice load. Not a barn burner but plenty of downrange "knockdown." Many of the moulds mentioned above are superb in this caliber and I have many of them. The Lee is a good starting point. Then we have you hooked and you can see where that takes your interests.

Doc

[41mag]

Welcome aboard.

As mentioned the Lee 255 FR is a great boolit to get started out with. Not a lot of expense for the 6 cav. to get into things, with a mold that will produce enough quantity in a short time, for you to head out and test plenty of loads.

I use them sized to .425 from both my Ruger Redhawk, and my Taraus Ragin Bull for light plinker loads. I have also loaded a few up for my 45 ACP, just to see how they shot. Not bad but a bit much for the shorter case. With the 45 Colt however they shoot wonderfully. My alloy is in the 11.5-12bhn range, and it works just great tumble lubed with the 45/45/10 recipe.

I would not hesitate to put them to use on a feral hog or deer at 25-50yds either, they are plenty accurate, and well they don't get no smaller when they hit something.

Good luck with yours, I know the Unique loads which have been posted here work and work well in my Ruger.