Heavy for caliber 45 Colt Buffalo Classic Handi-rifle cast boolits?

[Land_Owner]

How heavy can these be cast?  300 grains?  400 grains?  More?

Maybe this is a Handi-rifle Forum question, but it would seem to fit both categories (iincluding Cast Bullet Discussion).

I think I want to purchase an Elmer Keith style profile-mould and start to work up some reloads.

[srussell]

i shoot 300grain cast from a LBT mould in mine

[quickdtoo]

Kurt(Phatinjun) shoots 360gr in his.

Tim

[Land_Owner]

300 grains and 360 grains sound like fun.

What I should PROBABLY do is purchase a 45-70!

Here it comes again...another rifle purchase...more dies...more moulds...more powder...more FUN!

There is ALWAYS room for another Handi

[Blackhawker]

If you don't want to cast them yourself, you can buy 325 grain gas checked bullets at a decent price from Western Bullet Co.

link:  http://westernbullet.com/ly4gr16.html

I've used these in my CR-45.

[tacklebury]

If you don't want to cast them yourself, you can buy 325 grain gas checked bullets at a decent price from Western Bullet Co.

link:  http://westernbullet.com/ly4gr16.html

I've used these in my CR-45.

Those are .452 dia. bullets for the pistol caliber though and he'd need .457-.460 dia. bullets for the .45-70.  I'd recommend these from the same place if one was starting to try.  Especially, since these are gas checked and if you are going to upload them for velocity, it'd save you leading issues.

http://westernbullet.com/rc45gr.html

[stimpylu32]

tacklebury

For the 45 colt H&R he will need the .452's . Now if he gets the 45/70 your right , he'll need the .458's or even the .459's .

Myself , I just cast the .458's for both and run them through my Lyman sizer to make heavy 45 colt bullets , it only drops about 5g in weight and they shoot very well . 

stimpy

[Dinny]

I shoot both the 335gr and 360gr Cast Performance bullets in mine with good results. Just need to watch the pressure levels as these bullets eat-up alotta case space. Come to think of it, I have shot 405gr bullets in mine too. They were resized .458" bullets originally made for the 45-70. They shoot good from my rifle but I only use them for lo-vel loads. I think I had 2-4gr of Trail Boss in them for 680fps. They shot nearly a one-hole group at 35yds!!

I'm making a temporary switch to Penn bullets and trying their Thunderheads.
http://www.pennbullets.com/45/45-caliber.html


Thanks, Dinny

[ratdog]

i have loaded 405 grn  bullet .lee bullet mold using lead from wheel weights. trap door load not much recoil.might step up the powder a bit used trail boss powder.you got to have a 45-70 a handi or a trap door its just the way it is.

[Land_Owner]

Myself , I just cast the .458's for both and run them through my Lyman sizer to make heavy 45 colt bullets , it only drops about 5g in weight and they shoot very well . 

stimpy

To which Lyman sizer die are you referring?  Doesn't this shear off the lube and crimping grooves?  Assuming the 0.452" sizing die, at 0.003" per side (0.006" total interference), it would seem that 0.458" diameter squeezed down to 0.452" diameter is a bit much.  Even squeezed down to 0.453" diameter seems a bit too much.

Regardless, you cannot beat inherent accuracy, even if the lead is squeezed.

[Nobade]

You need a Lee style push through sizer for that. Fill the lube grooves first and they'll size down nice and easy without collapsing the grooves.  You'd be amazed how much you can size a bullet if you have a properly shaped die with a good finish on it. I shoot the Lyman .446" bullets in my Vetterli, and size them to .433" in one pass with no problem. (very soft lead of course) and it's funny to watch, they get nearly 1/8" longer, but otherwise no damage.

[ratdog]

land owner i thought you were referring to the 45-70 bullet have only shot 451 dia bullets in that caliber 255 weight of bullet lee tumble bullet use the same in my rugers and uberti's.

[ratdog]

land owner i just looked at some bullets you may be interested in from montana bullet works if you don't want to buy a mold and try different bullets first.

[gr8ful]

I have been shooting 300gr WFNGC at @1100 fps in mine with good results.

[greenrivers]

No pressure, but a man without a 45/70 is well,     incomplete!!!!!!!!!

[stimpylu32]

Myself , I just cast the .458's for both and run them through my Lyman sizer to make heavy 45 colt bullets , it only drops about 5g in weight and they shoot very well . 

stimpy

To which Lyman sizer die are you referring?  Doesn't this shear off the lube and crimping grooves?  Assuming the 0.452" sizing die, at 0.003" per side (0.006" total interference), it would seem that 0.458" diameter squeezed down to 0.452" diameter is a bit much.  Even squeezed down to 0.453" diameter seems a bit too much.

Regardless, you cannot beat inherent accuracy, even if the lead is squeezed.

LO
 
Sorry it took so long to get back to you , works a PITA this time of year , I'm using my Lyman 4500 with a .454 sizing die , as for the .458 bullets , they have a .029 deep lube groove so shaving off .002 of lead is not a issue at all .
 
And as for the crimp groove , I have to seat the bullets deeper to fit the chambers of my Taurus Tracker , so thats also a non-issue .
 
stimpy

[Dinny]

I just got a box of the Penn Bullets 270gr .452" Thunderheads. It will likely be much later this year before I get to load a single one, but I will report back with the results.




http://www.pennbullets.com/45/45-caliber.html




Thanks, Dinny