Several cartridges , a few bullets , 1 caliber .

Using your home cast bullets as a ammunition component. Group buys are listed here.
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RBHarter
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Several cartridges , a few bullets , 1 caliber .

Post by RBHarter »

We have a bunch of new members and not many new topics .

I have 45 ACP compatible with GAP , 45 S&W aka Schofield , and Colts in a Ruger .
I load for 4 ACPs none in an auto pistol . 1 Colts , 2 S&W 1917s and a High Point carbine .
I load for a 1917 reamed to 45 S&W .
I load for a Ruger 45 Colts with cylinders for ACP and soon a S&W .
I load for a couple of Colts carbines .
I missed the 45 Raptor rifle also (rimless 460 S&W)

As a result of this I have a quite a few moulds from 195 to 350 gr at .452-454 dia .
I found pretty quickly what the Colt 1917 and Smith 1917 ACPs had very different wants for bullets .
The stuff that works all around :
ACP/AR .
195-200 SWC and RNFP
CCI standard LPP
Winchester brass
6.0 Unique .
Nice mild shooting load . It's just a so-so load in the Ruger but is very good in the 1917s I attribute it to sizing details . It's good in the carbine also .

I don't have a 230 yet so the next step up is 250s
NOE copy 454424 SWC
Lee 452-255 RNFP
I load these with 5.5 Unique in ACP and the Schofield .
These are good to great in all but the S&W 1917 45 ACP .
In a surprise the slightly hot Schofield loads in the S&W shot very well approaching 850 fps with the 454424 copy at 250 gr . I'm not sure other than sizing what the difference is between the Schofield case and the ACP or Auto Rim cases . The jump may contribute to it some with it being shortened about .15 .
I load these with 8.0 Unique for the true Colts level loads and for the Rossi M92' with it's 1-32" twist . It holds the carbine loads subsonic and allows me to shoot paper past 75 yd .
The 452-255 casts 265 gr . I haven't loaded it in the Schofield but it is very good in the Colts 1917 at 800 fps I suspect my Unique to be a little hotter than data lots . I used Speer 260 jacketed data for this and have avoided anything approaching a max load where I can . It was my go-to bullet for a long time in the Ruger and the first tested in the Carbine . Which when sharing loads with the Ruger was about the same for groups at 50 and 75 as the Ruger 45 Colts at 25 and 50 .

I had the 350 cut special for the 45 Raptor with the intent of getting into Trapdoor levels for 45-70 ....... Um let's say not the best plan in a 5.5lb (2.5 Kilo) rifle . At 1800 fps is about the same as a 3" mag in a single shot 12ga , not fun to shoot at all . Shooting for the advertised 460 velocities for 250-265 is easy in the 16" barrel and is surprisingly comfortable to shoot and run 2200 fps . I used H322 for this from past QL data for a Colts project and reverse engineering from 45-70 data as the bulk of 460 data is for H110 , W296 and similar powders intended for pistol type platforms .


Keep in mind that I load everything with the intention of every load and gun being used as a hunting tool .
As a result of that many loads are worked up to just over best accuracy .

I won't make believe that there were no difficulties with loads . Good grief the Ruger Colts was where I started casting and among other things it never occurred to me that a mould weight from a well onown maker might drop a bullet 10 or more gr over specified weight ...... I'm smarter about that now after having a 27-130 FP from RCBS drop at 141 gr dry without a check , I was paper patching for a 7×6.8 at that time .

Sizing is important for the ACPs as the untouched S&W won't load a .454 bullet in all 6 holes so everything is sized .453 for them . The modified S&W also wants .453 for the throats and the front band of the 454424 clone is .453 and it happily chambers a touching but not full contact as cast .454 . The Colts 1917 should be .454+ but it doesn't foul with a relatively soft .453 so I go with that .

The big 350 is a Mountain Molds custom identified as a .453-350 RNFP that ultimately is a 458-340 about .08 longer that drops at .453 with a tin enhanced WW alloy . It just happens to be perfect paper patched in the 45-70 I load for also .
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Re: Several cartridges , a few bullets , 1 caliber .

Post by GasGuzzler »

I have two 45s. One Colt and one AUTO. I think I have two .45 molds.
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Re: Several cartridges , a few bullets , 1 caliber .

Post by RBHarter »

Well gas if I add the 45-70 and ML moulds for 45 I've probably 10-12 . At one point I intended to pare down the moulds to a light and heavy for extremes like 380 and 357 it's just not really practical and a 358 just makes it more difficult although 10-12 gr of Unique under that little 90 gr RNFP in a 24" 358 Win barrel might hit some impressive numbers .

The same applies to the 45-70 or Raptor a 195-250 gr will make jacketed speeds paper patched or revolver speeds in a rifle but the BC is so low on them that any speed advantage they have over the 400+ gr bullets is gone by 200 yd and a reasonably meplated 405 actually has an edge by 300 yds even if it starts 1000 fps slower . A 535 Postell is just a wonder for retained energy even when it starts sub sonic . If a Lee 310-230 we're scalled up to a 460-555 it would probably be in the .500 BC class bullets . Maybe even higher .
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Re: Several cartridges , a few bullets , 1 caliber .

Post by Ranch Dog »

RBHarter wrote:We have a bunch of new members and not many new topics .
Yeah, been slow. I enjoyed the read!

I finally started in on range work for my Sav 170 30-30, SMLW Scout 303 British, Rem 722 300 Sav, and Hi-Point 4595 45 Auto. I will get it all written up.
Michael
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Re: Several cartridges , a few bullets , 1 caliber .

Post by larryw »

Busy, busy, busy, busy ???? I keep telling you Michael, we don't take up much space !
A little bitty something or other out of sight, in the back corner of the south 40 somewhere.
You really should adopt us, you really need a hand ?????????
Oh yea, I forgot to mention in my previous resume, I also do a mean, show quality,
interior & exterior aircraft detail !!! I know, I know.... Talk to 'ya when I wake up
A day late & A dollar short? Story of my life +guns
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