Cast bullets for .45 acp

[Skip Sackett]

310, What is the OAL of your load and what are you shooting them out of. Remember, he has a M625 -8 or a JM. Are you shooting them out of that?

 

[jimkim]

After reading all posts, I am thinking about two molds, that are " to get " in EU:

1. Lee TL452-230-2R and
2. Lee TL452-230-TC.

Any expiriences with them?
I need the bullets that alow me quick reloading with moon clips (I shoot IPSC).
Do I have to size the bullets?
About lubing I know, that I can lube them with Liquid wax.

I have the regular lube groove 452- 230-TC. It feeds and shoots good in my XD and my buddies' 1911's. The only thing special I do is load to an OAL that fits what ever chamber I'm using it in. I do plan on flycutting the bevel base off the mould. That's the only thing I would change.

 

[Skip Sackett]

Stefan,
I was on castboolits.gunloads.com and Miha says he has one of the 452-200gr Cramer moulds in stock. For us, after using Pay Pal, we usually get them in less than 2 weeks. You will not have to wait that long!

 

[venomballistics]

I use the none LT version of the 230 TC.
I dont care much for how they sacrifice the front band in the TL designs.
pan lube is easy to do .. a short piece of 1/2" brass tubing with a chambered end used as a cookie cutter can help

 

[Maximumbob54]

I use the 200gr SWC TL Lee mold. What am I missing about the front band? They feed into my 1991A1 and shoot as straight as I can aim. They don't lead unless I don't use enough alox.

 

[venomballistics]

I use the 200gr SWC TL Lee mold. What am I missing about the front band? They feed into my 1991A1 and shoot as straight as I can aim. They don't lead unless I don't use enough alox.

it stems from lessons learned in higher velocity cartridges.
yours may do well in a 45 auto .. transition that over to say a 454 Casul and the compromised front band rears its ugly head.
TL designs, as produced, make the bullet a one trick pony.
I'm not entirely against the concept. I have a 276 grain 44 HP mold I bored myself that uses the TL idea, but preserves that traditional front band. The shank length of this bullet allows for it. Its not only usefull in 44 magnums, it can transition all the way up to the 444 Marlin and give the 445 supermag a viable bullet as well.

 

[Skip Sackett]

Bob,
A lead bullet that is driven hard needs a decent front band or ogive that will contact the lands firmly. When the front end of the bullet "stops" because it is stuck in the lands, the rear end keeps going causing obturation. If there is no front band, at a higher velocity, it may skip in the lands, and that causes leading, and then it doesn't obturate as it is supposed to......Kinda......

 

[venomballistics]

Bob,
A lead bullet that is driven hard needs a decent front band or ogive that will contact the lands firmly. When the front end of the bullet "stops" because it is stuck in the lands, the rear end keeps going causing obturation. If there is no front band, at a higher velocity, it may skip in the lands, and that causes leading, and then it doesn't obturate as it is supposed to......Kinda......

yup thats about as close to it as we need to get.
i figured that one out with the LEE 240 swc with TL ... man that one frustrated me. it made a nice mild load that their 215 grain swc addressed a bit better pushed past that to make a more serious load ... wire brush time.
I don't think that mold has seen hot lead in ten years now.
kinda a shame for all the potential it should have had.

 

[Maximumbob54]

yup thats about as close to it as we need to get.
i figured that one out with the LEE 240 swc with TL ... man that one frustrated me. it made a nice mild load that their 215 grain swc addressed a bit better pushed past that to make a more serious load ... wire brush time.
I don't think that mold has seen hot lead in ten years now.
kinda a shame for all the potential it should have had.

Well son of a bleep. That's the first .44 mold I tried using with my 629 and it leaded the barrel stem to stern. It drove me nuts and I finally stopped using it since I thought it needed more lube than the TL could offer. Go figure when I tried a new mold it worked like a champ. Now I know what was going wrong.

 

[BigBill]

don't cast yet but for now i get my 45acp/230rn leadcast bullets from Cast Bullets Home Its reasonable for now. I posted this for the guys like me who don't cast also.

 

[stefanveres]

What recipes for the lube do you folks use ?

Stefan

 

[venomballistics]

Well son of a bleep. That's the first .44 mold I tried using with my 629 and it leaded the barrel stem to stern. It drove me nuts and I finally stopped using it since I thought it needed more lube than the TL could offer. Go figure when I tried a new mold it worked like a champ. Now I know what was going wrong.

yeah .. tell me about it. and if your yardage has been anything like mine, you have that mold fairly well "bookended" out by now. In the range it works well, something lighter works just as well and at less cost. in the range you want to use it, something a little meatier becomes the order of the day.
The TL design actually carries more lube than a traditional design .. in the volumes Ive worked with in the past I'd have to guess the TL will eat up lube about 30% faster.
its all on the front band .. the 276 grain HP I bored retains a wide front band .. its as trouble free as any other good design.
TL is not a bad idea in and of itself, its just the execution.

 

[venomballistics]

What recipes for the lube do you folks use ?

Stefan

I've been though so many its easier to answer questions about specific formulas
most often mine have a base of 50/50 parafin and bees wax with Alox and or axle grease added till its pliable at room temp.
Ive also used STP oil treatment, automatic transmission fluid, motor oil ... butter.
some worked out better than others.

 

[Skip Sackett]

I have made MANY different lubes. All worked, some better than others.

Here is what I am using now: BAC or Carnuba Red from LsStuff-White Label Lube - Cast Bullet Lube

The BAC doesn't need a heater to be used, the Carnuba needs about 90*F for flow through my Star Lube/Sizer.

You can make a bunch of useful lubes. One is Johnson & Johnson's paste car wax with bees wax. As Venom mentioned, it is best to be usable at room temp. Remember though, on a hot day in a car, it could melt, leak into the powder and foul it, not good!

 

[venomballistics]

like motor oil ... thats good for a leaky lube. it seems to weep from the wax base at elevated temps lending to powder contamination. Though, if you can shoot it all off in a reasonable span of time, it works rather well.
I stick mostly to alox and grease as additives, they dont seem to suffer from weeping like oils

 

[smithnframe]

Cant beat the Keith 454423 235 gr SWC in my book! I shoot it in my 1955 target in 45 ar with excellent results.

 

[Reddog]

I use bee's wax from new toilet rings I buy at Home Depot or Lowe's, with lithium grease mixed with a small amount of Alox lube purchased on E-bay. Add Alox to the heated mixture and test the thickness after it cools. I thin mine to where it will feed through my Lyman 45 Lubrisizer well. Works well! I heat mine outside, on a hot plate and tinker with it until I get the thickness right.
Dick

 

[jtcarm]

I dunno about the 625, but my old 25-2 shot high with anything over about 215 with the RS cranked all the way down . Those guns were designed for bullseye matches with the classic 200 gn SWC target load.

Just something you may want to test before buying a mold.

If a bullet must be sized, I recommend the Lee nose-first setup. Much cheaper than a lubrisizer and gentler on the bullets than base first sizing..

 

[Moonman]

You might give a look to:

1) Ballisti-Cast (they own the rights to the old H&G Cherries and designs,

and these new owners are great to work with.)

Their molds have a "6" in front of the old H&G's model numbers,

thus a H&G 68 is now a Ballisti-Cast 668,

and a H&G 50 is now a Ballisti-Cast 650.

They also make molds for THEIR own BULLET CASTING MACHINES, along with ones for

the MASTER CASTER CASTING MACHINES BY MAGMA.


2) N.O.E. (Night Owl Enterprises)


3) Miha

You might consider BRASS as a mold material also, nice molds, holds heat really well, but more expensive.

You really do GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR with bullet molds, save your money and INVEST IN QUALITY CASTING MOLDS.

I happen to use a STAR LUBE-SIZER which is very nice, Ballisti-Cast has a nice one and presently making a
NEW and IMPROVED one with the help of their CASTING CUSTOMERS.

The STAR is a NOSE FIRST sizer.

 

[WyrTwister]

I used Lyman molds, which then require you to size and lube them with more equipment. I have since gone to Lee molds, selecting the once which can be used unsized with Liquid Alox. This have many small grooves compared to a heavier groove which require the sizing die/luber. I have cast several 1000 of bullets in 45 and 9mm using two cavity molds which are extremely inexpensive. I also have used a six cavity .40 mold for increased production. The two cavity molds heat up fast and give a good bullet fast. The six cavity take a lot longer to heat up and produce good bullets. Lubing is easy, heat up your alox, put bullet in two equal containers, say the bottom of a qt. soda bottle, then pour them repeatedly back and forth until all are coated. Spread on wax paper and stand them up if you feel like it. Wait overnight and load.

From Lee your choice of .45 molds is either a two mold or six, I use the 230 two cavity, there is only one choice in this style.

The cost of these molds allows one to toss them out after several 1000 casts if they give you trouble and no rust! For $20 for a two cavity mold, $50 for a lead furnace, some free wheel weights give it a shot.

Of course, there is a lot of safety concerns when casting.

I cast the Lee 200 & 250 grain RNFP and the 230 grain RNL TL for .45 ACP and .45 LC .

I like the RNFP better , they drop larger . I usually size to .454" .

Get the 6 cavity molds , production is SIGNIFICANTLY increased over the 2 cavity molds .

Gpd bless
wyr