160 grn Hollow Base RNFP for 45 Cowboy Special?

[stripper clip]

I recently got ahold of some 45 Cowboy Special brass and am researching potential loads. Initially I was attracted to the Lee 452-160-RF for its light weight, crimp groove and classic cowboy boolit profile. Reading up a bit I have run across some reports of tumbling due to the shortness of the bullet, little bearing surface etc... I started thinking....perhaps my first mistake :D....

So I wondered if anyone was making a mold that would produce a hollow base version to keep the weight down, increase bearing surface to make for an accurate round but still retain a crimp groove and the classic RF profile. Plus I think a boolit with a skirt like that would accommodate a couple of my revolvers with larger cylinder throats (big shout out to DougGuy for honing out and homogenizing a few of my cylinders, he does awesome work!) I powder coat and Beagle a bit for my .459 Uberti throats with success but a little skirt expansion can't hurt right.

Berry's makes a couple plated bullets in 45acp with hollow bases for but I really want that classic rf profile so I can roll crimp some beautiful short little 45 Colts.

On the hunt for a .452-.454 160-180grn Hollow Base, Round nose Flat point (with crimp groove) mold........... A unicorn? I hope not. Should I stop obsessing and just be happy with 200 grn SWCs for everything like a normal person? :razz:

I look forward to thoughts and opinions, thanks!

[lar45]

I tried the Lee 45-160, but had a hard time getting it to seat straight. I think a hollow base mold would be a great idea.

[square butte]

Tom at Accurate Molds can make you a nose pour mold of your desired grain weight, which can then be set to Eric at Hollow Point Mold Service - who can convert it to Hollow base. Long way around - but I don't believe there is another in production at this point.

[stripper clip]

That's a good point. I didn't think about seating something that stubby. Those little Lee 160's are one lube groove away from being just a round ball.

Thank you lar45, your validation makes me think I might be on to something after all.......have a great day!

[stripper clip]

Thanks square! What do you think work like that would cost, ballpark? Hmmmm...how can I get a few Lee folks to see this thread....

[Forrest r]

The hb molds for the 45lc are not that hard to find, you just need to keep looking. Raphine made a 454155 and a 454253 hb molds for the 45lc. I just sold a raphine 454155 at a gunshow this weekend.

Some of the 45cal hb molds I've had in the past casting these hb bullets.
https://i.imgur.com/3f6cvSV.jpg

One of the easiest 45cal hb molds to find is the lyman 450229

[gwpercle]

Before buying one of the higher priced , custom made , hollow base 45 Colt moulds , I would try out the double cavity Lee 452-200-RF boolit . It has as much bearing surface as a 452-200-SWC .
It has twice as much bearing surface as the stubby 452-160-RF and easier to handle .
the 200 gr. weight Vs the 160 gr weight (40 grs) may not be too objectionable .

I checked the NOE moulds and they have a few 45 ACP designs less than 200 grs....
But ...they have a neat modified wadcutter with a short sharp point @ 167 grs,
NOE #454-167-SP-BH3 , nice crimp groove and enough bearing surface to stabilize ...and no hollow point or hollow base to worry with .
you need to look at it (sorry I don't know how to get it on the screen ) here is link
www.noebulletmoulds.com , look in the shop ... it's a neat little boolit and might be just what you are looking for in the 45 cowboy special !
Gary

[stripper clip]

The hb molds for the 45lc are not that hard to find, you just need to keep looking. Raphine made a 454155 and a 454253 hb molds for the 45lc. I just sold a raphine 454155 at a gunshow this weekend.

Some of the 45cal hb molds I've had in the past casting these hb bullets.
https://i.imgur.com/3f6cvSV.jpg

One of the easiest 45cal hb molds to find is the lyman 450229

Ask and you shall receive..... Thank you Forrest!
I thought my Googling skills had failed me but you have shown me the right questions to ask. That 165 Grainer is just what I had in mind, I was not even aware of Raphine molds until your post, what a world of boolits I have been missing out on.
I will actively searching for that lyman 450229 as well, looks like they pop up on ebay etc. from time to time.
A great community we have here, glad to be a part of it!

[stripper clip]

Before buying one of the higher priced , custom made , hollow base 45 Colt moulds , I would try out the double cavity Lee 452-200-RF boolit . It has as much bearing surface as a 452-200-SWC .
It has twice as much bearing surface as the stubby 452-160-RF and easier to handle .
the 200 gr. weight Vs the 160 gr weight (40 grs) may not be too objectionable .

I checked the NOE moulds and they have a few 45 ACP designs less than 200 grs....
But ...they have a neat modified wadcutter with a short sharp point @ 167 grs,
NOE #454-167-SP-BH3 , nice crimp groove and enough bearing surface to stabilize ...and no hollow point or hollow base to worry with .
you need to look at it (sorry I don't know how to get it on the screen ) here is link
www.noebulletmoulds.com , look in the shop ... it's a neat little boolit and might be just what you are looking for in the 45 cowboy special !
Gary

Thanks for your reply Gary! I agree that the perhaps the Lee 452-200-rf might be my best quick fix, I have the 255gr version of that mold and it works very well for me.
I will looking also at those NOE molds, those little spire points are cool 8-). But I wonder how does one seat them without damaging the tip too much?

[longbow]

Maybe not a direct answer but I bought a scaled down .45 cal. 165 gr. mould from Accurate for use in my 1894 Marlin in .44 mag. for general plinking and for kids and ladies. It is pretty short and stubby but it shoots well for me:

https://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=43-165B

scaled down from

https://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=45-165C

Not your classic RNFP but point being is that the bearing surface is long enough to work in my Marlin.

Not saying that there is anything wrong with the idea of HB, just that this works.

Longbow

[gwpercle]

Thanks for your reply Gary! I agree that the perhaps the Lee 452-200-rf might be my best quick fix, I have the 255gr version of that mold and it works very well for me.
I will looking also at those NOE molds, those little spire points are cool 8-). But I wonder how does one seat them without damaging the tip too much?

Yes ... that sharp spire point will require a "Custom Fitted " nose punch with a little ball of epoxy putty in the bullet seating stem of your reloading die set and buying one from NOE ,when you order the mould, for the Lyman / RCBS or Saeco lubri-Sizer top punch .
That little seating problem can easily be overcome .
Gary

[stripper clip]

Yes ... that sharp spire point will require a "Custom Fitted " nose punch with a little ball of epoxy putty in the bullet seating stem of your reloading die set and buying one from NOE ,when you order the mould, for the Lyman / RCBS or Saeco lubri-Sizer top punch .
That little seating problem can easily be overcome .
Gary

Love it! I don’t think I’ve ever visited this site and not learned something. Thank you again Gary, have a great rest of the week!

[stripper clip]

Maybe not a direct answer but I bought a scaled down .45 cal. 165 gr. mould from Accurate for use in my 1894 Marlin in .44 mag. for general plinking and for kids and ladies. It is pretty short and stubby but it shoots well for me:

https://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=43-165B

scaled down from

https://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=45-165C

Not your classic RNFP but point being is that the bearing surface is long enough to work in my Marlin.

Not saying that there is anything wrong with the idea of HB, just that this works.

Longbow

That does look like a good option, it’s got a nice crimp groove. Good to hear it works in your Marlin, they can be finicky, I had a time getting mine in 357 to group decent, took a generously oversized boolit, is yours a micro groove?