loading the 454 encore

[rickyp]

In the next month or two will be getting an encore most likely from SSK (because they are a sight sponsor)

I am I am thinking about a 12 inch  454 barrel

I am already set up to load 45 long colt and I cast my own 255 gr FP bullets out Lyman #2

Will My 45 colt lee dies work to load the 454? How will my cast bullets work out of this barrel? most of what I will be doing with it is paper shooting and maybe some very little deer hunting.

I can not find any loads for the 255 gr cast bullets in any of my books. does anyone have any good loads?

[bigdaddytacp]

In the next month or two will be getting an encore most likely from SSK (because they are a sight sponsor)

I am I am thinking about a 12 inch  454 barrel

I am already set up to load 45 long colt and I cast my own 255 gr FP bullets out Lyman #2

Will My 45 colt lee dies work to load the 454? How will my cast bullets work out of this barrel? most of what I will be doing with it is paper shooting and maybe some very little deer hunting.

I can not find any loads for the 255 gr cast bullets in any of my books. does anyone have any good loads?

...........Idon't know about the Lee dies working....most dies for 45lc will work to size the 454 BUT the decapping pin rod will hit the mouth of the 454 case and split or crumple it .....a smaller case rod can be installed to let the sizer work in my RCBS dies.......same for the expander....most late model dies will adjust far enough to do either lc or 454.........unless you heat treat those cast bullets they won't take full 454 loads in MOST guns/loads...that is why you don't see 454 loads for them.......they lead so badly and strip the lead off the bullet and accuracy is bad......heavy book 45LC loads will work and most will shoot the cast bullets well......I shot the LBT lead bullets in my Freedom with H110 for heavy loads and stick to LC type loads for normal cast bullets just for fun shooting....hth..good luck and good shooting/loading!!

[Catfish]

I hate Lee dies, but I did have a set in .45 LC that I did use for a short while loading .454`s on My Dillon press. You can fire .45 LC rounds in the .454 and that is what I would recomand you do with your cast bullets. For hunting there is several good jacketed bullets that are resonablely priced that you can load into the .454 cases. If you think you need cast bullets to hunt I would recomand that you buy some good hard cast tempered bullets. I`ve got 2 .454 revolvers so I am fimilar with and it is a very good round, better range on deer than a .44 mag. If you groundhog hunt you might also want to load up some of the liter, 200 grn. bullets, for groundhog. Should make a big splach when they hit.  :lol:  :lol: