Bullets to try in ROA

[ottsm]

Finally got my mold from Accuratemolds for my ROA.

The right one is about 160 grns
The Middle is about 180 grns
The far left is my old Rapine mold and is a hollow base and is 165 grns. This can be tricky to cast.

All these molds have the ridge so the bullet is aligned before ramming it in.

Just something different to try at the target range and not waste the lead.

Still breaking in the mold so I have a few imperfections to work out, this was my first brass mold. A little heavy holding after awhile but the weight of the bullets seem less effected by temperature variations. It's temping to add a little tin to help with casting.

 

[BowerR64]

Wow those look cool, when are you going to test them?

How much was the mold? Ide like to try some conicals but im not sure wich are good ones to try.

Post your results when you shoot them.

 

[ottsm]

It's a little expensive, about $100, however you can have two different molds in the same block. I'm doing it because it's a hobby and I enjoy the challenge. It's going to be awhile before I can test them, kids have several events for the next few weekends. I'll try and remember to post the results. I have the Lee mold also, I believe it's a 220 grn it's not bad either.

 

[BullSlinger]

Wish I could buy some ready made. Would like to shoot some conicals but have no interest in making them.

 

[rodwha]

I have tried many different conicals/bullets in mine, and Accurate's 180 grn FN is one of them.

I recently bought a Lee 120v pot, ladle, and RB molds. I've been looking around at bullet molds for my ROA as that's the main reason I decided to get into casting. I know of 2 fellows who cast and sell at a very reasonable price (nearly 1/2 of retail), but finding the type and weight of bullet I want for my pistol is quite hard, and the one I'm most enamored with costs $50/100 + shipping, which is just too much since I shoot the heck out of 'em at the range.

Kaido sells the molds for his bullets (now 2 cavity for something like $65 from Lee), and his design is exactly what I want. But he's been on backorder with delivery dates constantly pushed back.

Accurate's FN design doesn't give the meplat I want, and the heaviest cap n ball bullet is 220 grns, which isn't necessarily bad as I've been considering weights as low as 225 grns and as much as 260 grns.

But I've also considered a very light bullet of 150-165 grns. Someone measured the length of a light bullet and it was actually a hair shorter than a .457" RB due to the FN design, but having more bearing surface created more pressure and similar velocity.

I'm on Kaido's list for a 255 grn bullet mold, but have been considering a dual 4 cavity mold from Accurate in aluminum. But then it makes my .457" RB mold obsolete. And the cost of a 2 cavity aluminum Accurate mold is 1.5 times the cost of Kaido's.

I really like Big Lube's idea of bullet that has 2 different sized bands so that it can also be used in a repro, but don't care for huge lube groove. The meplat isn't quite as large as I'd like, but it's good enough.

So I've tried a 180 grn Accurate FN, 190 grn RN conical, a 195 grn SWC, 200 grn SWC, 200 grn Lee conical that dropped into my chambers (had to try), 230 grn FN 45-70 bullet that wasn't resized to work (had to insert backwards like a WC), and Kaido's 240 grn FN. I still have a few of his 255 grn FN I haven't tried yet. All but the Lee conical has grouped nearly as well as RB's, though I'm not a great pistol shot. My groups tend to be 3-4" at 15 yds offhand.

 

[Patocazador]

I'm currently testing a ~.452 200 gr. REAL bullet cast from a cheap $19.95 Lee mold. It shoots pretty good in my T/C Patriot but haven't tested it in the ROA yet.

I shot a deer last year with the Lee .452 255 gr. RNFP. It went less than 50 yards with a double lung hit.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

I shoot a 190 grain wad cutter bullet that comes out of the mold at 456 and fits perfectly. It isn't nearly as big as those and takes up much less powder room. They do have a chamfer on the base, but I load them upside down so they come out like wad cutters. It is an old Ideal mold for a target bullet intended for the 455 Webly

 

[whughett]

I shoot a 190 grain wad cutter bullet that comes out of the mold at 456 and fits perfectly. It isn't nearly as big as those and takes up much less powder room. They do have a chamfer on the base, but I load them upside down so they come out like wad cutters. It is an old Ideal mold for a target bullet intended for the 455 Webly

This is interesting. A thread has been going over in handloading about 45Cal WC's for a 45LC. Member is wondering about 45 cal wad cutters that he wants to use in his 45LC.
But can't find a mold. I suggested loading another bullet style up side down. I shoot a 200 grain semi wad cutter in my Gold Cup and thought I'd try loading some upside down in my model S&W model 25, 45LC. Don't have any cast so I've been waiting untill my next casting session to throw some and give it a try.

How is the performance of your loads with BP in your C&B, with that bullet loaded upside down. I do know I can't get a 200 grain SWC to fit under the ram, on gun, with either my Walker or 1860 army ,have not tried the ROA, right side up so have not tried them as I don't want to load off gun. The bullets drop out of the Lee six cavity mold around 453. or so. When I cast I throw 500 bullets or more and being able to use the same bullet in center fire and BP would be great.

 

[robert garner]

I would really like to hear about the 160 and 180 grn velocity and accuracy wise. So far I am happy with the round ball, but gotta know.
robert

 

[BowerR64]

I went to the local range saturday and a guy was shooting a Rossi carbine 44 mag revolver.

After he shot a round he put it down and said "i didnt like the sound of that one" and when he sat it down there was brass hanging out the end of the barrel. Another guy asked why brass was sticking out the end of his barrel and he showed us these. lol

This guy is shooting brass!

Making his own wad cutter.

The one he had a problem with shot the primer out the end and it didnt fully leave the barrel.

 

[Patocazador]

I'll stick to lead wadcutters.

 

[rodwha]

No kidding!!! That's crazy!!!

Are those cases filled with something?

 

[BowerR64]

Yeah at first i thought he was trying to save a little money but then i thought this wont work because it will blow the primer out but then he said thats why he fills them with lead.

I dont get it myself, the brass ide think would be hard on his barrel.

I showed the guys running the range and some one said they new a guy who loaded 22LR brass on 223

 

[robhof]

robhof

In the reloading forums, there's a long section on using 22 brass to make 223 jacketed bullets and another section on using brass cases as half jacketed bullets for slightly larger caliber pistol rounds, all these are for modern guns and not B/p guns as they are made of softer steel and won't tolerate extensive jacketed shooting. The 22's are run through an extruder and shaper and actually end up looking quite like factory rounds except for the lighter color.

 

[BowerR64]

Yeah i know its for modern guns but they were talking about wad cutters and i just had to show some one these whacky things.

Never seen anything like it before.

I do remember my dad shooting parachutes from a reloaded shotgun shell in the back yard when i was a kid thought but nothing like this.

 

[Patocazador]

I believe Vernon Speer started doing just that (using .22 rimfire cases as jackets) when he introduced his varmint bullets. It could just as easily been any of the other pioneer bullet makers, John Nosler or Joyce Hornady but Speer thought it up first.