Correct caliber

[Andy 1962]

Hi, next month i will buy a New Vaquero in 45 Colt: what is the correct caliber for lead bullets for this revolver?
Thanks.

 

[pisgah]

.45 Colt lead bullets generally run from .451 to .455. In most modern revolvers, .452 is a good starting place. Your revolver may do fine with those; if it doesn't, or if you are just curious, you can slug your cylinder throats and bore to get a better idea of what size may be ideal for your individual gun.

 

[Rclark]

.452

 

[Spillway]

The answer is in this excellent article by Fermin Garza .

http://www.gunblast.com/FerminGarza-Firelapping.htm

And this one by Glen E. Fryxell

http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Chapter_6_ThroatGroove.htm

 

[gramps]

Spillway thanks for the link. :)
gramps

 

[Andy 1962]

Thank you very much Spillway, very interesting links, i visit gunblast when i have time but i can't read all: too much stuff :-)

 

[Chuck 100 yd]

I own over a dozen Ruger revolvers in .45 Colt. I cast and size to .452 for every one of them. The only exception is the .45 ACP convertibles. I size those (ACP) cast bullets to .451 so they will run through my 1911`s also. .451 230 gr. cast bullets are very accurate in all of my Ruger .45 ACP revolvers.
In the 1911`s a .452 bullet sometimes stops the slide from going completely into battery. No issue when sized to.451 .

 

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

Generally, 0.453" is where you want to start for lead: 0.452" is what most jacketed bullets are. But each gun is subject to variation.

 

[Chuck 100 yd]

Jayhawkhuntclub . True ! It would be nice if all chamber throats were exactly .4525 and bullets of .453 would chamber and fire without major "smooshing" as they traveled through the throats to reach the forcing cone and the bores were .4515-.452 in that perfect world. We can only dream.

 

[Varminterror]

Maybe I'm old-fashioned or maybe nobody else does this, but I've always bought my lead bullets "fat", then used a sizing die to regulate. I ream my cylinder throats and forcing cones, so I don't have to have a sizing die for each different revolver, but that's my process. My 45colt bullet sizing die is 0.453", my throats are 0.4525", so as long as I buy larger than 0.4530", I'm groovy.