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Posted: 1/22/2015 6:03:03 AM EDT
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I want to cast some .45 bullets for use in my Judge. Can anyone tell me the right bullet mold to use for the correct grain bullet.
Thanks for your time. |
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Most of the outfits making molds will give you the weight of the bullet . Results will vary slightly depending on the actual alloy used but that variance would be a couple of percent of the total at most
Usual weights for 45 Colt are 210-250gr. You might see some sources as low as 175 and something above 250 but my feeling is these extremes have been tried but the old school weights work just fine and you will also find more loading data for them. My advise would be to buy some commercial cast bullets and play around with them . Work on a load/loads that gets you results that you desire be it hunting, self defence , target or general plinking . After you find the bullet you want then go out and find a mold that will cast it. Lots of guys have bought all the gear for casting (I did 30 years ago  ) but only a few keep up with it . I shoot cast bullets in most of my guns but came to the point years ago where I don't hardly have the time to load and shoot , casting my own would take time from my shooting .
Reloading and shooting cast is the big savings over factory ammo , casting your own will save a bit more but at the cost of lots of time. I keep all my casting gear just in case but except for a couple runs of fishing sinkers I have not melted lead in 20 years |
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Purchase:
this or this Depending on if you want an SWC or RN mold. These are about as "normal" of designs as you can get for the .45 Colt family, and they are in a very common weight as well, so it is likely that with normal velocities they will be regulated near the sights on most guns. You also will need this Mix it with liquid Johnson's Paste Wax as per here I can't promise results, and there is certainly more finesse to it, but that's as cheap and as close to plug and play as you're going to get with the .45 Colt. I don't think you need to go hog-wild and measure and ream cylinder throats and whatnot if you're just starting out, just try your hand at casting and see what results you get. I have not reloaded for a judge and don't know what sort of accuracy you can expect or if they even shoot lead well (I can't imagine why they wouldn't, .45LC is generally a great cast cartridge) When loading lead make sure to bell your case a tiny bit more than usual- you don't want to shave any lead- and make sure you remove the bell. You don't really NEED a deathgrip crimp, but that's up to you. Some powders perform better with heavier crimps than others, but for light-middle power .45 Colt it shouldn't matter. I highly recommend trail boss, unique, or light loads of 2400. Try using plain clip on wheel weights if you can find them, and drop them onto a towel. The .45 Colt does not need very hard bullets and you can get by with softer yet, but that will be easy to do and you will experience as little leading as possible. |
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Slug your barrel with soft lead. Try a lead egg sinker that is just oversized and push it through with the help of a wooden dowel and a mallet. Once the slug exits the barrel then you use a micrometer to measure. Use this number to buy your casting mold and sizer.
Look at the different molds to see which one it the one you want according to size, shape, and weight of the cast projectile. Do you want to use a gas check? Make sure you have a mold that has the gas check groove cut into the base. |
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