"Black Powder" boolit with modern powder

[snaketail]

Its cold here in the middle of the country...too cold to shoot so I might as well start a fire and cast some boolits.

I found an interesting mold on eBay - MOLD D C 456-220-1R. This is a Lee black powder mold, but I think it would work for my .45 Colt rifle too (it likes .454 boolits). The weight is OK, but I'm wondering if a black powder design would work well with modern loads. I planned to pan lube and run through a .454 sizer.

Would this work OK, or did I stay out too long with that snow shovel?

M

[northmn]

The only way to tell is to try one. I would pass on it for my revolver but I guess is the price was right you could try it. Kind of in the same boat as it was 30 below this morning and did not get above 0, We have been hit with a cold snap for a while now.

DP

[JSnover]

Why wouldn't it work? In the late 19th century this newfangled "smokeless" powder came along. Most bullets were cast, "black" powder designs. Just stick with proven load data for cast boolits in that weight. You'll be ok.

[w30wcf]

snaketail,
I have the same mold and have used it in my .45-70 Marlin for mild loads for which it works great. Actually it doesn't hold any more lube that some other 2 lube grooved bullets. Even if it did, that would be no problem at all. Typically the base band will be a bit smaller to help with accurate seating in a cap&ball revolver.

w30wcf

[snaketail]

OK - I think I'll give it a try.

M

[Larry Gibson]

Typically the base band will be a bit smaller to help with accurate seating in a cap&ball revolver.

That is correct. I opened up the Lee mould base band with a reamer so it casts the same diameter as the front. Works fine in the 45 Colt and 45 ACP with mild loads. No crimp groove.. I originally wanted it as a plinking bullet for my 45-70 TD but it still cast a bit too small for that.

Larry Gibson