45 LC 452-255-RF or 452-252-SWC

[derek45]

which do you like better ?

304761

304762

….it’s for this…


https://i.imgur.com/0nBRwgk.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/2ZcYjBv.jpg

[17nut]

As i dont shoot your handgun, is'nt the question moot???

Or are you trying to stir up a "turf/p!$$!ng" war?

If so then i only shoot highly special sniper rounds with bullets cast in the 455-255-RF mould using liquid mercury.
Cast at room and coled to below 50degC, i can transport them as long as needed in a cooler with frosen CO2.
If the shot dont kill them then the mercury will!

[derek45]

comedy

looks easy, but actually takes skill

don’t quit your day job yet !


:coffee:

[fatelk]

It's a toss-up in my book, whichever you like more.

Personally I went with the RF (same gun as yours), just for aesthetic reasons: it seemed more traditional.

[Daekar]

RF, unless the SWC has a meaningfully bigger meplat.

[Mk42gunner]

For your single action, whichever one shoots better. If you contemplate getting a lever action rifle to match, the RF for easier feeding.

Robert

[Tripplebeards]

I like the top one (RF) better. I cast them out of 50/50 COWW and pure for my new vaquero. I load them long, to the frost crimp groove. I use 5.2 grains of trail boss and a magnum large pistol primer. My average MV is 57fps. I can stack boolits on top of each other at 25 yards with the load and it recoils like a 22WMR.

I have a lee mold single cavity in SWC HP 240 grain in a .430. It doesn’t group worth a darn in any of my 44 mags. Cool cold though. Don’t think it had much contact to stabilize. Guessing if I removed all the lube grooves from the mold it would be a lot more accurate.

[RKJ]

I'm a SWC kind of guy, so that's what I chose.

[Kosh75287]

If that beautiful revolver was my only .45 Colt, I'D want the 252 gr. LSWC. SInce I also own a Rossi M1892 carbine in .45 Colt which WILL NOT feed SWCs smoothly, I'd be constrained to go with the RNFP, in both rifle and revolver.

[white eagle]

personally the Rf wins in my book

[Tripplebeards]

A little 255 lee RF porn…

https://i.imgur.com/IEB05aj.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/apX1Wxx.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HHhuw6b.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/FP6kF3v.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/bBPol4K.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/udQALPp.jpg

[derek45]

A little 255 lee RF porn…

https://i.imgur.com/IEB05aj.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/apX1Wxx.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HHhuw6b.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/FP6kF3v.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/bBPol4K.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/udQALPp.jpg


WOW

that RF Meplat looks wider than I expected.

:drinks:

I like it

.

[Tripplebeards]

I tried my powder puff load on a few tap line raccoons. A 22lr killed with more authority then my 575 fps loads. I’ll have to ramp them up and try again. But boy, the trail boss loads are FUN to shoot! I bet they would be a best in a saboted in Line muzzle loader.

[cwlongshot]

WHY CHOOSE???

Plenty of "room" for both!

I really like both of these. If you forced the issue Id keep the 255 but really like both of these bullets. My issue is the 252 isnt offered in a 6 cav...

CW

[justindad]

I like the sharp edge of the meplat on the RF.

[rintinglen]

As has been said, I'd go with the RF for better feeding in the companion carbine, but if all I had was the 45 Uberti, I think I'd stick with the SWC. Most of my shooting is at paper ot card board and the SWC makes a bigger hole.

[Misery-Whip]

Id do the rf. From lees site its available as a 6 cavity. The swc is not...

Even single actions get happy trigger fingers round here.

[Whiterabbit]

FOR ME...

I really do not like bullets with a "shoulder"(?) for revolvers. Maybe its mental voodoo on my part, but I always prefer a smooth transition down the nose from meplat to full diameter. I believe this so strongly I will not buy a bullet or any mold that is SWC for that reason. Rational? probably not. But I'm not trying to convince anyone, nor will I be convinced otherwise. But it's my justification:

I pick the RF in this case.








edit: forgot, I own the RF. I use it. Traditional lube. Love it, it's great. :)

[jimb16]

Since I hunt with the same load in either a revolver or a lever action, I go with the RF. The SWC doesn't feed well in the lever.

[derek45]

https://i.imgur.com/Km9XO09.gif

[bedbugbilly]

My SAA likes the 454-190 - a traditional boolit that shoots very well out of it.

If this is to help you decide what you want . . . only you can drcifr. Try both and see what you individual SAAs like best . . . . personally, I wouldn't be caught dead on the streets of Tombstone with a SAA loaded with the Kieth style . . . just don't seem "natural"! :-)

[derek45]

I just ordered the 6 cavity 452-255-RF

I may also get the SWC later.

[derek45]

Well.....this doesn't look good

I made a road trip Saturday, and also stopped and bought both molds. ( the SWC looks fine )

Got home after a +2 hour drive, took a close look at the RF, and see this, does this look OK to you !?!?!

https://i.imgur.com/IGff75p.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/xXpKo4I.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/tkO8Q4K.jpg

[cwlongshot]

Its a LEE mold. Some are OK useable, some are passable and some are junk... Contact LEE Im sure they will replace it.

CW

[DanOH]

Anybody else enjoy the optical illusion presented by the above photos?

[Whiterabbit]

Haha!

Yes! Saw it right away too

[derek45]

not happy

reply from LEE…..


Derek,

Brand new sharp tooling tends to chatter until the cutter is broken in or dulled from use. Molds on the shelf here exhibit the same finish. The lite chatter shown in cavity will have no effect on cast bullet performance or release from the cavity.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Brenda
Customer Service

[JoeJames]

not happy

reply from LEE…..


Derek,

Brand new sharp tooling tends to chatter until the cutter is broken in or dulled from use. Molds on the shelf here exhibit the same finish. The lite chatter shown in cavity will have no effect on cast bullet performance or release from the cavity.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Brenda
Customer Service That's just ducky! I was thinking about ordering one until I saw the reply from Lee.

[murf205]

Heck, load 'em and shoot a few. Let the gun tell you if it likes them or not. True, they dont make a picture perfect slick finish, but if Brenda didn't give you the answer you want (can't blame you for that) call back and ask to talk to the production manager.

[Whiterabbit]

Damn. I understand the response in concept, but they call that LIGHT chatter? It was cut with pinking shears!

Maybe cast with it to prove the bullets come out poor in quality (or not come out at all) and complain again?

[derek45]

MIDWAYUSA gave me a pre-paid UPS return label, I just shipped it back and got a refund.

That is what I call great customer service.

[cwlongshot]

MIDWAYUSA gave me a pre-paid UPS return label, I just shipped it back and got a refund.

That is what I call great customer service.

Good call order new one from Titan Reloading.

CW

[derek45]

Good call order new one from Titan Reloading.

CW

Does Titan sell NOE molds now?:coffee:

[Walks]

Have much experience with #452-255-RF, it's a great bullet. Lee's attempt to answer the
MANIFICENT #454190.
Was recently gifted an old style 2cav #452-252-SWC by My Very Good Friend; CWLongshot.
Looking forward to casting with it next month.

Since it's for SAA clone, I'd go exactly the same way, #454-255-RF.

[alamogunr]

FOR ME...

I really do not like bullets with a "shoulder"(?) for revolvers. Maybe its mental voodoo on my part, but I always prefer a smooth transition down the nose from meplat to full diameter. I believe this so strongly I will not buy a bullet or any mold that is SWC for that reason. Rational? probably not. But I'm not trying to convince anyone, nor will I be convinced otherwise. But it's my justification:

I pick the RF in this case.








edit: forgot, I own the RF. I use it. Traditional lube. Love it, it's great. :)

I use the .45-270 SAA as my go to mold for .45 Colt revolvers. I never thought about the above concern about shoulders impacting the edge of the forcing cone until a ran across an article by Glen Fryxell about loads for the S&W 696. His concern was the very thin end of the barrel extending thru the frame. Since I have a 696 I've switched to a truncated cone boolit for it and stick with Keith type SWC for my other .44's.

I may look into a mold for a round flat for the .44's since they should be a easier to load the cylinder.

[Whiterabbit]

I shoot TC’s too. My neurotic bullet rejection is limited to those without a smooth transition from meplat to full diameter. SWC doesn’t have it, but lfn, wfn, tc, even some hammerheads do. For me, it’s an issue of (speculatively) not being able to smoothly navigate the forcing cone (as) straight, increasing risk of accuracy degradation and spitting lead. It also “seems” more fiddly to crimp on the loading bench, tho thats pretty much a non-problem.

[smkummer]

As has been said, I'd go with the RF for better feeding in the companion carbine, but if all I had was the 45 Uberti, I think I'd stick with the SWC. Most of my shooting is at paper ot card board and the SWC makes a bigger hole.
Yep, the RF was developed for smooth feeding in rifles. Most likely the SWC will make sharper holes in paper. Both look like they will put the smack down on game. I shoot the 200 RF for cowboy action.

[MT Gianni]

Consider that with the 252 gr SWC you will save enough lead every 83 shots to have enough for another bullet. That might have a large impact every 10,000 rounds that you shoot with it.

[Castaway]

For short distance (a relative term) out of a revolver, I don’t think you’d notice a difference on game. In the case of a carbine, as mentioned, feeding will probably be better with the RNFP and should give better performance at longer ranges due to the higher ballistic coefficient. The meplat on the RNFP at 0.32” is plenty large enough to damage anything that walks, crawls, creeps or flies on anything east of the Mississippi.

[Tripplebeards]

After the looks of the mold above I'll make sure to order from places with excellent return policies. Never saw one like that before. I just bought a .356 2R used in a box from the Army Navy store for $4.95 that looks perfect compared to the mold above. Wonder how that boolit would have looked when casted? I'm sure PC and sizing would have smoothed some of it out. You think Lee would have replaced it.

[44 flattop]

Both kill very well in my experience. I've taken more than a few dozen deer and elk with both styles of bullets.

[gwpercle]

I grew up reading the writings of Elmer Keith and Skeeter Skelton ...

They claimed the SWC was better ...
Gary

[johniv]

I use a swc in both .45 Colt and .357 mag. I don’t have a rifle for the .45 ,but have a Rossi 92 in .357, and it loves the H&G #51 seconds.

[derek45]

https://i.imgur.com/Km9XO09.gif


smokes clear, eastwood gray, eastwood perrywinkle gray

https://i.imgur.com/BxBM5NK.jpg