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Posted: 3/13/2014 5:52:15 AM EDT
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I've reloaded for a couple of years, but I've never casted a bullet. I've found a local tire guy that will give me wheel weights. I'm looking to cast 45acp for my 1911's. Anyone here do this? Can you recommend a cast / mold? Any helpful hints to this practice or potential pitfalls?
Thank you. |
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Quoted: I've reloaded for a couple of years, but I've never casted a bullet. I've found a local tire guy that will give me wheel weights. I'm looking to cast 45acp for my 1911's. Anyone here do this? Can you recommend a cast / mold? Any helpful hints to this practice or potential pitfalls? Thank you. , Lee makes the most cost effective. you will same money! |
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Start with a cheap Lee. I recommend the 230 TC, very easy to use.
Also a 2 is easier to control temperature and you'll see what affects your pills more easily than if you use a 6 cav. Just IMHO, although I love my bigger molds. Don't start with a HP mold, it is much harder than a solid to use. You don't need fancy boutique molds to cast good boolits. I have Mihecs and NOEs and Accurate, and they are all great, but I bought them because they were a design not offered elsewhere. My Lees, of which I have many, work just fine. You may need a sizing die and may not. if it casts .452 or .453 I lube and shoot. If smaller, throw them back. If larger you will probably need to size. My 45 molds have never been larger than 453. I recommend tumble lubing to start. It works fine for any design or style at 45 velocities and a lube sizer is more expensive than all the other casting tools you need to start put together. I suggest a bottom pour pot for ease of use. Also buy flux, or you can use plain sawdust. Either is fine, many prefer sawdust. |
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Get a Lee 2 cavity 200gr SWC mold.
200gr will save 30gr of lead and shoot just as good. All my 1911's and 45 ACP chambered guns shoot the SWC's very well. They feed, fire and eject without a hiccup of any kind. Plus the SWC design makes neat, clean holes in paper, easy to see. |
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Quoted:
Get a Lee 2 cavity 200gr SWC mold. 200gr will save 30gr of lead and shoot just as good. All my 1911's and 45 ACP chambered guns shoot the SWC's very well. They feed, fire and eject without a hiccup of any kind. Plus the SWC design makes neat, clean holes in paper, easy to see. I can't get my G30 to feed the 200s to save my life. They are great in everything else though, but that's the only reason I recommend the 230 TC, because it feeds easily in EVERYTHING. |
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Everything and anything about casting can be found here.
Cast Boolits Forum I started with an older Lee 190gr SWC 2 cav mold and just moved to a custom 230gr TC 4 cav mold. Still using my Lee 10lb bottom pour pot. Another hobby but you will save $$$ in the long run and shoot a lot more. CD |
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Quoted: Everything and anything about casting can be found here. Cast Boolits Forum I started with an older Lee 190gr SWC 2 cav mold and just moved to a custom 230gr TC 4 cav mold. Still using my Lee 10lb bottom pour pot. Another hobby but you will save $$$ in the long run and shoot a lot more. CD |
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I case with the Lee 6 cavity 230gr mold.
Beware, though, the boolits typically come out in excess of 240gr. The alloy they use to estimate the mass is high in Tin (much harder bullet than what you would want to shoot out of your pistol). Despite that, those bullets shoot excellent! I can cast boolits for all of my pistols for $2.50/box of 50! And it's better on your barrel! |
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I have a few Lee molds and prefer the Lee 228-1R-RN with the standard lube groove. I then pan lube them and then push them through the Lee sizer die. This process makes factory looking LRN boolits.
Buy something to smelt the WW in to make ingots. Put only clean ingots in your casting pot. Get a Lee 20# bottom pour pot, beats the heck out of ladle pouring boolits. |
  Cast from this 6 cavity mold http://www.midwayusa.com/product/313971/lee-6-cavity-bullet-mold-452-228-1r-45-acp-45-auto-rim-45-colt-long-colt-452-diameter-228-grain-1-ogive-radius?cm_vc=ProductFinding http://www.midwayusa.com/product/782554/lee-2-cavity-bullet-mold-452-228-1r-45-acp-45-auto-rim-45-colt-long-colt-452-diameter-228-grain-1-ogive-radius Start with the 2 cavity mold.  I use a Lyman 4500 lube sizer to size and apply lube.
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I use the Lee 452-228-1R as well in a 625, and several 1911s. Note that it is NOT hardball profile. I have to seat it to 1.245 inch OAL to allow feeding in my guns. I have also seen more than a few reports that it will not chamber at all in some guns with tight match barrels. No problem at all for me in a Colt National Match and a Kart EZ fit though.
ETA gratuitous casting porn... 
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Quoted: I use the Lee 452-228-1R as well in a 625, and several 1911s. Note that it is NOT hardball profile. I have to seat it to 1.245 inch OAL to allow feeding in my guns. I have also seen more than a few reports that it will not chamber at all in some guns with tight match barrels. No problem at all for me in a Colt National Match and a Kart EZ fit though. ETA gratuitous casting porn... http://home.comcast.net/~imashooter2/pictures/59lbs-s.jpg |
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Quoted: YES,,,,, Casting porn! Quoted: Quoted: I use the Lee 452-228-1R as well in a 625, and several 1911s. Note that it is NOT hardball profile. I have to seat it to 1.245 inch OAL to allow feeding in my guns. I have also seen more than a few reports that it will not chamber at all in some guns with tight match barrels. No problem at all for me in a Colt National Match and a Kart EZ fit though. ETA gratuitous casting porn... http://home.comcast.net/~imashooter2/pictures/59lbs-s.jpg Good point about seating length. I seat them to barely cover the lube grove. Don't remember the OAL off the top of my head. They feed fine in both of my 1911's and a Firestar that is picky. (won't feed SWC's) |
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