load data for newbie

[robert6715]

I recently inherited 1000's no make that 10's of thousands of boolits my father cast in the 60's. where do I go to find data. Ive been loading with jacketed boolits for years. Mainly inerested in lyman 452460 and 452374 for my fathers 1911.
Thanks in advance

[geargnasher]

I'm sorry for your loss, Robert, and welcome to CastBoolits!

It surprises me that your father didn't also leave you at least one good reloading book in all that stuff, have you had a chance to look for some sort of reloading guide?

If you don't have one, I'd say buy a copy of the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook #3 or #4, as well as the regular Lyman reloading manual, any of them should have the information you're looking for. I don't know anyone here who would steer you wrong, but I'm going to refer you to published loading data and cast boolit loading techniques anyway. Never trust your health and safety or that of others to internet data without having a good book to compare.

Gear

[robert6715]

There are plenty of load books, they just seem to only deal with jacketed.Im sure theres a lyman book there, just good luck finding it. I shot high power matches for a long time years ago,so most of my reloading was with sieria 168bthp. Ill order lymans book.
thanks

[geargnasher]

Those are Lyman mould numbers you mentioned, even the regular Lyman loading manuals have data for them, and at least a cursory mention of the loading techniques for using cast boolits which will help you greatly.

Gear

[RobS]

www.hodgdon.com
www.alliantpowder.com
www.accuratepowder.com
www.ramshot.com

All of them have load data and more so for jacketed, however the 45 auto is a lower pressure round that uses quicker powders so using jacketed info for your particular bullet weight and starting with the published minimum loads will work out for you as a starting point. On another note though, I would not go this route for magnum loads that use slow ball powders. Welcome to the forum!!!

[Wayne Smith]

Remember that a lead boolit cause less resistance as it goes through the bore. Pressures are lower at equal loads. This means that, if your alloy is up to it, you can use start loads for condom bullets without problem. If your alloy isn't up to it you will likely get leading.

If the boolits are that old they are back to the original alloy hardness, any heat treating that he might have done will be gone.

[Papa Jack]

I recently inherited 1000's no make that 10's of thousands of boolits my father cast in the 60's. where do I go to find data. Ive been loading with jacketed boolits for years. Mainly inerested in lyman 452460 and 452374 for my fathers 1911.
Thanks in advance

If I were you sir, I would start digging thru your fathers reloading stuff, very carefully !! If he is shooting a 1911, ( or anything for that matter..) then I would bet that he wrote down his load data in a notebook some where . Every hand loader should have a note book, too many loads to leave to memory alone....IMHO.
Hate to see ya blow up a nice 1911..... ( I have my dads 1911 also..)...... "PJ"

[wiljen]

If you cannot find your fathers manuals, I would get the current Lyman cast bullet handbook as probably the single best load manual for cast boolits currently on the market and start from there.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Are them Boolits lubed ?
how old are they really ?
If they were Lubed in the 60's
the Lube is probably dried up and maybe
has collected some dust from storage.

Did you inherit any of the casting equipment,
any lube-sizers ?
You may want to boil the boolits to get the lube and
any dust/debris off them, then resize/lube them.
or just melt them down and recast them.

Post some photo's and we'll be able to give you some better advice.

That's my 2¢
Jon

[robert6715]

90% are not lubed. I was born in 75 and all were cast prior to that. all are stored neatly stacked in cigar boxes and look as if cast yesterday(bright silver). all lubing and sizing equipment is there. all casting equipment is there also. Do the boolits that are discollered ( grayish black ) need recast?

[wiljen]

90% are not lubed. I was born in 75 and all were cast prior to that. all are stored neatly stacked in cigar boxes and look as if cast yesterday(bright silver). all lubing and sizing equipment is there. all casting equipment is there also. Do the boolits that are discollered ( grayish black ) need recast?

Nope those discolored boolits still shoot just fine.

[mroliver77]

If they were kept clean they are prolly good to go. As long as there is no whitish corrosion or dirt the darker ones should be fine too. I have shot old boolits and the lube although it looked kinda dry performed excellent. I had others where the lube looked bad. I gave them a light tumble lube of alox to freshen up the lube and they were fine.
4 - 5 gr red dot, bullseye or 231 type powder.
5 - 6 grain unique will keep you out of trouble
Load so boolit just touches the rifling. I remove 1911 barrel and load a boolit long. I keep loading it shorter until the case sits flush in barrel. If you load for 1911 you know what I am taking about. If not look up loading for 1911 and study it. I like that 452460 boolit. It is a great shooter.
Like has been said, get a cast boolit manual and read up. The Lee "Modern Reloading" should be in all reloaders library.
Jay