45 cal for revolver and rifle ?

[RBHarter]

I have several standards that work well but I think I would like to pare it down to a single "shoot em' up" bullet and a keep the standards for business.
Why , well my 454424 is a single cavity at 257 gr ,452 255 RF is a 6C at 265 gr, 45-200 SWC is a 2C . There is also a paper patchable 430426 at .448 and 257 gr .
I guess the 45-200 would do the job . Maybe a gang mould is in order.

The tools .
In ACP a carbine and a revolver .
In Colts ,Schofield, Cowboy there are 2 rifles ,a carbine and a single action revolver .

What I would love to have is a 454426 which would be great in all but the ACP carbine, but no gang moulds and the current Lyman roulette make me pass . A 220-230 like the HG68 or 45-200 with it all added to the nose would be ok and probably work well in the ACP carbine. An RNFP would be good if it had a big flat like the 358-158 RNFP Lee.

Maybe I'm working too hard for a do it all bullet. Maybe I'm just being lazy and wanting to cast only one bullet for 6 shooters .

The business end of this is farm duty and hunting so the 454424 will remain on the menu ,I don't like to shoot the 255-265 in the ACP revolver even long seated it's ......assertive. Probably they wouldn't be good in the carbine ,seated at standard ACP lengths .

I guess my really real delima is to find a suggestion for a business bullet for an ACP suitable for finish work on hogs and plinking in the Colts.
Yep I think a 230 gr SWC wide nose is what I'm after .

So what is your preferred 45 GAP/ ACP/Cowboy/Schofield/Colts bullet ?

 

[Brad]

What about the Lee 230 TC? Granted it lacks a crimp groove but you might be able to taper crimp the 45 Colt too? Set the roll crimp to lightly force the case mouth into the bullet.

Other than that I don't see a single bullet working for all. Maybe an HG 68 for 45 ACP stuff and a 454424 for the others.

 

[Ian]

One can really get wrapped around the axle on this one.

Generally, I stick with 250-260-grain bullets for .45 Colt (standard-pressure loads) and 230-grain for the ACP. This is due to function and shooting to the sights more than any other reason. I'm liking the 230TC by Lee for ACP, the tumble lube version provides a perfect place to tuck the case mouth when taper-crimping at 1.215", and will chamber in all but the tightest "no throat" autos. For .45 Colt, a 255-grain RFN of whatever flavor you prefer is very difficult to beat. Accurate Molds has a variety of them already cataloged to suit every need.

The Lee 45-255 RF is a very good shooting bullet with one major drawback: The crimp groove is in the wrong place. I have gotten stellar accuracy from mine in revolvers by crimping in the top lube groove, but while it will work in SAA revolvers, it's generally too long that way to function in repeating rifles. The Lyman Cowboy bullet (452664) is just about perfect, save for the bevel base.

I'm not a fan of SWC designs in general, and they are decidedly "out" for any choice of hunting load.

Given what you have, I'd do some serious work with the Lee 255 RF and see if you can make all the .45 Colts happy with it. 8 grains of Unique is a very reliable performer for me, and works well in the carbines, too. For the .45 ACP, a 200 SWC is a great choice for target work, and I wouldn't want to stand in front of one even though I feel there are far better choices for critters.

 

[fiver]

42-225 rnfp.
magma makes it.
has a crimp groove.
a decent lube groove.
a good flat.
fits and feeds in all of my 1911's.
the 625 likes it.
it shoots well in the 45 colt lever guns.
the usfa's like it

that's all I got.

 

[RBHarter]

I guess I'm off to seek out a 230 .

The ACP revolver is a 1917 S&W some of may have seen it seems to be working with several bullets at 5.5 Unique with point of hold adjusted at 25yd from pumpkin on a post to 12:00 covered . It's the carbine that presents a problem being magazine fed and the heavies . All of the Colts are happy with the assorted 255-265 gr with charges from 8.0-9.5 of Unique, 1 is at its apex with the 454424 and 18.5 H110. I don't care for that load in the BlackHawk but it is ok in the 16" 92' carbine .

The other fly is that the Smith needs .452 if anything is above the case mouth and the BlackHawk let's those fall through. The others are quite happy at .454 and as cast.

I had a 452 252 but above 8.0 Unique in the carbine it would tumble, odd only because it shot so well at 9.5 in the BlackHawk.

The 255 RNFP shoots well with all the loads above in the rifles and carbine as well as the revolvers but the long seating in the top groove definitely won't work in the high point mags .

 

[fiver]

lyman used to make a 230gr swc for the 45AR case that would probably make that smith happy.
it was like a shrunk down 454424.
I have been keeping my eyes open for one for some time now.
but that 225 rnfp does well in the 624 in those rimmed cases it's like having a 45 short colt except I ignore the crimp groove and seat it just like I do in the acp cases.
I could get all fancy and trim the cases back but ehh [shrug] 500 pieces of brass is a lot of work and I have a solution that works just fine, plus I don't have to change my acp die settings to use it.

 

[Freischütz]

452423 is always hard to beat.

 

[RBHarter]

I think with a minor change the 454424 is going to work .
Both a 454424 and 423 are on my wish list when they come up again at NOE .