cayugad

Yesterday was just unbearably hot so I figured what better way to suffer for my sport then to cast some bullets. So I got out the smelter and all the gear and casted up a couple hundred bullets.

They are out of a Lee Mold and produce a .457 405 grain projectile. I think they use these in a 45/70 government cartridge. I wanted to use them in my .451 White M97. After they cooled I ran them into a Castor oil lube and then sized them to .451 and set them to the side. They ended up weighing 420 grains as the mold I believe figures them with a mix in the tin. I cast with pure lead.

Today, I really had an itch to shoot them, so I broke out some of them and some .452 diameter 450 grain bullets I had bought from Black Jack Hill. I then grabbed some Triple Se7en 3f and some Pyrodex P. Also a bag of unlubed felt wads in .510 diameter.

I knew I had to hurry as it looked like it was going to storm here. In fact I almost talked myself out of shooting, but not being strong on common sense I went out anyway.

The rifle is sighted in at 100 yards. My first shot surprised me it hit so high. So I really took aim dead center of the bull and shot group #2. I was shooting 70 grains of Triple Se7en 3f and one unlubed wad. Group #2 was with the Black Jack Hill 450 grains. They loaded very hard. So I decided to stop using them and would later send them through the sizer.

#3 was with my home casted 420 grain and 70 grains of Triple Se7en 3f and a wad. They shot lower then the heavy ones before which again surprised me. And then... RAIN!! Oh boy, no bugs. Nut my bullets loaded like a dream and did not shake off the load. My only concern was maybe they were too small for anything other then squirrels... Just kidding of course.

So for the rest of the group, in the rain, I loaded as fast as I could load and shoot. I also lowered my POA so they would hit the Birchwood Casey Shoot and See target and I did not have to check it. I shot as fast as I could, trying both powders. I have no idea how many more shots I laid into that bulls eye, but am kind of happy with my home casted bullets.

Aiming just to the right of and on top of that little yellow spot in the lower part of the bull produced that large hole in the top of the bull. Aiming just under that spot of course did the rest of the damage...

Over all it was nice to shoot in the rain, but I began to worry about the integrity of my powder jugs and also was getting very wet, so I decided to stop for the day....

Semisane

Excellent shooting there Cayugad. Those home cast Lees are the way to go with any gun you can get them to shoot in. I have that mold also. Got it for my 45-70 and have only cast wheel weight bullets for plinking. Guess I'll have to pull out the pot and ladle and cast up some in pure lead to try in the .45 GM LRH barrel. If I can get groups like that I would be one happy camper.

I believe the heavier bullets shoot higher with the same chargebecause they generate just a little more recoil that kicks the barrel up a little more before the bullet leaves the bore.

Underclocked

I git no respect here. Guud shootun Dave.

Those bullets will shoot real guud and you can pump up the volume if you wanna


The 340 grain version of that mold will flat shoot in the 1:28 to 1:30 twist .45s if you want a varmint round.

cayugad

That was the post I had seen earlier Underclocked that made me remember I had that mold and a sizer.. Yes, they are shooters. I will try pumping the volume a little in the powder, just to see what they do.

I noticed you were not using a wad.. I will have to try all of that too. I just had an urge to shoot today.

Johnmorris

Dave do you have to run them through two differnt sizers to get them to 451. I cant get mine to go throught the 452 from 457.

frontier gander

Great shooting. I'll have my hands full next week.

What are you going to buy next?

cayugad

John.. they go right through the sizer with pressure. I just clamp the sizer and I have a press for it, and send them through into the catch basin.

FG.. nothing. I am playing for a while now with all the stock I have.

Johnmorris

In mine the lead smears and causes the gas rings to go away do you use a rock chucker press. I have a lee 452 sizer die I have heard some people go 454 than 452.

cayugad

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/product_images/006-90045.jpg


That is the press I use. I just screw the .451 seizing die in the top and then run them through. It seems to work just fine. I did notice that some of the rings on the bullet were worn back, but the bullet still took lube and worked well...

Underclocked

Those used in that top group I posted were sized by knocking the as-cast through a Lee .451 sizer with a hammer (and a dowel in case one blow didn't put them all the way through). An dat'z a fact.