Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Cast bullets in autoloaders

I've been casting and shooting cast in all my revolvers and my 45acp for some time now. In fact I can't remember the last jacketed bullet I sent down a revolver barrel.

I've started shooting my HiPower more lately and have aquired a 10mm as well that needs to be fed. I'm going to start powder coating and have went so far as to make myself a push through sizer for both calibers to size powder coated bullets.

What molds do you guys use for your autos? Any good loads you're willing to share?

In that 45 and 10mm I have had good luck with the Lee TC 230 and 175/180 designs respectively. Get the 6-cavity gang moulds they are way better than Lee's 2 cavity stuff.

Mark in GA

I haven't cast any in a long time, but I have used an RCBS like this one:

http://www.rcbs.com/Products/Bullet-Casting/Bullet-Moulds/Pistol/Bullet-Mould-40-180-FN-558.aspx


No problems, pistol just requires a bit more cleaning.

For my .45acp, I prefer a 225 grain truncated cone flat tip. They perform like a wadcutter and cycle like ball.

I like the new generation of Lee molds, even the 2 cavities are nothing like the junk from just a couple years ago. I'm probably going to get a couple of the truncated tumble lube designs for the 9&10mms. I've had great luck running the T/L designs through a Luber like normal and have no leading problems.

Yup. I don't cast my own, but I shoot 230gr truncated cone flat tips out of a couple 1911's, and they feed/function perfectly. I shoot them over 4.6 gr of Titegroup. (Book minimum is 4.2 gr and max is 4.8 gr.) They hit like a truck. In fact, I've always wanted to send a batch of these to someone who would test them for penetration and expansion--based on what they do to pins, I think they'd make a fine self-defense load.

EDITED TO ADD: To the OP: you shoot 10mm so here's a link to some 10mm bullets from the company I buy from. Maybe they might be helpful in selecting your own mold. Good luck! http://www.pennbullets.com/10mm/10mm-caliber.html

For my .45 I use the RCBS 45-230CM cowboy bullet, big flat but feeds well and really smacks things. Shoots to the same poi as my carry load. Wouldn't hesitate to use a similar RCBS mold for your 10mm. Never could get the 9mm yo shoot cast, don't know why.

Finally got in a range session with my new nines and ran 200 of the lee 120 gr tc through the glock and LC9s pros. I'm a big fan of six cavity lee molds for production, and powder coated they seem gtg through the glock. Just need to get in antother casting session and run em through the 550.

Well the current trend with coated bullets is no lube groove at all, or NLG bullets, and most of the best suppliers to competitive shooters like Bayou Bullets have those designs available. The NLG bullets are more accurate.

The Lee tumble lube bullets need no sizing...they were designed that way, so just load them as they drop and that will save you a lot of time screwing around with a sizer. I don't size most of the bullets from Lee molds as they tend to be undersized anyway, depending on how the alloy you use shrinks. A 9mm is more touchy than larger cals for getting a bullet/load that shoots well, so for loading cast in 9mm bigger is better...I run them at 357.

WST or WSF or about a dozen other powders will work well with them. I used cases of 452AA for 45 and AA #5 for 10mm and 9mm. I like Bullseye and it's still a great powder choice, but 452AA was very clean burning. The WST/WSF combo will load up fine behind cast in all of them.

Years ago when I was shooting matches with my HPs, I used the Lee 125 RN out of the mold, but I needed better accuracy for the longer, smaller targets at 40-50 yards...(some of the range guys who ran those matches were sadists)... so I wised up and drove up to the factory and bought a truck load of Bear Creek 147 TC Moly Coated bullets that shot better than jacketed bullets and lots cleaner, and hit the steel harder. The recoil recovery is softer with the heavier bullets.

If I had to cast all those 9mm bullets my team and I shot I'd still be casting, so buying those saved me a bunch of time better spent shooting...which is the point.

I've always cast my own bullets for 50 years, but the problem is finding lead these days, and if I have to buy the damn lead at a buck a pound, if I need a bunch, it's not worth my time for what Bayou sells their bullets for in case lots. Bayou will custom size too, on request, and the right diameter is the most important factor in shooting cast accurately.

Consider a slower twist barrel. Factory barrels are 1:10", customs are 1:16". There likely won't be much difference in accuracy with jacketed bullets, but most Hi-Powers will benefit from the slower twist for lead.

Work done by Schuemann Barrels determined the optimum twist for a 1911 and lead bullets is 1:24" (factory 1:16").

The Lee 200 SWC out of their 6 cavity mold shoots great out of a 1911 and is a favorite. I also shoot the Lee 230 TC out of their 6 cavity mold in an M&P 45 with no complaints.

Lee truncated cone tumble lube moluds for me. I have then for my 1911, 45 Colt, 10/40, and 38. Powder coat and have fun.