Cast bullet for use with sabot

[RememberBaker]

I decided to try casting bullets to use in sabots for the first time, I’ve been shooting Thompson Center Shockwaves for years. I know a lot of folks use T/C Cheapshots with success so I looked for a mold similar to that. I bought a mold from Accurate and was going to send it to get it hollow pointed but haven’t yet. Then I found an NOE hollow point mold and bought one, so that’s what I’m going to try first. It’s a .452, 230 grain mold, it came with pins to cast it flat pointed or in 2 different hollow point cavity sizes. My plan is to cast in pure lead.
I’ve got a few questions, if any of you would like to weigh in, I’d appreciate it.
Does anyone cast a similar bullet for use in a sabot?
Pure lead or an alloy?
Do you think the large or small hp would be better for deer?
Anyone know if the Cheapshot is actually pure lead?
I’ll upload a photo of the mold if I can figure out how.

[RememberBaker]

https://i.postimg.cc/rdr6n64X/40-EDC950-E0-C8-4-B87-94-A0-B10-FD1-E61-AB2.jpg (https://postimg.cc/rdr6n64X)
That’s the NOE mold with the larger cavity pins in it.

[725]

Don't know what alloy is used in the Cheap Shot, but I'd be surprised if it were pure. For me, I would not want a HP, but rather a pure lead boolit. Carries the weight and structure for good penetration and being pure lead, is hard to beat for terminal performance. I think MTM (I may have that wrong, but somebody) sells just sabots for various bullet diameters for ML'ing. As for testing the purity of your lead, there are a few testers out there. I have a Saeco. Lee makes one, but I'm not familiar with it. If your lead is in ingot form, a drop to the concrete floor will reveal some info. If it goes thunk, it's soft. If it goes tink, it's harder. Sometimes that is scientific enough to go forth. Good luck. Lots of folks like the HP and have good results from them. Only experience will be a good guide for you.

[RememberBaker]

The lead I have is from flashing, which I think is pure lead? It’s pretty soft. My in-laws are masonry contractors so I have a readily available supply. I’ve been using it to cast .32, .36 and .45 round balls. This is by first foray into bullet casting.

[nannyhammer]

Sabot source is MMP. https://mmpsabots.com/

[arcticap]

Does anyone cast a similar bullet for use in a sabot?
Pure lead or an alloy?
Do you think the large or small hp would be better for deer?


I've loaded a similar 225 grain .451 BP bullet and sabot that was made by the Buffalo Bullet Co.
It's pure lead and you can view the hollow point. --->>> https://www.gunwinner.com/deals/buffalo-bullet-company-lead-sabot-muzzleloader-bullets-54-cal-225-gr-bthp-20ct

A lone report that it worked well on deer. --->>> https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/black-powder/98720-buffalo-bullet-225grains.html

[Bloodman14]

I practice with Lee TL452-230-2R's in my ML, using WW alloy; same boolit I use in my .45. Using 100grs of Pyrodex RS I get cloverleafs at 75 yards. Use the black sabots, the green ones are for .44 caliber.

Traditions Pursuit LT, 1-28 twist.

[megasupermagnum]

It seems most swaged bullets use a lead/antimony alloy, and I'm going to guess the cheapshot bullet is as well. I am an expanding bullet fan for all but the biggest calibers. For the most part, a hollow point is a good choice. In a muzzle loading rifle, especially in a sabot, I think you would be better off with a solid. I like pure lead, but often for bullets I'll add a bit of tin for approximately 40:1 alloy so it casts easier. Thankfully with the NOE mold you bought, you can try it both solid and HP if you wish. Personally with such a light bullet, I'd go for the solid. Extra mass, plenty of expansion, and less fuss. Being a smooth side bullet, I'm betting it will cast just fine with pure lead.

[fastdadio]

I shot a good number of the Lee .452, 230 grs. rn. with sabots, and could only get them to group with light loads. Anything over 60 grs. ff and things went south. My Traditions Buck Skinner is a 1/20 twist and prefers the heavier boolits, and really shines with the 260 to 300 gr fodder. I cast them pure lead. They do a number on the corn crunchers. Always two holes, so I have never recovered one to inspect.

[AntiqueSledMan]

Hey Guys,

I've been shooting the MMP orange sabots with my RCBS 45-300-FN with out checks.
I'm shooting a Lyman Great Plains Hunter with 1-32 twist.
https://mmpsabots.com/store/orange-hph-sabot50-pcs/
My son is shooting my old TC Hawken, he's shot both the 300 gr and
the Lee 452-255-RF in a Harvester H5045-SB with good accuracy.
https://www.harvestermuzzleloading.com/index.php/products/sabots

Hope this helps, AntiqueSledMan.

[Tripplebeards]

I tried some last year but never used them for hunting. It didn't have acceptable accuracy imo...2 1/4" at 100 yards VS my 300 grain TC shockwave that all shoot in the same hole at 100 yards. I used three of my TC original black tc sabots to try them out along with three fifty grain 777 pellets so it was probly.close to over 2000 fps. In most cast shooters eyes it's a great acceptable load. I would have liked my load to be a softer alloy than the 50/50 i tried and to shoot at least moa. I shot it with 150 grains of 777 pellets and 10.4 alloy in a HP 300 grain PC boolit I had casted up for my 450BM. I would have rather used pure lead.or my 7.8 BH of 16:1 lead and pewter. To make sure I had really good expansion for large entrance and exit.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?391800-Cast-boolits-in-a-sabot

[koger]

I have a good friend, who I cast the Keith style semi wadcutter for that comes out to 265 grain, in a 70/30 mix of soft lead/wheel weights. He started out with a 200gr, and then went to a 230 gr cast bullets, neither one killed deer very well. He then had me cast some of the 265 and 300 gr semi wadcutter. He settled on the 265 and has killed 23 deer in a few years, none making it over 30 yds, often with pass thru shots out to 150 yds. He uses 777 powder, a Harvester crush rib sabot for .451 slugs. He has a Ruger 77/50 and a Encore ML, both shoot these in a inch or less, at 100yd for 3 shot group. I myself, have went to a 300gr slug, in a .50 call ML, for all around best use .

[mattri]

Very interested in this.

Will be casting for a 45LC revolver and would like to use a mold that will work well in a sabot for ML hunting as well.

[OverMax]

Still have T/c Break away sabot for my 54 Renegade and I really like them. At one time I was casting 255 gr. 44 cals for that rifle. Started casting Lyman #2 in such bullets. Didn't like the first experience_ thin skin shooting result. So~Been casting 6-8 BHN soft since. No problems what so ever. Few years back I wall'ed that 54 and took up toting a 45 Hawken w/round ball barrel. Doesn't have the distance capability. Only'est one remedy: I shortened my field of view {shooting range reduced to 30 yards if that.} Deer stand> relocation) its called.
Home made 2-FF_ B-powder preferred. None available. __Its Gorex 2-FFg that's chosen for a replacement.

[RememberBaker]

I cast a few this morning to try, I cast them in pure lead with the small cavity pins in and they weigh 228 grains. Probably if I cast them flat tipped they’d cast at 230 grains. I’ll measure them when I get home and see if I have any sabots that will work.
https://i.postimg.cc/VS1pVRTk/90-EB0922-B78-C-4-A63-9240-7-B44-E90731-FC.jpg (https://postimg.cc/VS1pVRTk)

[longcruise]

I wouldn't worry too much about alloy. Pure lead or WW with a flat nose is going to flatten a deer. When I shot 220 gr 429s in Hornady sabots they grouped under 2" at 100 yards and chronoed a bit over 2000 fps over 100 grains of goex 2f.

[AntiqueSledMan]

Hey Guys,

I should add we sighted my in brother's Great Plains Rifle (1-60 twist)
with a Sabot & a LEE 452-200-RF, no tumbling & it shot good.

AntiqueSledMan.

[rtyler8140]

I practice with Lee TL452-230-2R's in my ML, using WW alloy; same boolit I use in my .45. Using 100grs of Pyrodex RS I get cloverleafs at 75 yards. Use the black sabots, the green ones are for .44 caliber.

Traditions Pursuit LT, 1-28 twist.

I'm glad I stumbled upon this. I was planning on sizing a 457-340 lee down to .452 to go into a black sabot. I recently acquired a 430-240 SWC and was not aware of the green sabots. I have been shooting 240g XTPs but was wanting to switch to cast. I think I will try both the 340 and 240 and see which shoots better. My shots for deer are typically 50 yards or less, so I'm confident either will do the job. Thanks again for the helpful info!