lgbmike Posted February 9, 2003 Share Posted February 9, 2003 I am going to begin reloading .45 for IPSC and IDPA very soon. Want to load major with 200gr LSWC with TG, Clays, or VV. I have narrowed down my selection to a Dillon 550 along with all the misc. stuff. Would like a recomendation on the best set of dies to use. Also an opinion on shooting the lead bullets. I read that they tend to produce a lot of smoke. Could you elaborate on this and how to get around this. How about prefered brands of bullets and some primo loads for LSWC. Thank you all so very much. I have picked up a tremendous amount of info from your forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmccrock Posted February 9, 2003 Share Posted February 9, 2003 Lead bullets use a lubricant, which is what makes the smoke. It also makes for dirtier guns and dirtier hands. To avoid this, I avoid lead bullets, and use copper plated, West Coast brand. Lead is cheaper; not a factor for me, but an issue for those who shoot much more than I do these days. Some people use different brands of lead bullets which use less-smoky lubes; I am sure others will chime in. Neither of my 1911-style guns shoot SWC very reliably, so I avoid SWC altogether. It is possible to get work done on the guns so that they feed SWC reliably, but I have never had it done. Round nose are ok for me shooting paper and steel. I hear pin shooters may prefer SWC to RN. I use Dillon dies with my Dillon press. When I bought the press, the only die set I had was 30 carbine (RCBS), so I just ordered the dies from Dillon at the same time as the press (.45, .38 spec, 9mm). My powder choice is Win 231 so I will defer to others who use your powders. Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scooterj Posted February 9, 2003 Share Posted February 9, 2003 I would recomend 230 rn bullets. SWC's tend to be a little harder to get to feed consistantly. With the extra weight, you don't have to push them as hard (less flip-more straight back push). You will also get more or less smoke depending on the lube that is used. I was using GAT Bullets' 230 gr rn with WST and had very little smoke. BTW...GAT Bullets are what Jerry Miculek used to set all his World Speed Records (Edited by scooterj at 6:06 pm on Feb. 9, 2003) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rufus The Bum Posted February 9, 2003 Share Posted February 9, 2003 If you want to use lead bullets, check out http://www.precisionbullets.com They make bullets that leave very little lead, their coated with some stuff that prevents it and they DO work. As far as your choice of Dillon loader, I had several really bad experiences with mine, in particular, the primer tube exploded twice, and I broke too many plastic parts to count. so I personally wouldn't recommend one because their are better and simpler out there. Look at the RCBS Pro-2000, it comes with the same no B.S. policy as Dillon and is ALOT simpler. If you've never reloaded, the Dillon can be a bit much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBF Posted February 9, 2003 Share Posted February 9, 2003 Thumbs up on Lee factory crimp die, for the rest of your dies probably any name brand will work well, RCBS, DIllon ETC. Search this forum and you will find many loads, most recently alot of info under "CLEANEST 45acp EVER" some mentioning the powders you want to use, also see "crimp" some good info on how to setup dies for 45acp. The smoke thing is something you will have to live with unless you find bullets lubed with something that does not smoke, see post above. As for leading I have heard good things about Laser cast ( Oregon trail ) bullets but have not tried them yet myself. Jacketed/plated bullets are MUCH less hassle as far as cleaning. THats my .02 , good luck. Travis F. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loves2Shoot Posted February 10, 2003 Share Posted February 10, 2003 I like 230 swc myself. 4.7 grn 320 vv makes 170 pf in mine. BearCreek Moly coated bullets, clean to shoot, but a bit smokey, the price is real good on them though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecutts Posted February 10, 2003 Share Posted February 10, 2003 I shoot a lot of 200g. lswc's and haven't had any major problems. There are some things you have to do like get your barrel throated, and buy Wilson mags. From there it should work. I load over 3.9 to 4.2g of clays, bullets from a local guy. Leading has not been an issue with hard bullets and a good barrel. Having said that, no brush has touched this barrel, a patch or two soaked with hoppe's yes, but no brush. Don't mess around and buy the Dillon. Many before us have loaded thousands upon thousands of rounds on 550's, and the folks at Dillon are there to help no mater where you got your press. Dies ... I don't like the Dillon dies, only because they are a pain to adjust. I use a Lee "U" die to size and decap, a rcbs to seat, and a lee factory crimp die to ... yeah crimp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogmaDog Posted February 10, 2003 Share Posted February 10, 2003 lgbmike, I'm just slightly further along on the same journey as you are. I just started loading .45 on my 550b. So far I've used GAT bullets with WST powder, and found that the combo does not produce any excessive amount of smoke. I started with some wimpy loads (4.0, 4.2, 4.4 gr), and plotted the chrono results in excel. Linear extrapolation (which fits pretty well to my 3 data points) predicts a major load at 4.7 grains, cutting it somewhat close, and 4.8 for a generous margin. I don't recall where the load manuals put the max load, but it's at 5 or more grains. But don't start at 4.7 or 4.8! Start with the starting load and work up! (0.2gr increments are acceptable, I'm told). I buy GAT bullets because the guy who makes them shoots at local matches, and they are inexpensive for good quality (I've seen cast bullets with lube all over, and some lead sticking out where it flowed into the seams of the molds = bad quality! Absence of those features = good quality to my untrained eye). The GAT bullets also shot into 3" at 25 yards from a crappily supported position, fired by a D class shooter, so they're as accurate as I can make any bullet. As to lead vs. jacketed, lead will cause less barrel wear, and will require less powder to produce the same velocities as jacketed, because it obturates the barrel better (according to my Laser-Cast reloading manual). I haven't looked for leading in my barrel yet...I suppose I'll know it if I see it. I have some titegroup, and also some Laser-Cast bullets in 180 and 155gr varieties. They are harder than typical cast lead, but softer than jacketed. I haven't done any experiments with them, but I'll keep you posted of results when I get them. I bought the Dillon dies. All of the rounds I've loaded in once fired brass have worked in my gun. I've noticed variation in OAL of about .005" with my loads, but no measurable variation in crimp. I don't know if that's caused by me, the bullets, or the seating die, though. I would also think that full length resizing wouldn't be as big an issue with .45 as with higher pressure cartridges (the Dillon die is fine). I bought the digital scale. It is way easier to use than a beam balance (like I used in Jr. High chemistry class)! Splurge on that tool, if nothing else! Good luck, DogmaDog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill B Posted February 12, 2003 Share Posted February 12, 2003 Hi lgbmike, I prefer 200 grn LSWC by D&J. If you are just starting out reloading don't give up on the lswc. How you prepare and load will have a great effect on its loading. For example my Springfield wouldn't feed lswc(s) consistently until I found that magic OAL and crimp diameter. Using Bullseye it has went over 1,000 rounds without a jam or cleaning. So don't be quick to blame the pistol for ammo problems. After you find that "right" combo keep at least one reference round. Dies = RCBS never a problem. I just adjust the resizing die so it almost hits the shell plate. Another "tool" that is a must is a pair of vernier calipers (sp?). For me OAL ~ 1.250 Crimp ~ 1.467 Make notes and keep them. I gave up on finding that clean powder (I tried blue dot through HP-38 (<- or 6 I can't remember) ). Best Regards and I hope I helped :-) B!ll 1st post BTW :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogmaDog Posted February 12, 2003 Share Posted February 12, 2003 Oops, I posted some misinformation in my last. My extrapolations suggest 4.6gr of WST propelling a 200 gr. LSWC will make major by a narrow margin, and 4.7 will do it handily. Sorry bout that. Vernier calipers are difficult to use! You can now buy digital calipers for about $50 (try http://www.midwayusa.com), or dial calipers for about $30. I got the pair from RCBS, but all the pictures for these look identical, and they all say they're "made in China"...I think it's the same product in different boxes for Dillon, RCBS, and Midway. Good luck, DD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1badmagnum Posted February 13, 2003 Share Posted February 13, 2003 I purchased a dial caliper from midway for $20,frankford /midway brand,does the job quite well. I shot cast a few times but the smoke and residue was not tolerable,I'm sticking to jacketed bullets. gold dots and golden sabres cost me about $10 per hundred,half the cost of each round,but they shoot extremely accurate and are much cleaner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now