Shot BC carbine today...

[rdlange]

First time after reaming to .454 Casull... Liked 16.5g 2400 w/250 lead.  1" groups at 50 yds and no stringing as the barrel heated up. Anything under this load leaves powder smudged cases. 

Gonna roll some more and heavier loads asap.   18.5g at least.  A Linebaugh article max'ed load at 21.5 with 260g lead, but that may require gas checks.  I think that was in a Blackhawk.

 Can't tell if there was any leading.  But 30 shots and no apparent inaccuracies.  Dirty load though, lots of residue in the barrel.  But I think I read heavier charges are cleaner.  Maybe I'll look for some other powder

O-ring on the forend lug.  Trigger could use some lightening.

Think I'll be keeping this a lead bullet gun.  Bore slugged to .453 +. Looking at the lyman 457122 bullet, sized down to 454.  Any experience doing this with this bullet folks?

Be Well...

[Jimbo47]

I found with mine that once you ream it to 454 Casull, you will eventually have to resort to a restock and recoil pad if you want to shoot nice clean cases.

Or you can shoot trail boss powder and it's clean and doesn't beat you to death even with a max load.

I changed out the stocks on mine and I'm shooting 1" at 100 yards using 300 grain XTP bullets over 28.5 grains of IMR4227 powder.

It flat knocks a hog down for the count.

[cwlongshot]

It's a great handi caliber to say the least. I haven't fired any light 454 loads in mine, but "cowboy" 45 colt loads shot very nicely.

I agree a good pad like a SIMS LIMBSAVER or PACHMAYER DEcellorator or KICK EEZ will make a HUGE difference in grouping, as well as over all positive shooting experience.  I don't find the 454 a heavy recoil-er, but heavy loads are "sharp".

Try some reg 45 long colt cases loaded lite, or rather standard 255G bullet at 800 fps and see what happens.

CW

[quickdtoo]

The BC stock works great with a recoil pad. 

Tim

[manatee1947]

The 457122 is what I use in my 45/70, but I only size it to 457 , .004 is quite a bit on that big a bullet. You might want to try a 454424, that is a 255 SWC, the 457122 is listed as 290, not terribly far apart.

[S.E.Ak]

I'm useing a kickezz lace on and have no recoil problems with even the heavy BB and DT ammo.I love this little rifle and just spent three days bear hunting with it,no bear but did aim at a couple

[ratdog]

i bought the leather lace on recoil pad from cabelas looks nice works great fits the look of the gun better works good with my 45-70 barrel as well not much recoil with the 45 Lc.

[gcrank1]

I have an NEI dbl cav mould that throws a FN 340ishgr PB bullet, as cast at .453 or .454 (CRS again). It looks like a dandy for your caliber (which I dont have). Several guys have sized the 45-70 class bullets down with success, but in WWt or harder alloy it will put a lot of pressure on the Lyman 450 type luber/sizer. A better bet would be the reasonably priced Lee Push Through Sizer Die for the reloading press (all I will get anymore unless I find the Lyman die stuff cheap on a gunshow table). Most moulds will be oversize as cast; you gotta mic the bullets; and most expanded case mouths want bigger dia. bullets than the nominal jacketed bullet dia. for the cartridge. It is usually less than satisfactory to size (or buy) cast bullets that are the jacketed bullet size, especially if they are not soft lead so they would have a chance at bumping up to throat dia.

[Catshooter45]

The 457122 works, from what I have read, well in the Colt. 

Sizing the slug can be interesting.  First thing I would do is see how much sizing is needed.  I'd probably seat an as cast bullet in a case and then see if it'll chamber.  Once I found the size that would chamber, then I'd start loading.

Sending a .457 bullet down a .451 bore is no problem.  The bore will size the bullet nicely.

One trick to sizing a bullet alot is this one.  Let's say your as cast is .460 and you want .451.  I'd size and lube in the largest die I had, say a .459.  Now that the lube grooves are full of lube you're gold.

Then I use a Lee push through sizer of .451.  With lube in the grooves the lube won't let the grooves go away.  The bullet just gets a bit longer.  And none of your equipment is stressed.

Good luck.


Cat