Reloading .45 ACP

I use the following two bullets bfor 45 ACP:

200 gr. Lee SWC tumble lube bullet (https://fsreloading.com/lee-6-cavity-tl452-200wc-90379.html)
200 gr. Lee SWC bullet (https://fsreloading.com/lee-6-cav-hg-68-200-swc-90310.html)

Both work equally well in my Kimber Stainless II and Ruger SR1911 and both are available in 6 cavity molds so you can crank out a lot of bullets in a hurry. I use straight wheelweights which I can usually get for free from local garages. I have never had a leading problem using Lee tumble lube (even on non-tumble lube design bullets). Dragon Bullet Lube (site sponsor) sells the equivalent to the Lee stuff very reasonably.

Primers - Winchester large rifle primers - $35/1000
Powder - Alliant Promo - you use this weight for weight the same as Alliant Red Dot. It duplicates Red Dot performance for less money. I am fortunate that I have a dealer locally (John Emmett) who sells it ridiculously cheap ($90/8 pounds). It's a flake powder so it doesn't meter quite as well as Bullseye or 231 but I have had no real problems with that.

I know it sounds light but I use 3.5 grains of Promo and have no problems with consistent ejection from either gun. Accuracy-wise from a PPC barricade rest at 25 yards this load groups in the 2 1/2"-3" range although I have a friend who is an excellent shot who does under 2" consistently.

So my cost is:

bullets - free
brass - probably averages under 1 cent each over the life of the case which people have pointed out is quite long
primer - 3.5 cents per round
powder - 56000 grains (8 pounds) divided by 3.5 = 16000 rounds for $103 (tax in) = .6 cents per round

So... 1 cent + 3.5 cents + .6 cents = 5.1 cents per round X 50 rounds = $2.55 per box of 50 (gee, even I didn't realize it was that cheap :D).

Of course you have to buy the casting equipment for the bullets but that is a declining cost as the more bullets you cast the lower the price per bullet is. I would guess that after you have cast 2000-3000 bullets you have easily paid for your casting equipment and if you maintain it well you can use it for years.

If you can get cheap or free casting metal it really drops the price. Even cheap commercially cast bullets at 6 cents each adds $3.00 per box of ammo. That's a lot cheaper than commercial ammo but still way more than casting your own.
 
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t-star said:
and you know this how?- mine comes from YEARS of experience-and practice- i was told to do this when i got my first 1911 back in 74
just like using a choreboy in the jag to remove leading, not a lead remover
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Unfortunatly The Breeze is correct. If you look at the inside of your barrel with a bore scope you will see that the lead indeed is still there, it is just harder to see. It is better to clean the barrel with a lead remover then to try and shoot it out. I learned this the hard way many years ago.

Graydog
 
hey, i NEVER said to try and shoot it out- what i did say is that it will ASSIST in cleaning , and you'll never convice me otherwise- you STILL need to run that choreboy down the barrel every so often to clean the lead out properly
 
I use the following two bullets bfor 45 ACP:

200 gr. Lee SWC tumble lube bullet (https://fsreloading.com/lee-6-cavity...0wc-90379.html)
200 gr. Lee SWC bullet (https://fsreloading.com/lee-6-cav-hg...swc-90310.html)
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Copied and pasted from the web site.........

Lee 6 Cav H&G 68 200 Swc
Lee6 cavity block produces a .452 diameter 200 grain Semi Wad Cutter nose bullet suitable for cartridges like 38 Special, .357 Mag, etc.

Interesting sales pitch.

TJ
 
I've been running norc .45 ammo in my 1911, it's a touch dirty but for 360$ for 1000rds I haven't had an issue with it. I know this is about reloading but it seems cost is a big part of it and for that price untill I'm really after serious accuracy that'll be the way I go. I do want to try some reloading down the road for my 22-250 and maybe the .45 if I start using it more.
 
dealwithit said:
I've been running norc .45 ammo in my 1911, it's a touch dirty but for 360$ for 1000rds I haven't had an issue with it. I know this is about reloading but it seems cost is a big part of it and for that price untill I'm really after serious accuracy that'll be the way I go. I do want to try some reloading down the road for my 22-250 and maybe the .45 if I start using it more.
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You haven't been reading this thread very closely, many are reloading for well under half the cost of your Norc ammo. We can shoot twice as much as you can for the same cost. If you are shooting thousands of rounds per year, ammo costs really add up and reloading is the only way to go.

It is always the guys who don't reload (yet) who think like this. Once you have made the plunge, you will see it from the other side and wonder what you were thinking before. ;)


Mark
 
My two personal favs are:

5.2 gr Red Dot over 200 gr lead SWC.
4.9 gr Bullseye over 200 gr lead SWC.

On "dirty" powders, I used to use W231 back in the day when it seemed to be the "go to" powder for reloading .45ACP but always found it extremely dirty. That's why I eventually settled on the above loads.

No idea of the current cost per 50 but still gotta be way cheaper than curent factory fodder.

:canadaFlag:
------------
NAA.
 
Right and not-so-right

The Breeze is correct. T-Star is not. Firing a jacketed round after lead does not clean or assist in cleaning the bore. The jacketed bullet jacket is harder than lead and just drives the lead deeper in the grooves. In most cases it leaves a very thin layer of the jacket over the lead.

As for the loads, I second Ted_Dent's regards about loading. PROMO is a very economical powder that is very energetic and suitable for most pistol reloads. Since the cost of bullets has now become the most expensive component of the reloaded cartridge, casting your own has immense benefits. In addition, if you are driving your cast bullets at less than 1000 FPS, say 950 for 9mm, 725 for 45acp and 700 for 38 special wad cutters, your bullets don't have to be that hard. Simple re-cycled range lead will suffice.
 
t-star said:
and you know this how?- mine comes from YEARS of experience-and practice- i was told to do this when i got my first 1911 back in 74
just like using a choreboy in the jag to remove leading, not a lead remover[/QUOTE

I have only put around 4000-maybe 4500 rds. through my 1911, and through the course of this,I have noticed that I have no more lead in my bore after 500 rds. than 50.Actually I cannot see any leading at all, just powder fouling.Weird? Normal?I dunno.But it works.And well.

And I thought that running jacketed rounds in between cast loads might actually cause leading by leaving copper (harder metal than lead) in the rifling.I think this COULD cause lead to be scraped off and deposited by the following cast bullets.

I have done some reading on this from various sources, Cast Boolits web site, Lyman Handbook, etc. and most seem to concede that bullet fit is king,bigger is generally better, followed by lube, alloy ( not such an issue at .45 speeds, pure lead/2% tin seems to work fine, or range scrap, or WW, you get the idea) when it comes to reducing/ eliminating leading.

I use SR 4756, but that's just because it's multipurpose for slug/buckshot loads., and it works well.Dirty though.
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mmattockx said:
You haven't been reading this thread very closely, many are reloading for well under half the cost of your Norc ammo. We can shoot twice as much as you can for the same cost. If you are shooting thousands of rounds per year, ammo costs really add up and reloading is the only way to go.

It is always the guys who don't reload (yet) who think like this. Once you have made the plunge, you will see it from the other side and wonder what you were thinking before. ;)


Mark
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I reload. However, when comparing pre-rolled ammo everyone conveniently forgets to include the cost of your time (despite the ads its not priceless) to reload. The factory stuff doesn't load itself.... :)

Reloading actually made more sense earlier in my engineering career when I was paid less than I am now...
 
lmar said:
Reloading actually made more sense earlier in my engineering career when I was paid less than I am now...
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Reloading is a hobby, just like shooting. I don't quantify the dollars I lost when I go to the range, and when I clean my guns. Neither do I quantify the value of my time when I cast bullets and reload.

As for me, I can choose to spend time with my family, ride my bike, fly my rc planes, play with my stereos, whatever. I don't put monetary value in those activities either.

My least favorite activity is working (for money), BTW. A bad day at the range or the flying field, is better than a good day at work.

But to each his own. Glad to hear you're paid enough to "not to have to" reload.
 
easyrider604 said:
But to each his own. Glad to hear you're paid enough to "not to have to" reload.
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I agree with your comments. That's why I still reload. Now that my two kids have been bitten by the shooting hobby -- factory ammo is out of the picture when you have 3 people throwing lead downrange. :)

L
 
easyrider604 said:
Reloading is a hobby, just like shooting. I don't quantify the dollars I lost when I go to the range, and when I clean my guns. Neither do I quantify the value of my time when I cast bullets and reload.

As for me, I can choose to spend time with my family, ride my bike, fly my rc planes, play with my stereos, whatever. I don't put monetary value in those activities either.

My least favorite activity is working (for money), BTW. A bad day at the range or the flying field, is better than a good day at work.

But to each his own. Glad to hear you're paid enough to "not to have to" reload.
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I couldn't have put it any better... its all part of the shooting enjoyment. I love puttering in the reloading room and doing my own gunsmithing. on a pissing rain day i love it more than shooting.
 
mmattockx said:
I am currently shooting cast 200gr SWC in my Norc 1911. Total cost is about $0.182/round for a cost of $9.10 for a box of 50. No GST added, as that is paid on commercial ammo as well.

The breakdown:

Bullet - $0.10 (200gr SWC from Ben Hunchak, landed at my local post office)
Primer - $0.038 (I think mine were cheaper, but $38/1000 is certainly easy to find now, CCI 300's)
Powder - $0.025 (4.5gr of Red Dot, I guessed at a current price of $38/lb)
Brass - $0.02 ($100/1000 pieces of range brass off the EE, 5 uses on average as a guess)


Mark
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You pay $38 a pound for red dot???
 
lmar said:
I agree with your comments. That's why I still reload. Now that my two kids have been bitten by the shooting hobby -- factory ammo is out of the picture when you have 3 people throwing lead downrange. :) L
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That is a happy problem:D

My daughter actually likes to shoot and I invite her and my son-in-law to the range whenever they can. The little grandson, on the other hand already knows which rifles are his (CZ631 .177 Air Rifle and Savage MKIGY.22lr) with pictures to prove it :) and can't wait to shoot them, it'll be a couple more yrs though.
 
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