alloy for casting 45ACP bullets

[Soundguy]

I use about 10bhn range scrap, perhaps adding a small coin of linotype if the pot won't fill out bullets. I tumble or pan lube.

[ioon44]

My range scrap runs 10-11 BHN and I use Hi-Tek coating this works great in .45 APC and 9 mm, making sure the bullet is not swagged by the reloading dies is a must.

[sqlbullet]

what is PK

I think it is a typo for OK.

[josper]

well , I got to the range today to test some loads I am working up and it looks like I was worried for nothing. with the H&G 68 200gr at about 30' I was keeping them in 4". I'm not a bullseye shooter I mostly like to shoot at the steel plates that are set up if I can hit them I'm happy. The results were the same with the Lyman 452460 bullet. the Lyman 225gr RN was ok but not quite as good as the others. No jams with any of them. So far this RIA feeds anything I put through it.

[one-eyed fat man]

I started out with the Lee 452-228-1R mould and wheelweights pert near fifty years ago. It worked well and accuracy was acceptable. Dan Cash introduced me to the truncated cone design bullets back in the mid 80s and that has been my choice ever since. Accuracy is excellent, as good as any cast bullet. It feeds and functions flawlessly in everything I own.

[res45]

I like the Lee 230 gr. TL TC bullet as well.

[Rich/WIS]

Have used all sorts of alloys but mostly range lead in my SA Range Officer and didn't see any difference in feeding or accuracy. However a significant portion of the range lead was commercial cast bullets so it probably was harder than the lead from jacketed ammo, IIRC about 11-12BHN on samples I tested.

[Txcowboy52]

I use COWW with a little tin added for fill out . Makes for some nice shooting bullets.

[fredj338]

Another range scrap user for most of my pistol stuff. It usually comes in about 10bhn. I PC & water drop out of the oven. No issues with functioning or accuracy.
For 45acp hp, i like 25-1 alloy, expands down to 800fps.

[Driz]

I like the Lee 230 gr. TL TC bullet as well.

This is what I’ve been makin for a year. Same bullet straight lead powder coated with Smokes Ford Blue. I have had close to zero jams and mine is an SDS 1911 with less than 300 rounds through it. I don’t crimp mine and the only issues were when I didn’t quite squeeze the case enough. Mine come out with 1 coat to be 240 +- grains.
Whoops, my bad. Mine are the ROUND NOSE version of the 230 not the TC .

[metricmonkeywrench]

After melting your differing day-to-day parent metals into nearly equal weight bars, and segregating those bars into batches, take one bar from batch one, one bar from batch two, one bar from batch three, etc., and melt THOSE dissimilar bars together into one comingled batch of equal weight bars, which will bring a measurable consistency to your boolits.

For example:
Day One's batch is six (6) 2-pound bars of 8 BHN each, annotated and segregated.
Day Two's batch is four (4) 2-pound bars of 13 BHN each, annotated and segregated.
Day Three's batch is six (6) 2-pound bars of 10 BHN each, annotated and segregated.
Day Four's batch is three (3) 2-pound bars of 14 BHN each, annotated and segregated.

From these example BHN batches melt together three (3) 2-pound bars from each Batch to make twelve (12) comingled 2-pound bars of [(8+13+10+14)/4] about 11.3 BHN.

You will still have left over 2-pound bars and batches of differing BHN, annotated and segregated. The boolit BHN formula you derive from comingling batches should drive you to calculate specific batch & bar weights that when comingled result in 11.3 BHN batches, or whatever result you want to achieve that is realistic within the BHN of the annotated and segregated bars you have on hand.

Regardless of comingling, you cannot achieve a lower BHN than the smallest segregated and annotated BHN bar on hand nor a higher BHN than the largest segregated and annotated BHN bar on hand. You can, apportioning by weight, achieve ANY BHN in between...

More or less my thoughts as well, about halfway thru the posts I came to the conclusion that you should re-smelt your range lead to become a better consistency on BHN, Land Owner does have a better better answer if you don't want to re-work any of the lead. I'm looking at about the same thing I have several buckets of range scrap I'm processing, the first melt is to clean out and separate the bulk of the contaminates (rocks, clays dirt, jackets etc), the next step is to put all these ingots together for a final clean and produce usable ingots.

[BJung]

I use to pour my ingots like LandOwner. Afterwords, I'd take the ingots with the same bhn and melt equal parts of the 4 piece ingots (I use a Lee ingot mold), so the alloy would be more consistent given that bhn category.

[gnostic]

I've water dropped range scrap for about 50 years without a hitch in the 45acp. The softest bullet that doesn't lead the barrel is said to be the most accurate...

[openbook]

I started out with the Lee 452-228-1R mould and wheelweights pert near fifty years ago. It worked well and accuracy was acceptable. Dan Cash introduced me to the truncated cone design bullets back in the mid 80s and that has been my choice ever since. Accuracy is excellent, as good as any cast bullet. It feeds and functions flawlessly in everything I own.

Would you mind sharing your load? I have the same Lee 230 grain truncated cone bullet. Love the bullet. But about every 15 to 20 rounds on average I will get a jam. I am shooting 4.4 grains Titegroup, pan-lubed sized .452 and tumble-lubed. I'm a new 1911 shooter so still learning. My factory Colt Series 70 Mk IV GCNM has about 400 rounds through it at this point.

Various ideas I am working through one at a time include: raising the charge (I am a few grains from max); increasing the taper crimp; seating the boolit out farther; and/or polishing the feed ramp.

Thanks, openbook

[txbirdman]

The big key with that bullet is the COAL. For my Combat Commander it has to be about 1.180 to function properly. Play around with the length a little and I’ll bet you’ll find the sweet spot in your pistol.

[openbook]

The big key with that bullet is the COAL. For my Combat Commander it has to be about 1.180 to function properly. Play around with the length a little and I’ll bet you’ll find the sweet spot in your pistol.

Thanks!

[Doughty]

openbook, you don't say what type of "jams" you're getting, but with semi-auto pistols, the question that always pops up is, "What about the magazine(s)?"

[centershot]

openbook, you don't say what type of "jams" you're getting, but with semi-auto pistols, the question that always pops up is, "What about the magazine(s)?"

This is a common problem with semi-auto pistols. Also, you say you are relatively new to the 45 ACP, so I extend some advice - you said you get a "jam" every 15-20 shots, if that happens regardless of which magazine is in use at that time, you might be relaxing your wrist on that shot. A SA pistol needs to be held firmly, with a tight wrist, in order to allow the slide to cycle correctly. This is a common problem amongst newcomers and one you mist work to overcome. A "limp wrist" is a jam waiting to happen.

[openbook]

openbook, you don't say what type of "jams" you're getting, but with semi-auto pistols, the question that always pops up is, "What about the magazine(s)?"

Doughty, the jam I'm getting is a failure to feed, with the cartridge hung up either nose-up, or, less often, fishtailed, and the slide about 1/2" to 3/4" from closed. I remove the magazine and rack the slide; the cartridges will either fall out through the mag well or slide into the chamber.

This is a common problem with semi-auto pistols. Also, you say you are relatively new to the 45 ACP, so I extend some advice - you said you get a "jam" every 15-20 shots, if that happens regardless of which magazine is in use at that time, you might be relaxing your wrist on that shot. A SA pistol needs to be held firmly, with a tight wrist, in order to allow the slide to cycle correctly. This is a common problem amongst newcomers and one you mist work to overcome. A "limp wrist" is a jam waiting to happen.

Thanks, that's good to be aware of. Now I understand that trying to shoot Bullseye-style is not a great way to test for feeding. I'll try another batch of 50 with a firm two-hand grip and see if that improves things.

I am by habit a rifle shooter, where the emphasis is on natural point of aim and applying as little muscle to the gun as possible.

[gunwonk]

Doughty, the jam I'm getting is a failure to feed, with the cartridge hung up either nose-up, or, less often, fishtailed, and the slide about 1/2" to 3/4" from closed.

When that happened to me, the problem was that my loaded .45 cartridge was too LONG, so when the bullet nose bumped up against the top of the chamber, the case rim wasn't quite clear of the magazine lips, and the cartridge couldn't tip up to get the rest of the way into the chamber.