1911 : Anybody using this mould?

[JWFilips]

Hi Folks,
I was wondering if anyone is using the Lee TL452-230-2R mould for the boolits in their 1911s & if they could comment.
I know there are better moulds but I was just wondering how this one runs as far as casting, feeding & shhoting?

[Keyston44]

This is the first mold I every used. It works just fine for anything I do with my 1911's. I load it with 6gr of Accurate #2 with very good results. I shoot it as cast and tumble lube with 45-45-10.

Key

[EMC45]

I find this bullet to have a little bit too much bearing service that interferes with leade/throat in some guns. I prefer the 230gr. Lee TC, H&G 68 (Lee Copy) or the Lyman 452-374.

[w5pv]

I use the Lee 452 TL mold for my 1911 no problems

[DrCaveman]

I used that a bunch in my STI spartan, no problems with feeding. Casting with the 6 cavity mold was also pretty easy, despite a couple of sticky cavities

I ruined the mold however trying to lap the cavities. Whoops.

My accurate molds h&g 68 clone casts and shoots better anyway

[DanM]

Yep, that Lee 230RNTL 6cav is one of the first molds that I ever bought. I wore my first one out. It dropped at .452"+ but the newer one has to beagle up for that diameter. The Lee 200 'button nose' SWC is more accurate in my 1911 and feeds in any pistol I have tried it in with the right OAL which varies from one pistol to another.

[AviatorTroy]

Hi Folks,
I was wondering if anyone is using the Lee TL452-230-2R mould for the boolits in their 1911s & if they could comment.
I know there are better moulds but I was just wondering how this one runs as far as casting, feeding & shhoting?

Both my 45 s love that mold for some reason. Doesn't look like it should work, but it absolutely does! 5 grs Bullseye or 6 grs Unique, have fun!

[geargnasher]

I liked it so much (or should I say that a fleet of 1911s did) that I had Tom at Accurate Molds make me a brass one with two, real lube grooves and a flat base (AM 45-230L), which is the best .45 ACP boolit I've ever shot because it is exactly the correct shape to function and feed in the 1911s. My only complaints about the Lee boolit is a tendency to lead at top-end load levels unless I used hard alloy, those microbands are weak and it doesn't take much skid to open up a trailing-edge gas leak. If Lee made the TL 230 2R with a couple of grooves and a flat base like 228 1R they'd really have a winner, but the TL boolit does fine at mid to low velocity.

Gear

[Abenaki]

It is my go too boolit for plinking!

It is the only boolit that I make, that I use alox on.

I also wish lee would have made it in a flat base, with normal lube grooves.

Take care
Abenaki

[Boolseye]

I concur. the TL452-230-2R is a winner–I've shot some scary groups with that thing and 4.7 grains of BE. I lapped my six-cav out about .0015," all cavities.

[TXGunNut]

If it's anywhere near as good as the TL452-200 it's a keeper. I wasn't sure it would work in my 1911's so I ordered a 2-cav for some "samples". Worked great so I ordered the 6-cav and loaded a few thousand. Hard to go wrong with a Lee mould.

[JWFilips]

Well I haven't shot it yet in a "New to Me" Rem 45 ACP 1911 But all I can say is a great testament to the grand folks here on this forum! You taught me well!!!
I bought that Lee 2 cavity die ( Did the preliminary clean up as posted in the forums ) & set to work casting those big buggers for the first time tonight ...again a testament of what you good folks have thought me ....In no time at all I was knocking out good useable boolits from the cheap Lee mould ( yes I had a few issues but easily corrected by temp and casting speed...learned here. Dropped about 200 in a short period of time..... 20 culled out as scrap and 3 batches of ( groupings of weighed boolits) Most ranging 229 to 230 grain A small group over 230 to 230.6 Grain and a small lighter group of 228.0 to 228.9 grain

45 /45/10 tumbled lubed & just waiting the chance to get into some cases! I'm excited!

[JWFilips]

Would anyone know a good starting O.A.L for this particular bullet on a light BE load?

[DanM]

Probably about 1.275" (sammi spec), but you should always do a 'plunk test' with a new bullet to know what length is best for your pistol's chamber.

[TXGunNut]

Plunk test or rule of thumbnail; a thumbnail's width of the full diameter section of the boolit above the case mouth. Works better with designs featuring a driving band.

[Boolseye]

It's a great feeding boolit, OAL a little over 1.270 as mentioned. Rule of thumbnail, as mentioned, and a good taper crimp–the case mouth needs to be at or under .470". You can crimp down to .467" or less if desired.

[Rainier]

For what's it's worth I've loaded and shot it in my Kimber, Colt and Springfield all with great success. I've used both BE & Win 231 in picked up range brass that have small and large primers. The boolit just seems to work!
Just my two cents worth...

[Bloodman14]

I use 4.5 grs of Red Dot or 5 grs of Titegroup behind that boolit; I don't use anything else.

[JWFilips]

Finally got to try out the Lee 230 gr boolits as well as the first time with my new Remington R1 1911. Below is the first target I shot off the bench with a hand held rest at 20 yds. These were the first 5 shots out of my new gun. I wanted to see where it was going to print first before shooting it off hand since there were a lot of variables here since it was my first time shooting a 1911 as well as casting for one.
The boolits were as dropped from the Lee mould @.453" tumble lubed in Recluse's 45/45/10 4.7 grain Bullseye, Winchester LPPs, Rem brass & I used a custom .4515" expander by 40Super and what I felt was too much of a taper crimp from the Lee die ( that was the part that had me worried ( it almost looked a bit like the start of a roll crimp so i'm not sure I like that crimp die very much ...but it produced results)
Anyway I thought maybe some of you would like to see the results from this thread.

86237

[Reloader06]

Nice shootin' JW. The 1911 is not easily mastered by some, but it appears you are well on your way.

Matt

[BNE]

Mr. Filips, I was sorry to see such terrible shooting results. I think you should give up on this design and send it to me. :) (It took me a few years to shoot that well with my .45.)

FYI, my go to load is 4.0 Gr of Hogdon Clays. Cycles great and is very clean. Thaks for this post, I am looking to buy the same mold and I appreciated all the replies.