Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Bullet mold for 45 Colt

Just received a Ruger Stainless Flattop 45 Convertible, thank you son in law. Both cylinders have been shipped to Doug Guy to open up the throats. Starting out I'll run the Lee 45-230TC bullet, but want to get something in the 250-270 grain area for the Colt case. Not intending to run Ruger only type loads with this smaller frame size, but thinking 900-1000 fps should be doable. Looking around the web it seems like everyone has different favorites. I'm not worried about sharp corners to make nice holes in paper, so swc or round flat? I lean to 5-6 cavity aluminum molds for most of my casting and would like to go that route here. I have molds from Lee, Accurate, and NOE for my other guns, kind of leaning that way on this one.
What bullets do you and your gun like?

I just received this mold after several folks recommended it on the Single Action Forum:

https://www.mp-molds.com/product/mp-45-270-saa-hp-4cav/

It casts a copy of the RCBS 45-270 SAA that drops .454 and 288grs from 16-1 alloy out of my mold.

I ordered it on a Tues and it was at my house the next Mon. I was a little nervous ordering it as it comes from Serbia but was really impressed with the communication and service. I would order another mold from them.

Gives you the option of casting a solid and three different HPs with a simple change of the pins. I believe Lee handles will fit but I ordered a set of theirs.

Very good quality and price.

Ole 270 don't be bashfull about using the 452374? Lyman 230 ball mould for the 45 acp in the 45 Colt. Shoot pretty nice in my 45 Colt 4 5/8" Ruger Blawkhawk. I had them all cast for my auto and thought wtf might as well try them. was pleasantly surprised at how well they shot 800+ fps.

That's where the 230TC came from, cast for my 1911 along with the 200 RF and 200 swc #68. I've got around 2000 of them on deck with more than that of the 200swc. Thinking I'll try the 255RF to see how much I recoil i can handle and going with the 270SAA later if it looks good. Haven't shot it with the colt case yet, waiting on brass to show up.

While I lean heavily toward the WFN type bullet molds, I have to say the RCBS 45-270 SAA is an absolutely outstanding bullet, and probably the best "Keith" type bullet of them all. I sold or gave away a lot of bullet molds, but that's one that's a forever keeper.

For sure get the Miha mold with the different pins, using the Penta HP you end up with about a 258 gr HP, depending on alloy & it's a great bullet. Run it with around 8-9 grs of Unique for plinking, etc. Switch pins if you want a different HP or solid, you won't be disappointed.

Dick

I've never played the hollow point game before, at .45 cal and 1000 fps is the hp really doing much good?

In 38, 44 and 45, I have always found the RNFP to be more accurate than a SWC. I am sure others have found different, but its always worked that way for me.

Ole, guess it depends on what you expect 1000 fps to do for you & what you're using it on. Over the last 6-7 years I've started to use quite a few cast HP's on deer & antelope & they have surprised me. I've gotten great expansion & penetration in that velocity range & I've only recovered maybe 2 bullets out of about 12-13 deer & antelope taken in Utah, Idaho & Montana. This was with the 41, 44 & 45 caliber revolvers in the 1000-1100 fps range.

Dick

What alloy are you using approximately? I've got quite a bit mixed up at 1% Tin, 2% Antimony, just under wheel weight with tin added. Quite a bit of Range lead on hand too.
Edit to ask what load you are using at that velocity in the 45? With the Flattop 4 5/8" I know I can't go crazy, but 1050-1100 ought to be easy enough to reach.

I've had good accuracy from both types but the Lee 454-255-RF has suited me better than any 45 Colt bullet in the 850-1050 fps range. I believe it is available in a 300 grain version if guy wanted something heavier.

If you would like a nice round hole and very good accuracy try:

http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=45-270V-D.png

I have the .41 versions of this mold in 215 and 250 grains and my friend has the 240 grain .44 version..

I've run the .41s from 950 to 1300 fps and it cuts nice round holes out at 100 yards showing no bullet yaw...

MP molds that Dick speaks of are works of art...and one mold will make 2-4 styles of noses... Definitely my favorite mold maker...

Bob

Sarge, just got that 255rf mold today for experimenting before going to the more expensive types. Cast about 600 this afternoon, PC'd and sized some, lubed and size some others. We'll see if there is a preference. With a .320 or so meplat it looks like it should hit hard. Brass is supposed to be here Monday so I can get some loaded before the cylinders get back from Doug.

270,

I've got an old acquaintance from pre-Mugabe South Africa who will attest that Lee 255 bullet flat 'puts the slap' on a warthog. I can recommend it as an instant killer on groundhogs and similar size pests when applied longways from either end. FWIW, sized 454 it shoots great whether from an old Astra 45 Colt, an EAA Bounty Hunter, a S&W 1937 Brazil or 3-4 Rugers of various vintage.

Ed Heathwaite of Maplewood Bullets offers an excellent version of this bullet for those who do not cast.

http://www.thesixgunjournal.net/maplewood-bullets-lee-452-255-rf-for-the-45-colt/

For best results with cast bullets it's a good idea to slug the barrel...then you know what diameter to size your bullets and how much to open the throats of the cylinders and the forcing cone. The throats and forcing cone should be a slip fit to a bullet .002 over bore.

Every 45 Colt Ruger I worked on had several cylinders that were undersize. One or two might be a tight 452 but the others were 449-450...not exactly precision work or even ideal for jacketed bullets...I wonder if Ruger has a fixture that bores all 6 cylinders at once and they are not all the same.

At least if that part gets uniformed there's a chance it will shoot ok.

The bore has been slugged at .4508 with a bit of thread choke. The cylinders are in shipment back from DougGuy after being honed and the ACP cyl having the chambers cleaned up. The chambers were really rough toward the headspace shoulder. Heavily ringed. He said since it worked with factory ball ammo he doubted Ruger would warranty it. Chamber reamer cleaned most of it out. I'm looking forward to getting this project in gear.

Ole, I usually use an alloy of about 70/30 Wheel weights & lead or 60-40, depending on how fast I drive them. I always powder coat the last 6-7 years & I never have a leading problem. In the mid frame guns I wouldn't use the 300 gr bullets myself but do as you please, I just save them for the full size Rugers.
At the speeds you mention a good 250-260 gr HP or solid is doing the work for you, you don't need high velocity & recoil, especially for deer & hogs. Find your comfort zone & you'll find you do much better than the guy shooting high velocity & fighting heavy recoil. Just my opinion but comfort is confidence & confidence is accuracy!

Dick

According to the alloy spreadsheet I use your 70/30 mix will be just about 2.1% Sb, same as what I mixed. Of course, wheel weights vary quite a bit. I added tin to bring it close to 1% in mine.

270 SAA hands down. Have the RCBS mold A delight.

My experience with two .45 Blackhawks, one of which had the throats opened and evened by Doug Guy, has been that the diameter is more important than the style. I've had good accuracy in the velocity range you describe with both RNFP and SWC bullets as long as they were .454 diameter. My usual bullet is a Lyman 454190 (the classic 250-255 gr. .45 Colt bullet) cast of wheel weight metal, unsized, and lubed with Lee Liquid Alox. The same bullet sized .453-454 with grease lube works as well.

I also like to use .45 ACP loads with .453-.454 bullets unsized with LLA lube. I use a Lee 200 gr. SWC, but any similar bullet should work well. Ammo loaded with that bullet does well in a .45 semiauto as well.