.452 plated hollow base bullets ok for 45 Colt?

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PinnedAndRecessed

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The bullets are Berry's plated. I'm using Vihtavuori N330 powder, 10.4 grains, 1093 fps. This is the recommended starting load on the above web site.

The web site does not differentiate between hollow base and standard, but since it is a starting load, it should be ok?

The gun is a modern Ruger Redhawk 45 Colt/45 ACP.

I'm asking because in my Lyman loading book it gives bullet diameter as .456 inch in the cross section. But next to that says cast bullets are .452 inch. And in the loading tables for commercial bullets it's .4515 inch or .451 inch. Hornady is .452.

No mention of hollow base in this manual.
 

Johnnu2

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I believe that Berry's suggests using published, 'cast/lead bullet' loading data; and I think that I read somewhere that one of the purposes of their hollow-base design is to allow more bullet surface touching the lands/grooves while maintaining the desired weight. I typically use lead SWC's that measure +/- .452". That's all I can contribute.
Hope that helps a bit.

J.
 

vlavalle

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Apr 10, 2022
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Location
Chandler, AZ
The bullets are Berry's plated. I'm using Vihtavuori N330 powder, 10.4 grains, 1093 fps. This is the recommended starting load on the above web site.

The web site does not differentiate between hollow base and standard, but since it is a starting load, it should be ok?

The gun is a modern Ruger Redhawk 45 Colt/45 ACP.

I'm asking because in my Lyman loading book it gives bullet diameter as .456 inch in the cross section. But next to that says cast bullets are .452 inch. And in the loading tables for commercial bullets it's .4515 inch or .451 inch. Hornady is .452.

No mention of hollow base in this manual.
Here is the story on bullet bores for the .45 caliber, an excerpt from my ballistics file: "Note16: The modern .45 ammo bores vary as follows: the .45 ACP's and the .45 GAP's bores are both .451, the .45 Auto Rim is .452, and the .45 LC comes in two bores: .452 for jacketed bullets, and .454 for all lead bullets."
 

NikA

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Here is the story on bullet bores for the .45 caliber, an excerpt from my ballistics file: "Note16: The modern .45 ammo bores vary as follows: the .45 ACP's and the .45 GAP's bores are both .451, the .45 Auto Rim is .452, and the .45 LC comes in two bores: .452 for jacketed bullets, and .454 for all lead bullets."
This is not really correct. It's more in reference to bullet size than the groove dimensions of barrels.

Ruger .45 barrels are usually in the .451-.452 range, excepting a possible thread choke. As far as I know, they have been this way for as long as Ruger has been manufacturing .45 handguns.

.45 cast bullets are sometimes in the .453-.454 range because correct bullet fitment in relation to the throats and bore helps prevent leading. There is typically not an issue with the gun swaging a .454 bullet down to .451-.452 upon the firing of the cartridge.
 

vlavalle

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This is not really correct. It's more in reference to bullet size than the groove dimensions of barrels.

Ruger .45 barrels are usually in the .451-.452 range, excepting a possible thread choke. As far as I know, they have been this way for as long as Ruger has been manufacturing .45 handguns.

.45 cast bullets are sometimes in the .453-.454 range because correct bullet fitment in relation to the throats and bore helps prevent leading. There is typically not an issue with the gun swaging a .454 bullet down to .451-.452 upon the firing of the cartridge.
This is EXACTLY about bullet size for the .45 caliber.!
 

vlavalle

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Messages
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Location
Chandler, AZ
Then the wording "modern .45 ammo bores vary as follows" was poorly chosen; you are discussing bullet diameter, not bore size (the rifling dimension in the barrel of the firearm). Translation error from the word "caliber", which refers to both?
You are correct about the term 'bore', that being the dimension of something bored out, such as the barrel. But as far as the tern 'caliber' goers, it is used in both ways - the bore size and the width of the bullet. Defined by Webster (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caliber), caliber also means the width of the bullet. Defined on Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliber), 'caliber simply means 'bore'. So, there is some confusion with the term caliber. I guess I always use it meaning the width of the bullet, as well as the type of ammo.

For instance, in my ballistics file I list the .45 ACP as a separate caliber from the .45 LC, and as a another separate caliber from the .454 Casual, as well as the .460 S&W, and the .460 Rowland. These last 4 are all .452 in diameter, but very different cartridges.
 

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