[Joshua M. Smith]

Hello,

I bought a new mold for my .45acp and I was able to get some casting done today.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b191/WabashShootist/Guns/reloading/874271fa.jpg

I figure on driving this anywhere from 850 to 900fps and using it as a woods load.

However...

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b191/WabashShootist/Guns/reloading/ace9d6e0.jpg

Though it's supposed to be a 230gn bullet, it these bullets, cast from wheel weights and reclaimed lead from my range, weigh in at anywhere from ~235gn to ~240gn, but average out at ~238gn.

My preferred powder of the moment is Accurate Arms #2. It drives 230gn LRN very nicely with a charge of 5.6gn.

The seated depth of these loads will be the same as the LRN: The bullet will be seated about .31" into the case.

These are all hard bullets (why, I'm not sure; just wheel weight stuff) and it takes a bit more of a charge to keep the leading out.

If I use my Lee auto disk thrower, I have a choice of 5.0 or 5.6gn. I will go to the 5.0gn loading, but only if I have to because of the leading issue and the fact that I'm attempting to duplicate a Jeff Cooper load as closely as possible using cast boolits.

So, in your opinion, would a 240gn bullet over 5.6gn AA#2 fired by a Winchester LPP be a dangerous load? I do not think so. I think it would be warmish, but not dangerous.

I'm still consulting my Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, but it has no Accurate Arms information in it.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Thank you,

Josh

[nicholst55]

The weight specified with a bullet mold is only an educated guess what the finished bullets will weigh. This is why savvy caster/reloaders adjust their powder charges to a specific 'batch' of cast bullets.

I've been casting bullets since 1976, and I've never had a bullet weigh exactly what the nominal weight for that specific mold is.

Lyman bases their projected bullet weights on their #2 alloy; order some from Roto-metals and cast a few (hundred), then see if they weight exactly what Lyman suggests they should. They won't. I have no idea what alloy Lee bases their guesstimates on.

http://www.accuratepowder.com/reloading.htm

[Walkalong]

No.2 230 LC RN 5.0 766 5.6 870 17,200 1.230
Copied from AA's 3.3PDF online data. Looks like you are starting at the max load.

[rcmodel]

The softer the alloy is, the more the bullets will weigh.

As for seating depth?
I doubt you can load that Lee bullet design to the same OAL as a LRN.
The TC shape will hit the rifling leade sooner then a RN and the won't chamber, and/or pressure will go up.

Suggest you take the barrel out of your gun to use as a guage, and determine the seating depth by what will drop freely into the chamber without the bullet hitting the rifling first.

rc