Cheap 45lc Bullets?

[November]

I've decided to pick up a Lee Loader to get started reloading 45lc and was wondering where would be a good place to order the bullets from cheaply? What bullet diameter should I be looking for? (.452-.455?) I would like to use 250-255grain lead flat nose bullets. Any recommendations on powder and primers would also be appreciated.

 

[G2]

I like these 45-255gr. SWC @ $64/500 TYD, 10.5gr Power Pistol and set if off w/ Winchester Primer. RUGER ONLY LOAD
http://xtremebullets.com/cast.htm

I also have a bunch of plated bullets that I aquired in a storage locker sale, They are one tough bullet and have a cannelure. Same Load.

 

[WESHOOT2]

For what gun, specifically?

What work do you wish the bullet to perform?

 

[November]

For what gun, specifically?

What work do you wish the bullet to perform?

The gun is an Uberti Cattleman 4-3/4" and I'm looking to work up some defense loads (not cowboy action loads) but want to stay with lead bullets in the 255 grain range. I guess I'm looking to get some SWC or RNFP bullets up to 850 fps or so. Does that sound like a safe proposition in the Uberti?

 

[Rclark]

Yep. Sounds perfect. Both 250 RNFP or 255 SWC will work great at 850fps in that revolver... I like CCI-300 and CCI-350 primers.

http://www.tennesseevalleybullets.com/products/bullets.html

http://www.rimrockbullets.net/catalog/

.452 is what you are looking for.

Unique 8.0g or 8.5g. (8.5g is my go to load)
Trailboss 5.8g (powder puff load)
Green Dot 7.0
IMR 4227 20g (Mag primer like CCI-350)

Good reference follows:

Taffin .45 Colt Loads

 

[carsinc]

Check out Penn Bullets for the 45 Colt, good selection and good prices.

 

[WESHOOT2]

I'd take a look at the Penn choices ( :mrgreen: ), and HS6, N350, Universal, all will get your desired velocity, and have some flash suppression (N350 will be best for actual-use defense ammo).

Might take a wander on the site, because there's some data for the 270g Thunderhead 8).

NEW SIZED CASES ONLY; recommend nickel.
Firm symmetrical crimp.

Can also recommend the Winchester 225g Silvertip HP.

Your gun is a fine platform (but not for Ruger-only ammo).

 

[Sam Summey]

X-treme Bullets in Nevada http://www.xtremebullets.com/ their Silver State Cowboy line of bullets are not too hard not too soft QC is excellent.

 

[November]

Thanks for all the help fellas. I may go with Penn bullets to keep my money in the Keystone State. I'm looking forward to getting started so thanks again.

 

[mikld]

Reloading data came with your Lee Loader, BUT, you should get a reloading manual for the "how to" section also. Lyman's 49th is a great sourse of info/data and "how to". If your budget is tight, try your local library. ABCs of Reloading is a "how to" book only with no load data, but perfect for a beginner. I would also suggest you get a manual, find a load you want, then buy components.

For starts, I would suggest Unique. It's a versital powder that can be used for "powder puff" loads to "Ruger only" loads, and load everything from .32 and up (I have some .44 magnum loads of Unique)...

 

[WESHOOT2]

I do not suggest Unique; I recommend its easier-metering cleaner-burning ballistic equivalent Universal.

 

[DGW1949]

For what gun, specifically?

What work do you wish the bullet to perform?

The gun is an Uberti Cattleman 4-3/4" and I'm looking to work up some defense loads (not cowboy action loads) but want to stay with lead bullets in the 255 grain range. I guess I'm looking to get some SWC or RNFP bullets up to 850 fps or so. Does that sound like a safe proposition in the Uberti?

From the FWIW Dept :
I understand the "price" aspect when picking a bullet but bear in mind that all bullets aint created equal. I've bought plenty of "cheaper" bullets, tested a few, and the rest still sit in the boxes that they came in.
A bullet that is too hard for the pressure-range of the ammo it's used in, and/or a bullet with the wrong lube, and/or that has a beveled base, and/or has a base that is not concentric, and/or has an off-center sprue mark, and/or has voids and/or wrinkles, and/or a lot of parting-line showing from the mold, simply aint going to perform as well as a "properly" cafted bullet which is made from a proper alloy AND has a proper lube for the use you intend to put it to.
Growing up in Alabama, I often heard it said that there's two kinds of moonshine. Some is made to drink, but most is made to sell. I've since learned that it is the same with bullets. IMNSHO, 90% of the bullets being produced by the high-volume commercial casters can be lumped into the latter catagory.

All that said, I think that you are on the right track. As a groop, Uberti-Cattleman revolvers are fine guns. I have one that has seen upwards of 40K rounds without a single parts replacement which was not the result of normal wear.
This is what works well in mine;
A soft cast or swaged 250-ish .452 SWC bullet.
Alox lube.
8.0 Grains Unique powder.
Winchester WLP primer.
Heavyish crimp.
Aint no magic here. All the above is perty-standard stuff which has been used for years. There's a reason for that...it's because it has worked well for years. FWIW, my Speer manual list that 250/8.0 Unique load as a starting load for "Colt type" SA revolvers. They say that 8.5 is "a Max" load. You may find the best accuracy in your particular gun to be somewhere in between.

Hope this helps.

DGW

 

[Throckmorton]

in a lot of sixguns,a heavy 255 grain load will cause the cylinder pin to back out and can tie up the gun,not good in a self defense or hog hunting sitche a shun.
I'd suggest loading only a few to try out,and also load some 200 grain bullets to try out.A 200 grainer at 850fps is still pretty good round for a lot of situations. ymmv,of course

be sure to wear safety glasses,and even earplugs with that LeeLoader,there rare reports of primers going off when seating them. I"ve never had it happen,but Im sure that it can.

 

[DGW1949]

in a lot of sixguns,a heavy 255 grain load will cause the cylinder pin to back out and can tie up the gun,not good in a self defense or hog hunting sitche a shun.
I'd suggest loading only a few to try out,and also load some 200 grain bullets to try out.A 200 grainer at 850fps is still pretty good round for a lot of situations. ymmv,of course

be sure to wear safety glasses,and even earplugs with that LeeLoader,there rare reports of primers going off when seating them. I"ve never had it happen,but Im sure that it can.

In all due respect, if a gun has THAT problem....It is a mechanical problem, not a bullet problem. IMNSHO, Colt didn't do us any favors when they abandoned the old set-screw arangement for holding the base pin in the gun. The newfangled "quick release" thingy has been problomatic ever since. My particular Uberti retains the origonal design. Some do, some don't. No Ruger does....but Rugers DO seem to have more than their share of the problem you described.
Just sayin'.

Good points on the Lee handloading tool. Back in the day, I set-off a couple of primers with one myself. Unforgetable experience.:shock: .

DGW

 

[Ale-8(1)]

"Good points on the Lee handloading tool. Back in day, I set-off a couple of primers with one myself. Unforgetable experience."

It certainly gets your attention . . . and leaves you with a black-stained thumb and fingers.

Character-building, though.

 

[WESHOOT2]

You and me both. Two BANGS, one RIGHT AFTER THE FIRST.
Yes, I stopped for the rest of that day.
I learned to wear a heavy glove on the hand holding that rod when priming, because it took 8 years for the primer 'blackening' to leave my fingers....

I liked 7.3g Universal, and 8.0g was usually enough. If I wanted more velocity I'd switch to HS6 or Power Pistol.
Or N350.