Lee 255 RF in .45 ACP, with HP-38

[Krh1326]

Hello everyone,

I recently acquired a Lee 255 RF and would like to try it, in my 1911.
I did not realize that crossing the 230 gr line was such a special animal. I’m struggling to find actual published data. Google and forum searches are yielding “personal suggestions” of 4.5 to 4.8 grs HP-38 . It was also suggested to find data for .45 auto rim , for the heavier boolits, in .45 acp.
Another day of internet searching found the old Lee manual listing .45 AR data. They break down their data to “jacketed boolits” and “lead boolits” . OK says I, that works for me… until I get down to the heavy weights and it just lists “ 260 gr “ without designating jacketed or lead.
That data is 4 gr start and 4.6 max. Is that for jacketed, lead or both?

But wait….
….. there’s more….

The next page does have .45 acp data. But the same thing, everything is listed as jacketed or lead, until the heavy weights… again. It just says 260 boolit, and it has 4.5 gr HP-38 up to 5.1 max.
This seems high to me, just from seeing how my loads have progressed from Lee 200 SWC , to 230 TC and now seeing this data.

Any thoughts or experience on this load?

[Kosh75287]

I used a similar load for bowling pins, back when shooting them was fun. I used Unique and Herco for propellants, but I recall the charge weights being low.
If you experiment with this load, shoot it at a bowling pin or something similar. You'll see the appeal of very heavy bullets in .45 ACP.

[downzero]

Given the loads for Accurate #2 on Hodgdon's website, I am willing to bet you're good to go with that load, but the only way to know is to work up, of course.

I'd want to be real careful on the length, because that's a lot of bullet for the little .45 ACP case and if it gets too short, pressure will go crazy in a hurry. Fast burning powder + heavy bullets = tight margin.

[Krh1326]

Can anyone make sense of why Lee book, stops designating lead or jacketed for the heavyweights? Do you believe that their data is for both, at that point? As a casting and reloading noob, I am trying to go by the book. I do plan on working up the load, so I would definitely want to start with the 4.5 grs, but my spider sense is tingling. Does anyone think that’s a high load, and should be starting lighter? I’m also going to make a dummy, seated at max COL and see if I can feed , chamber, and extract and slowly work it in.

[Krh1326]

[rintinglen]

The reason the LEE book doesn't say, is because the data they present is taken from other guides and manuals, not developed by them. They merely copied and pasted the info. I do not use My Lee manual as a sole source for this reason.

At a guess, I'd say that the 260 grain 45 ACP data comes either from Speer #10 or 11, and is for jacketed, (or perhaps an older WW loading pamphlet). Speer does not include HP-38, but does have 231. My Speer 11 says 5.4-5.9, start-max for 231, with the Speer #4481, 260 grain, JHP Bullet loaded to an unstated COAL, but presumably 1.20. My newer Speer #14 doesn't list that bullet for this application. I will state that seems a little high to me high to me. I have shot a fair few 45 ACP's loaded with 230 grain boolits over 5.6 grains of 231, and they were full power, 830-850 fps loads.

Were I you, I would load to an OAL of 1.272, if my gun would let me. Otherwise, I'd load as long as I could get it to function. I would start at 4.5 and work up slowly, .2 grains at a time, until I hit 800 fps or 5.1 grains, whichever comes first. However, there are not totally uncharted waters. Back when you could make money shooting bowling pins, many competitors used similar heavy boolits, and hopefully one of them will join in with some first hand info.

Good luck!

[yeahbub]

HP38 seems like it would be a fast powder for that weight, but the published data is there, it sounds worth a try. You don't mention the velocity range those loads are expected to produce, but I'd expect they are fairly sedate. I had loaded the Lee 255 RF in .45acp, but I was experimenting with 2400 and Lilgun. With that much mass to move, the slow powders still got properly lit and there was little to no unburnt granules visible in the barrel. They produced a mighty thump, but no pressure signs. Sorry, no chrono numbers. Primers were generously rounded. It was a proof-of-concept thing and I haven't pursued it so far. That 1911's spring guide had two buffers installed. At the time I was considering having a lever-action converted to .45acp to take advantage of the slow powders in the long barrel. Someday, maybe.

I'm with downzero on being careful about pressures. Reducing internal volume will drive pressures up in a hurry, especially with a propellant as quick as HP38/Win 231, etc.