Cast .45, size to .451 or .452?

[KD5NRH]

For use mostly in a Gov't Model, with a few going into a Super Comanche single-shot .45LC. Is there an advantage to either final size over the other for either round?

FWIW, the mould in question is the Lee TL452-230 tumble-lube 230gr truncated cone. Lube will be Liquid Alox.

[ghostrider]

Generally I see that (at least for pistol bullets) lead is sized 0.001" larger than jacketed. So for .45 I would go with .452 for lead since jacketed bullets are .451.

[KD5NRH]

For the 1911, slug the barrel, and size to that, or a thousandth over.

Measuring to lands or grooves? I think I have some slightly-over-.450 round balls somewhere. I'm not overly concerned about a perfect match in the Super Comanche since there's such a long jump to the rifling anyway, but it would be nice to have some perfectly matched target ammo for the 1911.

[ForneyRider]

Generally speaking, .452 for cast lead for 45 ACP and 45 Colt/454 Casull.

I cast the Lee 452-200FN for 1911 and XD 45. I size and lube with the Lee kit for .452.

[RiverRat]

The size needs to match the gun.

For the 1911, slug the barrel, and size to that, or a thousandth over.

For the revolver, size to the chamber mouths.

This is for best accuracy, less leading.

As per the leading in .45's......What velocity creates problems?

I had the same idea, buying a single 230 gr cast for SAA's, 1911's, and XD45's. I noted the cowboy stuff only runs ~750fps in the .45 Colt......WWB (target) for the others is ~800fps. My hesitation is because I've never shot cast in a 1911 or XD.

[ghostrider]

>As per the leading in .45's......What velocity creates problems?

It will depend on the hardness of the lead bullet. Hard cast bullets won't be a problem in the slow speeds of the .45ACP. I've pushed hard cast 265gr .45 bullets out of the 460 Rowland at over 1000fps without leading issues. Soft lead should probably be kept below 900fps to prevent leading.

[RiverRat]

>As per the leading in .45's......What velocity creates problems?

It will depend on the hardness of the lead bullet. Hard cast bullets won't be a problem in the slow speeds of the .45ACP. I've pushed hard cast 265gr .45 bullets out of the 460 Rowland at over 1000fps without leading issues. Soft lead should probably be kept below 900fps to prevent leading.

Thanks, I expected to be able to run around 1000 based on the Winchester super x in the .45 Colt running around that or slightly less velocity....plus I used to load .38 special wadcutters ~850 to 900 without trouble......come to think about it, a lot of .22 ammo runs in excess of 1000 fps with lead bullets without too much leading.

[MoJo]

A .45 ACP shooting lead bullets that are cast of a fairly hard alloy shouldn't lead the bore if you use good bullet lube (Alox is one of the best.) Wheel weights, Lyman #2 alloy, and Linotype metal should perform satisfactorily at the velocities attainable in the .45 ACP. For other uses keep the velocity under 1000-1200 feet per second and you should be alright. Generally, I use a cast bullet sized .001 over bore size.