Mould suggestions for 45 Colt

[s mac]

I just bought a new to me Ruger Blackhawk and need suggestions for a well performing mould, hunting and target shooting in an informal setting. Would prefer a Lyman or RCBS. Let's hear from the experienced handgunners, thanks.

[victorfox]

I don't know how can you go wrong with 454424 lyman. But then I'm not experienced but love the looks of this boolit.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

I have a 4 cavity 454190 which I use for 90% of my shooting, I cast wheel weights and scrap lead with it. I have the 454424 2 cavity which I cast 6 parts wheel weights and 4 parts Linotype. These work well for me. A couple years ago I acquired the RCBS 45 270 SAA and with this boolit I've printed the tightest groups I've ever printed with the .45 Colt. Now I use this boolit for daily carry cast 6 parts wheel weights 4 parts Linotyle.

[MT Gianni]

I have an annoying habit of picking up almost every 454424 I see at a reasonable price. There is a reason for this.

[LabGuy]

Well I guess it depends on what you plan on doing with the bullet. For just punching holes in paper I like the Lyman 452460 with Unique. It makes a nice hole and is a tad easer on my lead supply. Shoots well out of my Blackhawk.

[Outpost75]

For revolver use only, the #454424 or the RCBS 45-255KT are great choices. But if you contemplate ever getting a lever-action rifle in the same caliber, the Keith types are not 100% reliable feeders in most leverguns. You will get much smoother rifle feeding, with identical game performance, using an ogival flat-nosed bullet having a meplat of not less than 0.66 of bullet diameter or .30" in .45 caliber.

175991

[Harter66]

I've run 45-200 SWC, 452-252 SWC, 452-255 RNFP and 454424 with about equal on target results . The 45-200 SWC looks silly in a Colts case but shoots well . Recently all of the above have proved out in the ACP cylinder as well . I've killed hogs with the 452-252 and 454424 in the companion carbine and rifle .
Overall I'd go with the 454424 from NOE in a 4 or 5 cavity and be happy .
Unfortunately the slow twist in the companion rifles has forced me to look for other bullets to do the job and I won't have a single bullet for all the 45s .

[Lonegun1894]

I'll vote for the RCBS 45-270-SAA, but the above choices are all good too.

[Ed_Shot]

I don't know how can you go wrong with 454424 lyman. But then I'm not experienced but love the looks of this boolit.
Totally agree!!

[USSR]

I'll vote for the RCBS 45-270-SAA, but the above choices are all good too.

+1.

Don

[DougGuy]

For revolver use only, the #454424 or the RCBS 45-255KT are great choices. But if you contemplate ever getting a lever-action rifle in the same caliber, the Keith types are not 100% reliable feeders in most leverguns. You will get much smoother rifle feeding, with identical game performance, using an ogival flat-nosed bullet having a meplat of not less than 0.66 of bullet diameter or .30" in .45 caliber.

175991

+1 on the wide meplat RF style boolits. Pictured are 3 LBT 250gr WFN designs, and they shoot quite well. Excellent performance on deer sized game, no hollowpoint needed.

L to R - LBT 250gr OWC-PB, LBT 250gr WFN-PB, LBT 250gr WFN-GC:

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/Reloading/250_LBT_TRIO_zpshh2co3gc.jpg
(http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/Reloading/250_LBT_TRIO_zpshh2co3gc.jpg.html)

Also, DO CHECK your cylinder throat diameters, more likely a .452" boolit will not slide into the throats from the front with finger pressure, this means the throats will size the boolits down to whatever their diameter is upon firing. You may be loading .452" boolits, but what size they are when they exit the front of the cylinder, is whatever the throats are... Very common to need the throats sized to .4525" ~ .4528" for use with .452" cast boolits. Throats sized half thou to 8 tenths of a thou over boolit diameter will allow for growth due to age hardening as well. Depending on the antimony in the alloy, some boolits will grow .0003" TO .0006" just sitting after they are cast, sized and lubed. This happens as they "age harden" and you need that little bit of wiggle room in the cylinder throats so they will still chamber fully in the cylinder..

[Tackleberry41]

I bought a NOE 250gr mold that makes 230gr HP. Works great in my colts and autos.

[needausername]

Before you buy a mold, you should call Ed and see if he can put you together a starter pack to test. He lists the following available.

45 HANDGUN -45 ACP-45 COLT-454 CASULL
LYMAN 452424 255Gr PB SWC
LYMAN 452190 250Gr PB RF
LYMAN 452 664 250 Gr PB FP
LYMAN 452374 225Gr PB RN
LYMAN 452484 225 Gr GC RN
LYMAN 452389 180 Gr BN WC
LEE 452-255-RF 255 GR PB RF
LEE 452-300-F 300 Gr GC FP

http://maplewoodbullets.com/services/

[Tom W.]

+1.

DonMe too. RCBS 270 SAA. Good for whatever.

[gwpercle]

You might want to get two moulds , a proper hunting boolit and an informal target/ plinking boolit are not one in the the same. Around here nobody owns just ONE mould, just not done !
For a hunting bullet something in the 250 grain weight like Lyman 452424 SWC, for deer a hollow point would be nice, hogs get a solid .
Paper targets and tin cans don't need a lot of killing so I would use the 200 grain 452460.

Now if forced to have only one mould, a compromise would be Lyman # 452423 , a 238 grain SWC . But what's the fun in compromise.
Just too many moulds available....it always leads to mould angst !

[s mac]

Just too many moulds available....it always leads to mould angst !

I concur gw, I tend to collect them. Just wanting to go down the right path.

[High Desert Hunter]

RCBS 45-270SAA, excellent bullet, has worked in every 45 I own for more than 15 years now.

[T-Bird]

Over the last couple years, I have been shooting the Lee 200rnfp in both my Rossi and my Ruger Bisley for everything but hunting deer. Shoots good in both guns, and saves lead. I adjust the sights if I'm going to hunt with either. Hunting is the RCBS 270SAA from both.

[CHeatermk3]

No one likes the Lee 6-cavity moulds?
I've got NOE, Accurate and one MP in 45 cal.

For just lotsa boolits the Lee 6-cavs just rain boolits. They are a couple of cuts above the 2-hole variety. They shoot fine too.