Which .45ACP mold works best??

[phantom15]

Which .45acp mold have you guys had the most success with?

[Bigslug]

Accuracy? You're going to hear HG68 (200gr SWC) and assorted clones of same quite a bit. That's the gold standard match bullet.

Engine of destruction? We just started a group buy with MP Molds for a clone of the 452423 (being done as 454423), which is Elmer Keith's .45ACP/Auto Rim slug (240-ish grain SWC). It's got a RIDONKULOUS meplat (@ .34"). Some experience feed issues, some don't. Attacking the science of that will be my project when that one arrives.

I chose the Accurate 45-230F as a compromise between feeding and large frontal area (.30"). Has a side profile similar to hardball.

[Artful]

What do you want it to do?
Punch paper - I like either Lyman 452460 or the H&G 68 designs or clones there of...
Feed well but hit harder than round nose like for steel - I like a 230 grn Truncated Cone
Hunting - I use a 250 SWC design with extra power recoil spring.
What are you trying to get you 45 to do?

[phantom15]

I want something in the 200-230gr. range but want one that has no feeding problems. Just going to be plinking but like a flat nose bullet.

[Lead Fred]

Use an old round nose 230, quarter size groups at 25 yards. Would have went with a wad cutter, but was worried about feed problems, so went the safe bet. 800-X moves them at 900ishFPS

[Iowa Fox]

For me its the 452460. My wife found an old 4 cav 452460 someplace so she bought it pretty cheap. Its in a cardboard box that looks like an american cheese box. Its the easiest casting mold I own, perfect fill out measuring .4535, and when you open the mold they just fall out with no shaking. I bought the same mold in a single cavity just for the handles. Its a hard caster and will wear you out trying to get fill out and lots of shaking to get them to drop. Big difference in nose profile also. Either one functions and shoots good in my 1911.

[seagiant]

Hi,
Do yourself a favor and get a MiHec Brass 4 Cav. H&G 68 clone! SWEET Mold and THE best tried and true design ever in the 45 ACP!!! This is the "World According to Sea Giant, of course!!!"

[41mag]

Before I started pouring my own I was given somewhere around 6 or so one pound coffee cans full of the HG# 130, which from what ever alloy the person used came out at 195grs verses the 185 listed. These have been VERY accurate and feed like teflon through my 1911.

Then I picked up one of the actual HG #130 molds for myself as well as adding in the MP 452-200. Having shot them both side by side using various charges of Unique, AA-2, and Bullseye, there is little discernible difference in the small groups they produce even out to 25yds.

For heavier I have used the Lee 200gr, the 230grTL, and even the 255grRF, also the MP 452640 Cramer which drops right about 260grs with the large round HP pin. I don't shoot a regular amount of the heavies, but they do shoot well and function fine.

Pick one and adjust your loads for accuracy, they all seem to shoot very well from both of my Colt 1911's. If you experience feeding issues check the lip of your magazine, and/or play with your seating depth just a touch, and usually this will get things moving in the right direction. There is a TON of data out there for the 185 through 230gr loads for which you should be able to find a suitable powder and very accurate load.

Hope this helps.

[6bg6ga]

Your going to get a 100 different answers here because of what some members have read in magazines but not necessarily had experience with. Most will tell you
that H&G68 is the way to go without having touched off a round with a 68 in it.

Well, I'm going to say something different and I'm going to tell you that different guns/different barrels work better with specific bullets. Loads have a heck of a lot to do with accuracy. I have done well with the 68 and good with the 452460, 452374. I have done better with the magma 230-235 RN bullet and their 185 and 200 gr SWC.

I find that you have to work up a load in order to get accuracy and its not as simple as which bullet is more accurate.

[MBTcustom]

By far I have run more Lee 45 230grain TL boolits through my 45s than any other. Lubed with 45-45-10.
I have experienced best accuracy with the H&G #68 SWC.

Best powders for the job? Unique, bullseye, Hodgdon Clays, and 700X.
I really like 700X. Gives a real nice push.

[472x1B/A]

Your going to get a 100 different answers here because of what some members have read in magazines but not necessarily had experience with. Most will tell you
that H&G68 is the way to go without having touched off a round with a 68 in it.

Well, I'm going to say something different and I'm going to tell you that different guns/different barrels work better with specific bullets. Loads have a heck of a lot to do with accuracy. I have done well with the 68 and good with the 452460, 452374. I have done better with the magma 230-235 RN bullet and their 185 and 200 gr SWC.

I find that you have to work up a load in order to get accuracy and its not as simple as which bullet is more accurate.

^^^^^^ I have 9 different moulds, been casting for 5 years and am still looking for 'The Best' .45 ACP boolit.

[6bg6ga]

In my 1911 TACPAC Sig Sauer the Magma 230-235 RN works best. Works better than the 68 does. Load is 5.6 gr of 231.

In my Colt officers it tends to like the Magma 185 and 200 with 5.2 gr of 231. Accuracy with the 68 is about the same.


Add 231 to the list of good 45acp powders

[6bg6ga]

^^^^^^ I have 9 different moulds, been casting for 5 years and am still looking for 'The Best' .45 ACP boolit.

The best may be determined with different power type and or powder load . There is no "BEST" it is a simple matter of what seems to work in the gun first and they play with the powder type and load.

I've been casting over 40 years and am ALWAYS looking to work up the best load. The load that is most accurate in ONE gun will not necessarily be the best in your second, third, or forth 45acp.

My 45's don't seem to be accurate with any Lee bullets where as one poster here has had good luck. Each gun is different. I have seen identicle models makes shoot different with the same load with the same shooter.

[6bg6ga]

My suggestion is this...before you rush out and spend all your money on a specific mold that you purchase 100 bullets from a friend and or board member and try to work up a load. If you for instance work up a good load with a Lee mold then purchase that mold. I also suggest that you slug your barrel so you know the bore size which is helpful when it comes to sizing the bullet and for that matter IF you have a mold made.

I hate to mention this but there are some people that absolutely cannot accurately shoot their 45acp. Some fall in this group but are unwilling to accept the fact.

[dale2242]

The only 45ACP mold I have is a 452460.
I haven`t found a need to buy something different.....dale

[pworley1]

My vote goes to with the Lyman 452460 and 452374.

[bhn22]

Lbt 45-230 lfn:
95703

[RobS]

What firearm(s) are you shooting?

[Bigslug]

I want something in the 200-230gr. range but want one that has no feeding problems. Just going to be plinking but like a flat nose bullet.

You pretty much exactly described why I bought the Accurate 45-230F. It's tapered like hardball with the nose chopped back, but not so far that the actual nose makes contact with the barrel during the feeding cycle. From the side it resembles SXT, Golden Saber, HST, etc... The slight SWC shoulder gives a little extra clearance in the mag well for a 1911's slide stop. If your gun feeds hardball, it's not likely to know the difference.

[hermans]

I agree with seagiant....the Mihec 200gr H&G clone, 4 cavity brass mold is the best mold I have in my collection!

[biggc1]

Getting ready to try the lee myself..


By far I have run more Lee 45 230grain TL boolits through my 45s than any other. Lubed with 45-45-10.
I have experienced best accuracy with the H&G #68 SWC.

Best powders for the job? Unique, bullseye, Hodgdon Clays, and 700X.
I really like 700X. Gives a real nice push.

[Outpost75]

Best bullet selection depends on what type of firearm you are using it in.

For M1911 pistols the H&G68 is the hands down best compromise, but may not shoot to point of aim in fixed sight guns, or feed in WW2-era USGI pistols, or SMGs.

While 230 LRNs run in anything, they are neither most accurate, nor most effective on game.

Not knowing what you are running, best compromise which runs in anything from a 1917 revolver with fixdd sights, through M1911s, Thompsons and M3s, is a 230 flatnose similar to Saeco #954. Lightest charge which cycles a Thompson or M3 full auto is 4.5 grains of Bullseye for 800 fps. Good general purpose load.

[phantom15]

I'm shooting the Ruger P90

[detox]

I'm shooting the Ruger P90

Hey Man, I'll cast you some RCBS 201gr swc bullets to try. I can size to .452 and lube with LBT Soft Blue lube. I know you have some Bullseye powder...i would use 4.7 grains (about 800fps) to start out with. Look for leading afterwards.

One thing i hate about automatics....you are guaranteed to loose some of your brass.

Have you ever shot blackpowder in an auto? Nastiest thing i ever witnessed....other than some of the things i see on some porn sites.

[2wheelDuke]

There is no one "best" because there's just so many variables. It really comes down to the gun.

I have a Mihec H&G 68 clone, and it's a sweet mold that makes a sweet boolit. Most guns love it, but some choke on it. Subcompact guns like the Glock 30/36 hang up on it, no matter the seating depth.

The Mihec 200gr RNHP is also a nice one, and has worked in everything I've tried. It can also make them with solid flat points instead of hollow points.

At the lower end of the price range, the Lee 230gr RN TL with 45-45-10 has functioned in everything I've ever tried it in. Same iwth the Lee 230gr Truncated cone.

As much as I like my Mihec molds, the Lee's are a whole lot cheaper and I can make a whole bunch of good boolits in a relatively small amount of time.

[doghawg]

The RCBS 201 SWC and Lyman #452374 RN have both given good feeding and accuracy but the very best accuracy seems to be the Lyman #452460. The Lee 230 TC feeds ok after experimenting with C.O.L. a bit.

[ravelode]

The only mold I currently own (that actually feeds in my XD Tactical) is the LEE 452 200RF it has a nice big meplat and feeds great. I sent some of the SAECO 200gr SWC I made to a friend who really likes them in his S&W 4506

[detox]

Here is a dirty video...be sure to use good soft SPG lube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfzQ4uKvE7c

[MtGun44]

Here is THE answer.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?229875-My-new-Baby

One and done.

Bill

[Jupiter7]

As said, not all guns will run the h&g 68 or clones.

This is THE answer :) get in while you can, my favorite of all pistol molds I own

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?229962-MiHec-2-or-4-cavity-brass-45-RCBS-Cramer-HP-Rerun

[Outpost75]

I'm shooting the Ruger P90

The Ruger P90 will feed almost anything. You have lots of choices. The Lyman #452460, as reccomended by several others, will do well on either targets or game and would be a goid chouce if limited to one mold. The similar H&G#78 is also very good, but less common than the popular #68.

[rintinglen]

I have had the best Luck with the H&G 68 copies. I used a SAECO 2 banger for a long time but now have 2 M&P versions, one regular and one HP. The hollow point is too small to suit me but either work well in my 45's. I have not found a 45 that won't run a H&G 68 that will run anything else. In fact my SIL bought a Para p12 that stutters on PMC hardball but glups down my handloaded H&G clones. They also work well in my Llama mini max, my SIG P 220, and a couple of 1911s (One kimber, one Auto Ordinance.).

I will stipulate that the shorter nose on the Lee version is not as good. It is just enough different to cause the occasional FTF in my Llama. I have not yet tried the Lyman version.

[MtGun44]

Pistols that will not feed the H&G 68 - WHEN LOADED CORRECTLY - are few and far
between. The most notable one is early Springfield Armory XDs, which was not
actually a FEEDING problem, but an extraction problem where the gun dragged
the extracted case rim HARD over the next up round, and the shoulder of the
SWC would bang the rim and disengage it from the extractor, causing a jam.

Later XDs have a bump under the center of the slide to depress the next up round
in the mag to clear the extracted case rim.

Also remember, just because you can't do something, doesn't mean it can't
be done. I learned that a long time ago.

Bill

[tomme boy]

Mihec 200 gr HP mold minus the HP. It comes out about 215grs. I seem to shoot more of these than anything else. It feeds in about 10 different 45 autos I have tried them in.

[Clay M]

Just cast with the RCBS 230 gr hardball mold yesterday. It is the easiest mold to cast I have ever used. Bullet are .454 and cast great right from the start with a pre warmed mold block. Now to see how they shoot.

[myg30]

I'm shooting the Ruger P90

What type jacketed bullet have you reloaded in it already ? Do you reload a FMJ, ball, JHP,SWC's. Truncated cone type ? Which style feeds best ?
What powder do you use now in that P-90 ?

Mike