45 colt, what dies for 454 cast size?

[IrishPsych]

I cast for my pistol calibers and plan to cast and load 45 colt for a lever and revelover. Many recommended casting and sizing to .454.

 

what die set will do that? I like hornady and they have a 454 Casull set but it lists at .452 diameter. 

 

Any info would be helpful. 

[Joe4d]

Id suggest slugging your barrels and throats.
My 45 colt revolver has .452 throats and .451 lands. Pretty sure must 45 Colt barrels made since WWII should have .451 groove diameter. Throats can be a different story.
Get some 454, and 452 and a jacketed 451,, drop just the bullets into the chamber.
the 451 Should fall through with none or only a hair of effort. The 452 should fall with just a bit of push,, the 454 much more effort.
 

[pbcaster45]

My Uberti 73 Winchester lever action had a big bore and a big chamber - it didn't shot too well with cast bullets sized .452.  At 30 yards it was all over the place - like 10 inch groups!  It didn't start shooting right until I started using an old RCBS Steel Sizer Die from the 80s that I'd never used.

 

Fired case dimensions at web: .482 - 484
After sizing in Carbide Die: .476 (not good!)
After sizing in Steel RCBS Die: .480 (better!)

Inside neck diameter with original expander: .448
With RCBS Cowboy Expander (.454): .450

Soft bullets sized .454-.455, a steel sizer die, a correct expander, along with a good crimp got my groups down to 2 inches (and that's a ten-shot group) .

 

 

Edited April 19, 2018 by pbcaster45

[USSR]

On Thursday, April 19, 2018 at 1:41 AM, pbcaster45 said:

Soft bullets sized .454-.455, a steel sizer die, a correct expander, along with a good crimp.. .

 

 

 

Good advice there.

 

Don