Fuelie777

I shoot this same bullet. I use 4.0 to 4.2 grains of clays with an OAL of 1.190. Feeds in everything reliabily and I prefer the snappier action in my single stack. The taper crimp is just above the crimp groove with a crimp diameter of .470 to .471 inches, measured with a micrometer. Hopes this helps.

If the Lee FCD works for you and your firearem great. I had terrible accuracy problems with Precision bullets and the Lee FCD and with lead bullets. It will re size the bullet. If the bore of the gun is slightly smaller than you may ok. My friend and myself performed an experiement. We used the standand FCD and he had contaced Lee and had one sized .001" greater in diameter. The standard FCD demonstrated inconsistant accuacy. The Modified one worked fine. Hence, I only use the FCD for jacketed bullets. Standard taper crimp die (Redding) for lead and moly coated. Your tests may illustrate differently.

I shoot 230 lead round nose. OAL is 1.230. Powder is 3.8 to 3.9 of clays. Primer is Winchester. I actually measure the crimp when I set up the press with a micrometer. For lead, I work the crimp to .470 to .4705. The final crimp really depends on the overall length of the brass. It does vary if you do not trim (and who trims .45 brass? not me). I also check the crimp diameter in a few places right at the very edge. It typcially will vary up to .0005". Remember I am using a micrometer. With that said, I found out that .472 had a slight inconistant feeding with lead bullets. I also found out that I loss accuracacy with a tighter crimp of .467 to .468". Every barrel is different and the person's ability to accurately measure may make a difference.

There could many reasons. The brass may have soft/hard spots causing the FMJ bullet to not be centered. Happened to me many times. The FCD will solve that problem and all rounds fit the cartridge gage. Many shooters/reloaders on this forum uses the FCD on FMJ bullets to make sure that they get the best in feed reliabilty. It does work, and well. The issue with lead that it will size down the bullet with a smaller diameter causing accuracy issues, but not all the time. It does come and go, depending upon the bullet, the diameter, the brass, etc. I have shot lead bullets with great accuracy and have seen it then start spreading out, then going back to being accurate. Again, with lead bullets, it will depend upon the diameter of the sizing ring in the crimp die. You can order one from Lee with aonther thousands in diameter for use with lead bullets. Again, a friend did that it worked well. Regards.

I would like to thank you guys for the insight. I read through the identified material (three times) with the other inputs and started to focus on the front sight only, no matter what in a practice session recently, including feeling when the trigger broke the shot. Had to really slow down to work on this, but I quickly identified a significant improvement in the accuracy, especially with the 2nd shot. About ready to go work on this again. The real test is when I go to local match, and work real hard on this approach. Thanks again.

I would suggest to only use the Lee Factory Crimp Die on full metal jacket bullets. My direct experience is that when using the FCD, I would get greater varability using lead or moly coated bullets and increased leading. FMJ none. The FCD is set up for .451 diameter bullets, not .452 as in lead and most Moly. The reason I know this is a shooting budding bought a FCD directly from Lee and they increased the ID by .001 to allow use with lead bullets and allow a taper crimp. Lee indicated this is the sizing diameter used for 45 colt ammunication as the 45 ACP die is really set up for FMJ bullets. If I was using FMJ bullets, I would not hesitate to use the Lee FCD for 45 ACP. I also know that some other shooting buddy has no problem. I would experiment and if it works for you than you good to go. If not, use a standard taper crimp die.

I am looking for a recommendation on a training techique or two that I can use to help drive me away from focusing on the target after the 1st shot. Usually I call the shot easily on the 1st round, no matter the target type, but, the issue I have been running into, is I tend to shoot to many C's and D's on the second shot on paper targets. In the last match there was following steel array, as usual 1st two or three go down as planned and then the miss. One of the local GM's noticed that and pointed it out to me. Shooting the Texas Star, I know your are to shoot it, but I start to miss because I lose focus on the front site and focus on the target. I am looking for suggestions on how to train or what to train with to reduce this error in shooting skill. Thanks alot.

Blackhawk Serpa 2 works great and fits both 1911's with and without the rail. Got the Serpa 2 for 2 & three gun matches so the gun won't pop out when moving (fast I hope)

I only shoot lead. 3.9 grains of Clays with 230 grain RN or 4.2 grains of Clays with 200 Grain Semi Wadcutter. The 200 Grain Semi Wadcutte is my bullet of choice, easy to score and with my eyes, great. Then the smoke from the lube is nogthing to consider, unless you are shooting 560 yard 6 inch targets. Lead is fine. It was all they shot in the older days, so we should now.

Ordered 10k of Winchester LP Primers and 8 pounds of Clays last week of April, 2009. Just notified of shipping. Should see them next week. Now if they arrive, at least I can start shooting some of the local club matches again.