Freedom Arms 454 Casull questions

[TXSlade]

I'm new to this forum, new to casting, but I have been reloading about 30 years. I came across NEI molds (454 315) that appeared to be of high quality and I liked the look of the boolit (I guess that is the correct vernacular?) so I bought them. I have two Freedom Arms 454 Casulls, so I will put this mold to good use. In reading a book "From Ingot to Target: A Cast Bullet Guide for Handgunners" I saw another mold Lyman 454629, I gather this was made for a short period of time. I'm thinking finding one of these would be a good idea. Does anyone have a suddestion on helping me to find this mold?

As far 454 casull, any pet loads out there for me to start with? I know what works in your gun might not in mine, but it's a start. Or favorite boolits, that is weird for me to spell like that lol.

My Freedom Arms are a 10" with scope, and a 6" with express sights.

Thank you!

[Dennis Eugene]

PM sent. Dennis

[Dennis Eugene]

E-Mail sent. Dennis

[44man]

I'm new to this forum, new to casting, but I have been reloading about 30 years. I came across NEI molds (454 315) that appeared to be of high quality and I liked the look of the boolit (I guess that is the correct vernacular?) so I bought them. I have two Freedom Arms 454 Casulls, so I will put this mold to good use. In reading a book "From Ingot to Target: A Cast Bullet Guide for Handgunners" I saw another mold Lyman 454629, I gather this was made for a short period of time. I'm thinking finding one of these would be a good idea. Does anyone have a suddestion on helping me to find this mold?

As far 454 casull, any pet loads out there for me to start with? I know what works in your gun might not in mine, but it's a start. Or favorite boolits, that is weird for me to spell like that lol.

My Freedom Arms are a 10" with scope, and a 6" with express sights.

Thank you!
You are in the right place and welcome.
I have little experience with the .454 because I don't have one but have worked with many.
Most loads that work in one gun will work in another.
Now repeat after me! BOOLIT, BOOLIT, BOOLIT. Now, do you feel better? [smilie=l:

[44MAG#1]

I shot for quite some time a 43/4 inch FA with a 340 gr LBT- LFN -GC with 26.5 gr H110/W296 with either Fed 205 or Rem 71/2 primers.
That load would shoot well out of my gun.
No, I didn't shoot the wings off gnats at 100 yards with me on a flat out run with them flying loopty loops either but at 100 I could do fairly well with it offhand and iron sights.
I shot quite abit loaded to 29.5 gr with the same powders too.
Somewhere from 26 to 27.5 you should find the right load if you don't want flat out.
DO NOT go much lower than 26 unless your bullet seats fairly deep I don't care what Hodgdons says or anyone else in their loading data with H110/W296.
If you want lower go to 2400. With the same bullet and and 21.5 gr and my 71/2 inch it was about like a 320 gr from a 44 Mag recoil wise

[stubshaft]

My 7 1/2" usually shoots 33.0 296/110 behind a 300gr LBT LFN using either LBT blue or Felix lube.

[TXSlade]

I sure appreciate all this info, there is a local gunshow coming this weekend so I might need to pick up some of this powder. Everything I use is meant for Freedom Arms heavy jacketed bullets.

[MT Chambers]

My Casull loads are a little lighter for my 4 3/4" FA 83, 340 gr WFN GC and 23 grs. IMR 4227, prolly around 1100fps. and a slight reduction in recoil.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

my Encore 454 13" barrel likes a 300gr G/C boolit over 27.5 gr of H110
or a 240gr XTP over 35gr of H110 but i get copper fouling bad after 20 rounds
so i just shoot cast out of it now

[DanWalker]

Try 7 grains of Red Dot under either a LEE 300 grain RNFP or a LEE 255 swc. I use 454 or 45LC brass and LP primers in the 45 cases an magnum SP primers with the 454's. They kick lightly enough that my wife will shoot them and can hit pretty well!
Now, since I answered a question, mind if I ask one? Anyone know where I can get a weaver style base(OTHER than an SSK TSOB) that will work to mount a red dot sight on an FA83?

[44man]

Try 7 grains of Red Dot under either a LEE 300 grain RNFP or a LEE 255 swc. I use 454 or 45LC brass and LP primers in the 45 cases an magnum SP primers with the 454's. They kick lightly enough that my wife will shoot them and can hit pretty well!
Now, since I answered a question, mind if I ask one? Anyone know where I can get a weaver style base(OTHER than an SSK TSOB) that will work to mount a red dot sight on an FA83?
What about the Freedom base? I don't know if Weigand has one.
Freedom should put a base with every gun. BFR includes a base and a drilled and tapped gun. Even Ruger includes rings, bases and whatever.
Is your gun drilled and tapped? If so just buy a base from Freedom.
Most bases are good, even the TSOB. So many are standard Weaver dimensions.

[DanWalker]

My FA was bought used. It has a TSOB base on it now. Selling the base with the scope, when I get home. I was hoping to find a smaller base to mount my red dot on. No need for what's on there now. From what I can tell, Weigand no longer makes a base for FA. The TSOB and leupold bases fit into the rear sight channel and use the rear sight mounting holes. I see where Trijicon had a base that fit the same way, but was only for their reflex sight. I can find no mention of anything like that on the FA website. I emailed them yesterday. Called them today. No luck. The TSOB is the only thing they offer for a weaver style base.

[44man]

Hard question to answer because if the TSOB has different screw spacing then others it becomes a problem.
How about just getting a new TSOB and cutting it down? Can you just buy the base without all the rings?

[snowwolfe]

Now, since I answered a question, mind if I ask one? Anyone know where I can get a weaver style base(OTHER than an SSK TSOB) that will work to mount a red dot sight on an FA83?

Freedom Arms makes there own red dot sight mount. It only costs about $40-45. I bought one to use with my 475 Linebaugh that came in a couple of months ago

[44man]

Freedom Arms makes there own red dot sight mount. It only costs about $40-45. I bought one to use with my 475 Linebaugh that came in a couple of months ago
That is very, very expensive for a base.
I made this base from a Weaver strip from Brownell's before MR had bases. My next BFR had no base but MR sent me a free one that I had to drill and tap the gun for.
I made 3 bases from the brownell strip so i might have $5 in this one. I sand blasted it to remove the blue color. Since BFR has a free base, they will send you one free if your gun did not have one. They did for me.
Why doesn't Freedom give you base?
I understand many can not do the work, make a base or drill and tap. But a very expensive gun should have everything with it. The thing should have a scope or red dot included.

[454PB]

I've had the best results with Bluedot for medium velocities, H-110/WW296, Lil'Gun, and WC820 for full power loads. You're facing a challenge if you use a plain base boolit for maximum pressure/velocity loads.

[snowwolfe]

Why doesn't Freedom give you base?


Beats me. Perhaps you can call them up and ask them. Me, I just wrote a check.

[DanWalker]

Freedom Arms makes there own red dot sight mount. It only costs about $40-45. I bought one to use with my 475 Linebaugh that came in a couple of months ago

I called Freedom Arms today. It was my understanding that these red dot mounts that freedom arms sells only fit a reflex style sight like the leupold deltapoint or the trijicons. I have a Millet red dot tube sight.

Another good load for me that won't turn the bones in your wrist to a fine powder, is a 250 grain swc over 20 grains of 2400 in a 454 case, and sparked with a magnum small pistol primer.

[44man]

I've had the best results with Bluedot for medium velocities, H-110/WW296, Lil'Gun, and WC820 for full power loads. You're facing a challenge if you use a plain base boolit for maximum pressure/velocity loads.
Not really so. I have switched to a PB for most of my guns. I hate the price of GC's.
Lil'gun is a powder I avoid.

[MT Chambers]

Isn't there a prob. with Lil'gun at those pressure levels in the FA, and doesn't FA not recommend it, burns too hot and erodes the forcing cone on it's revolvers, don''t know how this is now viewed.

[454PB]

Yes, the "Lil'Gun heating your barrel to where you can light a cigarette on it" threads abound, and Freedom Arms says not to use it. So far, I've burned about 8 pounds of it in various firearms with no problems....and haven't had any of them hot enough to keep me from holding them by the barrel after firing. I think my lot of Lil'Gun is defective.

[softpoint]

Isn't there a prob. with Lil'gun at those pressure levels in the FA, and doesn't FA not recommend it, burns too hot and erodes the forcing cone on it's revolvers, don''t know how this is now viewed.

I don't know if anything has been proven on this issue yet. Most folks that load Lil Gun do so at maximum levels with jacketed bullets. I cannot see where one powder should have more erosive effects than another as long as similar pressure limits are observed. Or at least not noticeably so. I wonder if some well-worn revolvers that had seen a life of max loads were sent back to Freedom for repairs are what started this. Don't know, just haven't seen proof one way or the other.I use H110 and 2400 in my FA:coffee:

[High Desert Hunter]

I stopped using Lil Gun back in 2001, it is the only powder I have used that spits particles into my face, and it caused flame cutting on my 454, my 44, and my 45 Colt. I have never had any issues with H110, 2400, AA #9, or WC820. In the 454, 44, and 45 Colt, I have never had any issues with PB bullets at top end loads, I have shot 284gr bullets from my 454 at 1650fps with very little leading, and great accuracy, even busting volleyball sized rocks at 100 yards.

[RobS]

Well I have the proof in the pudding with an eroded forcing cone from Lil Gun; I even posted pics at one point......H110/Win296 never the problem. Now the powder may have changed from the time I used it and for reference I used Lil Gun when the powder first came out............I won't return.


Yes, the "Lil'Gun heating your barrel to where you can light a cigarette on it" threads abound, and Freedom Arms says not to use it. So far, I've burned about 8 pounds of it in various firearms with no problems....and haven't had any of them hot enough to keep me from holding them by the barrel after firing. I think my lot of Lil'Gun is defective.

[454PB]

And I've posted pictures of the same erosion using H-110/296. Firing loads at 50K or higher is going to cause erosion eventually.

[High Desert Hunter]

No denying H110 will cause erosion, but Lil Gun will really speed up the process, I have burned a lot of pounds of H110, and have not found it to be nearly as aggressive as Lil Gun. Except for it doesn't give the velocity, or for me the accuracy of H110, AA #9 is a good powder. In the 454, I have even had good luck with 5744.

[44man]

Isn't there a prob. with Lil'gun at those pressure levels in the FA, and doesn't FA not recommend it, burns too hot and erodes the forcing cone on it's revolvers, don''t know how this is now viewed.
Not the pressure levels. The powder has very little flame deterrent on it and gets hot fast. I turned a Freedom .357 into a soldering iron in 12 shots. It was twice as hot as 40 rounds through a .44.
I heard Freedom will not honor the warranty if it is used.
It is true it develops more velocity at lower pressure but at what cost?

[bobthenailer]

At the time when i bought mounts the only weaver style mounts avalible were the SSK TSOB and they are top notch , i shortned one TSOB base for my 6" FA83 i belive Weingand now makes them also at a more reasonable cost than the TSOB.