Round ball pistol load ?

[shooterg]

OK to use round balls (.454) to make a plinking load for .45 LC ? Suggested load/loading procedures ? or just don't do this ? Can always break out a slingshot to use these balls up !

[beagle]

Hit on the Castpics website and look under Article by Members and look for "Round Ball Loads".

Should get you what you're looking for./beagle

[Sven]

I have an older Speer manual from about 1987 (don't remember the number) that lists round ball loads. I'm at work and the book is at home, so. . .

[Bob Krack]

That's exactly how I got started handloading. .45ACP (as single shot) .45x round ball. Very small amount of Bullseye or Unique. 40-some years ago and don't remember the load. Lee loader (hammer into handheld die) to seat and crimp(Ha!) the ball.

What Beagle said.

[Sven]

From Speer #11 -- .454 round ball:

5.0 gr SR4756
4.5 gr SR7625
4.5 gr Unique
4.0 gr 231
4.0 gr 700X
3.2 gr Bullseye
3.2 gr Red Dot

All give about 550 fps, except the Unique load which is 630 fps.

[jonk]

I've done that with several pistol cartridges. Use a ball a bit over nominal diameter as with any cast bullet; only trick I've found is that the pure lead is so soft that a crimp distorts it if crimped into the bullet. So usually what I've done is use a filler and seat the ball below the case neck and roll crimp over that. Obviously with rather light loads.

[w30wcf]

Sven,
Thank you for the reminder. I had forgotten about the round ball data in that Speer manual.

Way back when, U.M.C. offered a .45 Colt gallery load which consisted of a roundball over 7.0 grs. of black powder. The ball was seated deep in the case. I've often thought about trying that just for the fun of it.

w30wcf

[missionary5155]

Speer # 10 shows the same with the addition of HS5 5.7 grains

[DanWalker]

I load 4.5 grains of Red Dot under a 454 RB. I tumble lube the RB's in a50/50 mix of liquid alox and Johnsons paste wax. I just screw my seating stem all the way in so that way all RB's are seated to the same depth. This keeps pressures uniform and makes for great accuracy. I hunt small game and even have potted numerous prairie dogs with this load.