45acp Cast Bullets

blopez50

New member
I've been reloading cast 200gr RNFPs in my 45s. I went with cast because they are so freakin cheap. I can get them for about half the cost of FMJ and about 2/3 the price of plated. I really want to like them. I've tried different powder charges, seating lengths, crimps, ect..

I'm just getting tired of cleaning lead out of my barrels. I don't get horrible leading, but what I do get is a [beeep] to clean! It's just the first inch of the barrel really. I've tried the chore-boy trick and about to just cave in and get the lewis lead remover.

After all this "drama" dies down and components are available, I'm going to make a pretty big purchase of some 45 bullets. I think I'm just going to pay up and switch over to plated or FMJ. It's gonna be a hit to the pocket book but 1) still cheaper than factory ammo 2) I won't have to mess around cleaning as much.


Anyone else gave up on lead?
 
There are cast bullets and then there are cast bullets. Undersized and too soft bullets will lead up pretty quick. Could also be the wrong lube. What size did you get .451 or .452. You might also be pushing them to fast. One little check is how much are you taper crimping. You can start out with the right size slug but mash it down to a smaller dia by too much crimp. My Gold Cups both use a .452 dia. My 44's take .433, not the standard .429 or .430.

My suggestion would be to first slug your bore to find out what its true dia is. Normal practice is to shoot bore dia plus .001. Some 45 autos will however give chambering problems if you go over .452.

I would rather shoot lead than jacketed any day.
 
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I'm not crimping any more than removing the bell so I think I'm good there.

While I'm sure I could slug it and all that fun stuff, the really cheap cast bullets that I found only come in .452". If I ordered another size they wouldn't be as cheap anymore.


UPDATE:

I just did some number crunching and here's what I've got. Best case senario for both. Taking into account higher powder charges, shipping, ect...

FMJ 230gr for $17.45/100
Cast 200gr for $12.37/100

$5 per hundred is a significant savings but I just don't think it's gonna be worth it for me anymore. I shoot ~500 round per month. With a couple classes sprinkled in thats only about $350 extra per year to shoot FMJ.
 
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One must do what ya gotta do. I cast all my own stuff except the 45acp stuff. I use up too much of it. I have a son as in ("Dad I need some shells so I can shoot tonight.") So I buy them. $350 equates to 4000 200 grainers.
 
Yeah I also am just getting into loading 45 acp with lead bullets. My 3" Kimber shows a little lead streaking right by the lands, but so far not anything I'll worry about unless it gets terrible. A buddy has the Lewis tool I could probably borrow. I've had people tell me to just shoot the lead out with a few jacketed loads, but that doesn't seem to remove that small amount.

What bullets are you using? I'm going with SNS and also some cast in Hastings NE by a small outfit. They both use 92-6-2 alloys but different lube. Also slightly different shapes, both 230 gr RN. So far can't tell much difference in accuracy or leading, they both shoot great at about 775 fps out of that short barrel. Using 6 gr WSF powder.
 
My buddy just sarted casting a year ago. He is adding tin to his and they dont lead up too bad. They shoot great!! I just baught some plated bullets for 14$/100. Locall. They shoot prety good too.
 
Many moons ago, and old Blacksmith friend made some bullets for my .45 auto out of wheel weights. I leaned two 2x4 pine boards up against a tree. They were stacked against each other. I shot them at close range and the bullet was sticking out the far side of second board. I pulled the bullet out with my fingers, and it still looked like a brand new lead bullet. I do believe I could have loaded that one and shot it again.
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My lead recipe is wheel weights plus 2 oz of pure tin per 10 pounds. My 44 bullet is a 310 grain gas checked Lee bullet. I drop them straight into a 5 gal bucket of cold water, let them sit for an hour or so, dry them and size and lube them to .433. My load clocks in at a little over 1200 fps. Hits deer like a freight train and doesn't stop, at least not in the deer. Massive damage to internal organs but just nice clean half inch holes in muscle. The only bone I have hit has been ribs and an elbow joint on exit. It was well broken. I would imagine it would be rough on a shoulder joint.

Wheel weights can be made pretty dang hard by water dropping them or even harder by heat treating them in an oven and then into the COLD water. Harder than linotype but won't shatter like linotype on bone.
 
My 1911 has had lead through it since 1988. I'm sold on Missouri bullet company 185 conical in 45 . Great company to deal with. They will ship flat rate USPS boxes. My last order of 2000 (4 -500 rd boxes of 185 conicals in a brinell hardness 12) was $13 shipping.

Granted I shoot these at bullseye velocitys, there has never been leading issue. At 4.0 grains of bullseye, they will print a ragged hole at 50 yds in the Ransom rest.

YMMV
 
Look for lead with gas checks if you are going to push the velocity limit. You could also add the gas checks yourself. They are cheap and pretty easy to attach. I have even put them on bullets that are not designed to have them.

Tom
 
I appreciate the help guys.

I was loading lead because it was cheap and easy. While I have no doubts that I could slug my bores, gas check my bullets and get great results, it's easier to switch to fmj. I've got orders lined up so that I can get them when all this dies down.

It will end up being $4.03 more to load FMJ (as opposed to Missouri Bulet Co). Since I only shoot 500 rounds a month, it's a no brainer for me.
 
Try using some Lee Liquid Alox on your cast bullets before you load them. That's what I use on the .45's that I cast for mine, and it works great. I use straight wheel weights for my alloy, water dropped for hardness, and tumble lube with the alox. No barrel leading at all in my Commander with full power loads.
 
Measure a new bullet. Seat it and apply your normal crimp. Pull the bullet and measure it again. Is it smaller than when it was new? If it comes out of the case smaller than .452", you've found your problem. You'll need a mike to measure the bullet accurately, not a 'very-near' (vernier) caliper.

I've cast and shot hundreds of thousands of cast bullets through various .45 Autos over the decades, and never experienced leading.

Commercial cast bullets tend to be lubed with a crappy, hard wax lube that is intended simply to stay in place in the lube grooves during shipping - not to prevent leading. As mentioned earlier, you can apply some Lee Liquid Alox to your bullets and see if that helps. However, if they don't fit the groove diameter of your barrel, no lube is going to prevent leading.
 
Terry N:

Commercial hard cast lead bullets shoot fine in my 45 ACP pistols. The commercial lube on the bullets seems to work fine for my pistols.

The 45 ACP is operating at such a relatively lower pressure than say a 44 Magnum, and that makes any need for softer lube moot. Undue leading is from too soft and/or oversize lead bullets i.e. the casting formula did not include enough tin etc to sufficiently harden the bullet.

As you note, if the cast bullets don't fit the 45 ACP barrel one is shooting - i.e. they were not checked/re-sized to .451 - leading will occur.
 
most commercial cast bullets are too hard, and too small.
i doubt with a 45 acp that you could ever get them going fast enough to need checks.
 
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