Best Alloy for .45 Auto

[mfraser264]

Getting into the .45 auto for myself and 2 others. After reading and reading the recommendations for alloy/hardness they are all over the place. What is a good alloy/hardness? Looking for answers such as 50% pure lead to 50% linotype and a hardness please, no looking for load info at this time. Appreciate all the experience you have gained over the years.

Thank you.

[garym1a2]

I have loaded quite a bit of 45acp for my G21SF and it is very good on lead. I tend to use Wheel weights with 3-% tin added. If I have any soft lead(pure) I just mix it in. The 45acp is such a slow round the mix ratio is not much of a problem.

Getting into the .45 auto for myself and 2 others. After reading and reading the recommendations for alloy/hardness they are all over the place. What is a good alloy/hardness? Looking for answers such as 50% pure lead to 50% linotype and a hardness please, no looking for load info at this time. Appreciate all the experience you have gained over the years.

Thank you.

[runfiverun]

more like 4 parts pure to lino.
the 45 acp doesn't need hardness, it just needs to fit the barrel.

[lightman]

I just use straight clip-on wheelweights for mine. Some mix up to 50% stick-on (soft lead) with their clip-on weights. I have pretty much been happy with clip-on weights in most things and they are still easy for me to find around here.

[6bg6ga]

There is not a better answer than the bullets need to fit the barrel. I've heard everything when it comes to bullet hardness discussions. Some like myself will shoot anything from pure lead to wheel weights and other feel a need to add linotype and or other alloys for that perfect bullet. Alloy doesn't mean averything but fit surely does. If its too small diameter it will lead and alloy won't make a difference here.

[mfraser264]

Have also heard a lot about .45 Auto diameter for cast, what is your preference?

[6bg6ga]

I always slug the barrel to figure out what I need for diameter. I generally run .4525-.453

[ioon44]

I have used every thing from pure lead to straight lino for .45 auto, .002" over bore da is a good place to start. The throat and bore condition plays in to this also.

[22cf45]

I'm a bullseye shooter and we go through a lot of 45 acp rounds per year. In fact, I shoot about 5000 each year. In the beginning, I used 3-1 ww to linotype. I know ww will do the trick alone, but I always felt like the addition of linotype to get more tin in the mix made the bullets fill out better. In later years, I have become lazy and shoot nothing but swaged bullets which I think are pretty close to pure lead. The most important thing I can add, I test my loads regularly with a Ransom Rest and I've found no cast bullet which will shoot as well as the swaged bullet. Maybe swaging adds something, but I'm also going to conclude that softer is better at the velocities (725 fps +/-) where I'm operating.
Phil

[websterz]

I use straight range scrap for all of my pistol boolits. We get a pretty high ratio of cast versus jacketed from the old berm we're currently mining. Everything we shoot is powder coated so the hardness is not as much of a concern as it would be with traditional lubed boolits. They're just pistol rounds. I don't give the alloy a second thought.

[acoop101]

I have always used range scrap for 45 because of its low operating pressure. I have run 30-1 for 45 with no leading.

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[Possum Lickaa]

mfrasier, I went thorough the same thing you are going through not very long ago at all. I am also a new caster that started out with the .45 acp. If I have learned anything from the fine people on this forum, it is this... Fit is KING! I'm not saying that alloy doesn't matter, but if your boolits fit your barrel correctly, you have 90% of your work done. Hardness is secondary. All of my range ammo for .45, .38, and .357 is cast from the lowly COWW. I took the time to slug my bores, and bought dies that fit well. Then I honed the dies to fit my barrels (or forcing cones in revolvers) perfectly. I have no leading issues.

[22cf45]

Possum
You are entirely correct about groove diameter and bullet size. I think nominal groove diameter is .451 but they can vary considerably depending on manufacturing. Mine are .451-.4515 and I shoot .452 bullets. Size is the starting point, then on to other factors.
Phil

[fredj338]

I use a lot of range scrap for 45 & 9mm/40 minor loads. It works fine, especially if you coat. I save the lino/lead for the occasional rifle stuff or if I must shoot magnums at full throttle.

[DerekP Houston]

I use range scrap + 1% tin for mine, sized at .451. I've done alox, bll, hitek, and powder coat, all with equal levels of success.