Loads for .454 Casull Using 260gr and 300 gr Lead Cast -Help

[Yukon Gold]

Help me out here.

I have a Freedom Arms 83 in .454 Casull

Looking to reload using 260 gr and 300gr lead cast (no gas check) for practice and fun.

Load data for lead with no gas check is somewhat wanting out there.

Anybody have a favorite?  I am interested in how hot a load I can reload, without running into problems with using cast lead vs. jacketed.

Thank!

[Dusty Miller]

That's going to depend on the hardness of the lead.

[Yukon Gold]

I would say fairly hard - doesn't dent with my fingernail.  Don't have a hardness tester, and I didn't cast it myself.  About the hardness of wheel weights.

[Catfish]

I load alot of .44 mag. 240 grn. cast bullets with 6 grns. of Bullseye and a Win primer. I would recomand the you try 5 grns. of Bulleye with the 300 grn. bullet and 6 grns. with the 260 grn. bullets and load them in a .45 Colt case with a Win. primer. The 260 grn. bullets should be around 900 fps. and I would guess that the 300`s about 800 or alittle better.

[myronman3]

i used to use 12 grains unique under a 300 gr. cast bullet.   it was one of my favorite loads.

[Yukon Gold]

I loaded 10.5gr unique under 260 gr. bullet this weekend to do some plinking.  The rounds were fairly accurate, "fun" level of recoil (could shoot it all day long), and no real leading.  

I am still looking for that magic combination of powder/lead/velocity which gives me the biggest "bang" without the leading problem.  I have a Lewis Lead Puller (several in fact), but would rather not have to deal with it every time I tap off rounds at the range/farm.

I am looking for a  good source of 300 gr. Keith style bullets - thats fairly hard.

    I guess I could shoot jacketed bullets, but for some reason, I always enjoyed shooting lead cast - maybe I'm too cheap and don't know it.

[myronman3]

maybe I'm too cheap and don't know it.

 that is my problem.