Cast Bullets

[cjclemens]

I've been handloaing .45 automatic for a while now, but i've always stuck to FMJ or JHP bullets to avoid feeding issues and so far so good.  However, given the shortage on everything, copper jacketed bullets are either unavailable or way too expensive.  I was wondering if anyone has tried and had any success with cast bullets.

[Lee N. Fielder]

Cast bullets work just fine.  When I was in my 20's that's all that my friends and I used because we couldn't afford jacketed bullets.  They can be just as accurate as jacketed bullets.

Problems with shooting lead bullets do not generally center around accuracy and/or reliability; rather it's a cleaning issue.  Cleaning lead from the bore takes longer than removing copper fouling.  However, a Lewis lead remover reduces the cleaning regimen by as much as 90% if the bore is heavily leaded.  I view the LLR as a must-have item.

Also, the use of cast lead bullets eventually gums up your reloading dies so they must be disassembled and cleaned on occasion.  So... your tradeoff is money saved vs. time expended.  I've almost always had more time than money.

-Lee

[Mikey]

Cast boolets from a 45 ACP - way too much fun to ever stop.  Some folk carry cast for personal defense or hunting.  Some folk won't carry jacketed at all.  My preferred cast bullet is the old Lyman 452423, a 238 gn swc designed by Elmer Keith for the 45 Auto Rim.

Cleaning - a necessity regardless of what you shoot.  Proper loading helps reduce lead fouling.  There are some powders that love cast bullets and some that do not.  Unique, WW231, Titegroup (I think), Bullseye, Red Dot, SR4756 all good for cast.  Cleaning your barrel - wrap some screening wire tightly around a bore brush and that will get your lead out.

Cleaning reloading dies - use some whiteout to mark the threaded seating die punch/bullet seater depth when you clean your die - the seating die is the only one I have had to clean if using cast bullets, and if you bell the mouth of the case enough you may not have to clean the seating die much, or often.

Yeah, cast bullets from a 45 are way too much fun to stop.  jmtcw.

[kitchawan kid]

Casting for the .45 acp works for me,I use 4.0 grs. of Trail Boss and have found no leading problems.With the ammo problems we have now all you need is to find the primers.

[Flint]

I've had a couple Colts for 40 years that have never had a jacketed bullet down their bore.  Used in combat and later IPSC shooting from the early 60's until I switched to CAS.  I always loaded a 200 gr H&G style bullet, either from a mold I have or from a bullet maker when I decided to stop breathing lead fumes and burning my fingers.

[Davemuzz]

I recently began to load these lead bullets from Missouri Bullet Company http://www.missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=59&category=5&secondary=13&keywords= for my 1911. I'm loadin 'em over 3.7gr. of Clay's and they are a great plinking load.

As far as lead removal, I've always cut and wrapped a 100% copper pot scrubber pad (that you can buy at a local grocery store) around a bore brush, dipped it in Butches bore solvent and after maybe 6 strokes at the most, 99% of the lead is gone. And...I don't care how much lead you got in there!!!! Test the pad to make sure it's 100% copper by using a magnet. If the magnet sticks to the copper pad...it's NOT 100% copper and SHOULD NOT BE USED!! Only use a 100% copper scouring pad!!!

Dave

[victorcharlie]

I second the Missouri Bullet Company 230 grain softball.

$39 per 500, and they can ship 2000 usps flat rate for $9.

I'm loading 5.8 grain of Unique.  That's about all I shoot now.

[cjclemens]

Thanks for the input, guys.  I have a few bullets on the way now.  I'm lookin forward to seeing how well they work.

[Blackhawk44]

Wow, until you brought it up, I'd almost forgotten that they made jacketed bullets for the ACP.  The last jacketed ACP I can remember loading was during Nixon's first term.

[Savage]

I haven't loaded a jacketed bullet in a straight wall pistol case in 40 yrs! I use Bullseye pistol powder to send them down the bore. With the right lube, they're not all that dirty. Gotta clean the thing anyway--------------!
Savage

[cjclemens]

I never used to shoot .45 acp much.  just kept a good bit loaded for security purposes and occasional target practice, so I never really thought too much about what I was loading.  It's been too wet to do any farming here lately, so I've been out shooting a lot more than I usually do.  I found a good source of bulk cast bullets for my .38 special and I noticed they carried 230 gn round nose 45's as well.  Long story short, I wish I'd looked into this a long time ago.

Thanks again for the input!

[oldandslow]

I just bought 51# of lead to cast 45 ACP and 45 Colt bullets today. They shoot gooood.