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45 HE bullet sizing
- Thread starter tommy F
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BUFF
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
If it is a bullet I will also shoot in semiautos, .451". If it is intended for revolvers, .454".
I did discover once that some lots of .45 ACP brass, when loaded with a .454" bullet, wouldn't chamber in a couple of my semiautos with tight chambers. Every S&W .45 ACP revolver I have shot with my cast bullets sized to .454" and loaded in R-P Auto Rim brass have chambered and shot just fine.
I don't use alloys harder than wheelweights in handguns and don't load anything in .45 Colt, .45 ACP or .45 Auto Rim very hot. If I can't take care of my problem with a 260 grain bullet at 900 fps, I need a much bigger gun, probably a rifle.
I did discover once that some lots of .45 ACP brass, when loaded with a .454" bullet, wouldn't chamber in a couple of my semiautos with tight chambers. Every S&W .45 ACP revolver I have shot with my cast bullets sized to .454" and loaded in R-P Auto Rim brass have chambered and shot just fine.
I don't use alloys harder than wheelweights in handguns and don't load anything in .45 Colt, .45 ACP or .45 Auto Rim very hot. If I can't take care of my problem with a 260 grain bullet at 900 fps, I need a much bigger gun, probably a rifle.
I'd like to ask where does an individual that does not cast his own bullets get any .454 cast bullets? I'm working up loads for my relatively new (to me) 25-2, and it is doing pretty well with 225 gr. TCFP (sized .452) cast over 4.7 gr. Titegroup. I think it can do better and would like to try some .454 in either a 200 gr. up to 230 gr. in either TC or RN. (Something that loads well with moon clips).
Appreciate any information. Thanks.
Appreciate any information. Thanks.
wiley
Member
Dave T
Member
Montana Bullet Works offers a .454" 230g RN that would be a good choice where needed.
I don't think I'd make a blanket statement about what size 45 ACP bullet to use in a revolver, unless and until you know what the throats measure in the cylinder. They weren't all .454". I've got a chopped down 1917 that shoots .452" bullets better than I can see at my age. No need to go to .454" for that one. Hard cast bullets will pick up the shallow rifling, much like a jacketed bullet does, so if you cast bullets are hard enough .452" should be fine.
Also, my experience is that .451" cast bullets lead the barrel of
a semi auto more than .452", all other things being equal. I always always shot .452s in the Government Models, Commanders and Kimbers hiding in the safe, going on 38 years now. The only time I went to .454" cast bullets was for a M25-2 that had huge throats, like ,456"-.457". The .454" were the largest cast bullets I could locate in quantity and made do with them. Had to use R-P brass because the thinner case walls at the mouth allowed the bigger bullets to still chambered easily in the M-25. I was shooting it in Practical Revolver matches and needed those moon clips to drop in smoothly. Using thicker brass with the .454s would find them hanging up on the second or third reload. YMMV!
Dave
I don't think I'd make a blanket statement about what size 45 ACP bullet to use in a revolver, unless and until you know what the throats measure in the cylinder. They weren't all .454". I've got a chopped down 1917 that shoots .452" bullets better than I can see at my age. No need to go to .454" for that one. Hard cast bullets will pick up the shallow rifling, much like a jacketed bullet does, so if you cast bullets are hard enough .452" should be fine.
Also, my experience is that .451" cast bullets lead the barrel of
a semi auto more than .452", all other things being equal. I always always shot .452s in the Government Models, Commanders and Kimbers hiding in the safe, going on 38 years now. The only time I went to .454" cast bullets was for a M25-2 that had huge throats, like ,456"-.457". The .454" were the largest cast bullets I could locate in quantity and made do with them. Had to use R-P brass because the thinner case walls at the mouth allowed the bigger bullets to still chambered easily in the M-25. I was shooting it in Practical Revolver matches and needed those moon clips to drop in smoothly. Using thicker brass with the .454s would find them hanging up on the second or third reload. YMMV!
Dave
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The throats on my 25-2 cylinder are .4545" on 5 of them, and .455" on the 6th one. So far .452" cast 225 gr. TCFP over 4.7 gr. Titegroup will shoot into 2 1/2 - 3" at 25 yards. I also have a target load of 200 gr cast SWC over 4.3 gr 231 which shoots about the same. Will be trying the Hornady .250 gr .454 in the near future.
