Success with 452389!!

[PS Paul]

I got out to the range last week and wrung out some loads with my "new to me" Lyman 4-cav. 452389 button-nose wadcutter mold in .45 Colt. I had the same mold in a 2-cav., but this new mold is not "worn out" like the 2-cav.

I posted a question about this mold and boolit several months back and one of our good members suggested I use 4227. One of my most-favored powders, especially in .45 Colt, I loaded up 18.6 gr under the 185 gr. 452389 and I got these results offhand (two-handed hold) at 50':
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I roll crimp over the shoulder in .45 Colt since this boolit was really designed for .45 ACP, but I am pretty happy with the results. Top right hit was from another load with a heavier boolit, as you can tell by the "shock" around the hit.......

Any of you fellas have any experience with this boolit design?

[felix]

Crimp it lightly in the middle of the top band, instead over the top of the band. Use taper crimper if you have one, otherwise the roll type like I do. I use 6 grains of 700X for an accurate cowboy load within lousy cylinder specs. 700X is fast enough to compensate somewhat. Load shoots really good in the lever guns too. ... felix

[PS Paul]

Felix, thanks for the suggestion! You actually chimed in on the thread I started when I first got the 2-cavity. I do have a taper crimp die for the caliber and I can shoot the boolit in .45 ACP in the spare cylinder in my BH.

I reamed out the chamber mouths with manson reamer to .452 on my cylinder, so I'm gonna give your recommendation a whirl. I've only used 4227 so far, so the 700X suggestion sounds good to me.

Thanks again and I'll post some results next week!!

Paul

[TMenezes]

You know I am glad to hear someone using wadcutters with good results in the 45 Colt. I have always heard they were great in 38 Special, and sometimes in light Bullseye loads for 45acp.

I saw a good looking wadcutter mold for sale and wondered if it was worth the investment but couldn't find any articles and very few forum conversations on them. So I passed on it for the time being, might give it a shot now though.

[PS Paul]

TM, I bought a 2-cav on e-bay for about $50.00 WITH handles a few months back. It cast alright, but it was well worn. I ran 'em through a lubesizer and they shot well reasonably with bullseye, unique and Green Dot, but I ran into a 4-cav version at the Oregon Collector's show last month for $60.00, so I jumped on it!

This mold was in terrific shape, appearing to have barely been used. The load of 4227 is very comfortable, but the 18.6 gr. shot better than all the other loads/recipes.

Felix chimed in on a thread I started when I got the 2-cav and said it was a popular bullseye boolit in .45 ACP back in the day. I can see why.

What sort of .45 wadcutter did you see? I know there are those heavy-nose type III designs out there, but I am not aware of any of the big mold producers who currently make a full wadcutter or a button-nose style.

[TMenezes]

It was a full wadcutter done by Night Owl Enterprises. A bit pricy as I am used to Lee prices and didn't want to risk it if it wasn't going to be a great boolit for my 45 Colts. Probably 99% of my 45 Colt loads are the Lee 200 or 255 RNFP.

[PS Paul]

Oh. I may be interested in selling my two cavity mold for the 452389? It's used, but throws a nice boolit...... Why don't you PM your address and I'll send you some of those boolits next week to try?

I have the six cavity Lee 250 gr. RNFP and the 200 gr. copy of the H&G 68, which was modified by a guy on the forum and "de-horned" to take the bevel base out an make it a plain base...... These 452389 are 185 gr., but just a ton of fun to shoot. My favorites are 290 and 300 gr., but I probably shoot the 250 RNFP more than all the others.

If you want the two-cavity mold, I'll make you a good deal on it. If not, just shoot the boolits I send and enjoy 'em!
Paul

[TMenezes]

Awe thank you, your very kind. When I was looking into the wadcutter for 45 concept I couldn't find anybody that had anything good to say about them, so I just kind of forgot about them till I saw this post.

At the time I was thinking, if a large meplat is a good, then nothing could be better than a full wadcutter right? Buffalo Bore seems to think so, they have a 250gr full power (but still in standard pressure) full wadcutter load for self defense. The wadcutter mold I was checking out was also 250gr, look like little soup cans.

[Iowa Fox]

My 1911 runs 100% with the 452389 using 4.5grns 700x. Sure wish I had a nice 4 cav. I do have a nice 452460 4 cav but the 185 grn bullet sure makes a sweet light plinker.