Noob problem first attempt at loading cbs

[el roboto]

Alright guys im not sure if this is the right section or not to post this, if not I apologize.I finnally have everything and am trying to get all my dies set to make my first boolits. Heres the problem im having. I have removed my 1911 barrel to make sure everything fits correctly while setting my dies. All the data I can find loading my .45 acp rounds with unique (all non cb data of course) gives a mol of 1.2. Problem im having is, I have to set all the way down to 1.170 to get my finished taper crimped rounds to sit flush with the barrel hood. This puzzles me as my factory gold dot ammo will sit slightly below flush at a length of 1.208. Im thinking it may have to do with my cb loaded cases buldging more then factory ammo. I am really puzzled here as im in the dark and theres so much to figure out with this stuff. Is it safe to load them at the 1.170? Or is that to deep? Any help is appreciated.

[codgerville@zianet.com]

Alright guys im not sure if this is the right section or not to post this, if not I apologize.I finnally have everything and am trying to get all my dies set to make my first boolits. Heres the problem im having. I have removed my 1911 barrel to make sure everything fits correctly while setting my dies. All the data I can find loading my .45 acp rounds with unique (all non cb data of course) gives a mol of 1.2. Problem im having is, I have to set all the way down to 1.170 to get my finished taper crimped rounds to sit flush with the barrel hood. This puzzles me as my factory gold dot ammo will sit slightly below flush at a length of 1.208. Im thinking it may have to do with my cb loaded cases buldging more then factory ammo. I am really puzzled here as im in the dark and theres so much to figure out with this stuff. Is it safe to load them at the 1.170? Or is that to deep? Any help is appreciated.

What bullet are you using?

[joesig]

I just checked mine. With a Lee 200gr SWC with the shoulder about 1/32 proud of the case, COL is 1.171. I doubt that extra .001 will save you from any problems. Looks like what you loaded will work just fine.

[el roboto]

Im sorry I ment to post the boolit. Its a 230 grain flat point boolit cast from a lee 6 cavity mold. It measures out at 4530 diameter, a perfect .1 over my bore which slugged out at 4520.

[runfiverun]

since you ain't using factory gold dot's in your cast rounds and since you are gonna start a bit low and work your way up with YOUR loads in YOUR gun.
i'm failing to see a problem.

btw my oal for my 9mm cast loads is 0.95 yep that's short.

[el roboto]

since you ain't using factory gold dot's in your cast rounds and since you are gonna start a bit low and work your way up with YOUR loads in YOUR gun.
i'm failing to see a problem.

btw my oal for my 9mm cast loads is 0.95 yep that's short.

Just clueless as to why im having this issue. Is it absolutly imperative that the case be flush with the barrel hood?

[KYCaster]

Is it absolutly imperative that the case be flush with the barrel hood?

YES! Absolutely!

It's a rare 45ACP that doesn't work well with a .452 dia. boolit. The extra .001 may be the cause of the "bulge" you mention.....(or not?)

Also make sure you have a proper taper crimp with the case mouth at about .470 dia.

Find the OAL that will pass the plunk test, then start with a low powder charge and work up till you find the load you like.

Good luck.
Jerry

[MtGun44]

LOA is only relevant to compare combustion chamber volumes for published loads. The front part
ONLY means something during the feeding and chambering part of the process. Make that part
work to set your LOA and then compare the BASE location to a factory load to see if you are
making a larger or smaller combustion chamber. If yours is smaller than the one used to get the
load data - then your pressures will be higher. Adjust powder to correct for this.

Using the dismounted barrel is exactly correct. Worrying because one LOA doesn't match another is
totally spinning your wheels.

Bill

[ultramag]

It sounds like you're loading the Lee TL452-230-TC. The Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 4th Ed. lists data for that bullet and it lists an OAL of 1.170". I've had to take it down to 1.160" to get the load 100% reliable across the board in all my .45's.

You are doing fine and are on the right track, so get back to it!

[el roboto]

It sounds like you're loading the Lee TL452-230-TC. The Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 4th Ed. lists data for that bullet and it lists an OAL of 1.170". I've had to take it down to 1.160" to get the load 100% reliable across the board in all my .45's.

You are doing fine and are on the right track, so get back to it!

Excellent, thanks for the information. The only thing thats still worrying me is theres BARLEY a sliver of shoulder exposed on the boolit. Its loaded almost to the top of the shoulder, and my taper crimp barley leaves enough case mouth to get a fingernail on. however, this length and this amount of taper crimp seems to be whats needed for the bullet to seat just below flush of the barrel hood.

[runfiverun]

I seat most of my 45 boolits so that the front shoulder is even with the case mouth.
for one 1911 I actually bump the case mouth against a roll crimp, it shoots better this way.

a semi-auto round that doesn't feed reliably 100% of the time makes the gun a paper weight.
feeding comes first.
then work up the load until you have 100% ejection.
then work on accuracy.
unique has a lot of lee-way in the 45 case.
if you deep seat drop the load and come back up until the ejection is 100% positive then tweak it a bit until the groups shrink or get bigger.
once you got it you then make up a pile of rounds and go shoot them.

[David2011]

LOA definitely varies with boolit profile. If you load a swc to max book oal specs it won't even fit in the magazine. The case mouth should be taper crimped to .469- .471" to assure proper head spacing and feeding. You don't want a roll crimp.

David

[el roboto]

Just shot my first ever bullets. Tried some with 5 grains of unique and some with 6 grains. Definatly a noticeable difference in recoil. Took a rest at the range and noticed both shot left, the 6 grain bullets shot further left but from rested shot a ragged hole. I had 3 jams in 50 rounds. 2 where while chambering the first round and I think I may have been short shucking on those two rounds cause I was so busy trying to monitor everything. The other came during feeding. My friend also shot and had 0 failure to feeds. It could have been me because I was so nervous. I am going to work up a couple more batches for this weekend including some round nose rather then flat nose batches and see how they do. If I continue to get some falure to feeds my next step I think will be trying to resize down to .452 because the cases do seem to buldge a lot. Just got home and plan to inspect my barrel for lead. At the range I did notice a hair width sliver of lead near the end of the muzzle inside the barrel. Not sure how much leading is normal.

[el roboto]

wow ton of leading. The raised grooves were completly slicked with lead. and no clue what the cause is. Frustrating

[Wolfer]

It's fairly common to see some lead. Sometimes it's not stuck down and the next boolit pushes it out.
I don't ever see that much though. What lube are you using? You only want to change one thing at a time so you will know what the problem was.

[el roboto]

It's fairly common to see some lead. Sometimes it's not stuck down and the next boolit pushes it out.
I don't ever see that much though. What lube are you using? You only want to change one thing at a time so you will know what the problem was.

The lee liquid allox/johnsons paste wax.

[Wolfer]

Did the leading brush right out or did it take some scrubbing? I don't shoot auto much so I probably can't help. I would think your lube is ok.
I'm just killing time here until some of these auto boys chime in.

Did accuracy fall off?

[el roboto]

accuracy was great. Im able to brush most of it out with the exception of some that is down inside the grooves.

[el roboto]

Hm. Im wondering if it was lead. It wouldnt wipe out with just a patch, it was dull grey and when i scraped on it it was metallic and shiny looking like lead. Im just suprised it brushed out so easy. Wondering if it could be a combination of the paste wax/lead/and dirty unique powder that was making up the coating. I have no clue im so newbish to this. Thinking about trying to lube the next bullets with strait allox and seeing what happens.

[BNE]

I THINK it is probably lead. You are on the right track by measruing and measuring and paying attention to what you are seeing. I ALWAYS shoot my reloads first, before letting anyone else shoot them. I want to feel the recoil and inspect the brass.

"I think will be trying to resize down to .452 because the cases do seem to buldge a lot."
sometimes my .45 acps look like they are bulging but they measure ~.473" so I think what I am seeing is slight variations in the wall thickness of the different brass suppliers. The re-sizing die makes the OD the same and then the boolit pushes it out in the seal area. As mentioned above if it passes the "plunk test" it should be fine. I typically load a magazine and then cycle them through the action. (Obviously paying attention to safety when doing this.)

As for your leading issue, I am going to defer to the experts here and hopefully learn myself.