.45 colt bullet diameter

billy · 11-17-2007, 10:50 PM

ok
i have been using 250 gr. bullets in my colt replicas and havent been impressed with my accuracy.
they are .452 diameter.
now i have a box of 255 gr. 454 diameter bullets i want to try. will this be safe? they are hard cast match bullets.
i guess i am asking is could the larger diameter do anything bad?
thanks you guys!
bill

i just pulled 5 samples out of each box and measured them
250 gr.
.455
.455
.455.5
.455
.455

255 gr.
.455
.455.5
.455.5
.455.5
.454.5

the 255 gr. is on the right.
i have fired about 300 of the 250 gr. bullets

the red one falls through the cylinder while the blue one will go through with very gentle pressure. (i took it out and wanted to see)

these bullets are from 2 different companies
one is D&J bullet company
and the other is
MI-TE BULLETS
they both say match grade hard cast

this is where i got the idea GUNS magazine.

this author says that if it doesnt just fall right through it should be ok

samuel · 11-18-2007, 07:26 AM

The more alloys they add to cast bullets the larger they are when they cool.But the less leading you have.Alloys melt at a higher temperature so not as much lead is left in the bore.But the gas seal isnt as good so they make them bigger to get a good seal.They are safe to shoot,the only thing is they might build more pressure.It is handy to have a chronagraph so you can keep the fps below 900.On cowboy action they are running about 700fps.To me you have two choices to prevent leading.One is use very hard cast bullets and clean a lot.The other is gas check which is a pain at best.Not having gas checks once but having treated the bullets with Lee liquid alox,I loaded the nasty things without gas checks and 7.5gr Unique and fired about 150rds without cleaning and the leading was minimal.I believe if you get enough wax or buffer on the bullet and keep the fps well below SS you can prevent most leading.If you are going supersonic rhe only way is gas checks or jacketed bullets with a canilure to make a crimp.I think Lee bullet alox is great but advise getting a box of surgical gloves to handle it as it stinks.But it really helps on the leading problem. sam.

billy · 11-18-2007, 07:28 AM

i am only using 6.8 of green dot with the 250 gr. ones

i am VERY conservative with my loads

thank you sam yer a good egg!
never mind what everybody else says.....

how much greendot for those 255 grainers?

samuel · 11-18-2007, 08:11 AM

If they dont go through the freebore ahead of the chamber easily watch for lead and wax buildup in the chamber just behind the freebore.This is all in the cylinder.If you look in the chamber there is a restriction.Thats where I mean you can get a buildup.It could bother when chambering another round.When a bullet goes through there it is "wiped"and can leave a deposit.This is true on any cast bullet of any cal. sam.

rfc357 · 11-18-2007, 12:11 PM

I have had poor luck with accuracy in a variety of .45 Colt revolvers (Rugers, Colts, Ubertis). The problem seems to be inconsistency in the cylinder forcing cones. The Rugers have been particularly loose and inconsistent. I don't think there is much one can do about this, short of having a properly-dimensioned cylinder made.

Your larger bullets should be OK.

In contrast, my Ruger .44 Magnum single actions shoot light cast loads (in magnum and special brass) very nicely. Since I can essentially duplicate .45 Colt loads in the .44 Special, I have decided to no longer fool with the .45 Colt.

Pumpkinheaver · 11-18-2007, 06:26 PM

The .45 colt originally took .454 bullets, it was later changed to today diameter of .452. Most of the inaccuracy in .45 colt revolvers is caused by oversized chamber throats. I don't think you'll hurt your gun shooting LEAD bullets a couple of thousandths over sized. Start low and work up.

billy · 11-18-2007, 06:47 PM

i am only using 6.8 of green dot with the 250 gr. ones

SilentSoul · 11-18-2007, 07:25 PM

Are those laser cast bullets?

billy · 11-18-2007, 07:48 PM

i dunno

Midas · 11-18-2007, 07:52 PM

How many cups of sugar does it take to get to the moon?

billy · 11-18-2007, 08:01 PM

all of em........ duh!

454PB · 11-20-2007, 01:11 PM

Even the hardest cast bullet is way softer than a jacketed bullet. We hard core casters always size at least .001" over bore diameter, and if the gun has large throats, as much as .003" over to fit the throat. Work up loads as you would with any change in components when increasing bullet diameter. You will be pleasantly surprised.

billy · 11-21-2007, 07:51 AM

where is the throat?

samuel · 11-21-2007, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billy

where is the throat?

Right below the mouth,and I'm not trying to be funny.He calls it throat,I call it freebore.The very tightest part of the chamber.Just in front of the forcing cone. sam.

blackhawk45 · 11-21-2007, 03:57 PM

Measure the throat of your cylinder,and load bullets ,of the same size,(example .452"throat .452" bullets, .454" throat .454" bullets. I've been shooting 45Colt SA Revolvers for many many years,and learned long ago that the throats on 45Colt revolvers can run anywhere from .451"up to and including .454".The closer you are to bullet to throat size will improve accuracy, as for loading accurate 45colt rounds,Try Hodgdens HS-6,I can consistantly hit a 9" steel target at 75yards with only 9grs,of HS-6,and that is the starting load in my Lee manual. Hope this helps you get better accuracy! OH and for this load I use 250gr. Meisterbullets,they look like the bullet pictured on the left,only with the blue lube!

samuel · 11-21-2007, 05:13 PM

BH45:That load is right down in CA class.Wont be very rough on revolvers.My figures,that is only about 8k cup.Sounds good for punching paper or varmints.I use 7.2gr Unique for messing around and varmints.Good accurate load.About the same as yours. sam.

billy · 11-21-2007, 07:15 PM

can these guns be fired so many times that the throats/freebores would become enlarged? these are bigger than .454 .
in the front of the cylinder is where i am measuring
i can see a little bit of light around the .454 bullets when i put one in the throat.

blackhawk45 · 11-22-2007, 01:20 AM

I wouldn't think that you could enlarge a cylinder throat,shooting smokless powder,But shooting Blackpowder it might be possible. (BP being corrosive)
And who is the Manufacturer of your replica? You might want to look into the Ruger line of SA revolvers, I just love my Blackhawks,not too expensive,and Deadly accurate!!!!!!!

billy · 11-22-2007, 06:10 AM

they are piettas

and they are definitely not .452

samuel · 11-22-2007, 07:40 AM

I believe they are bored that way unless you fired some very hot loads which I am sure you didnt.As someone else said,the closer you can come to the freebore diameter the better the accuracy.The one thing I wonder about is the barrel demensions.Being modern it should be .450" bore with .452 lands.The original dem,s were .450 bore with .454 lands.They used pure lead in the originals.They use alloys in castings now and this makes them harder.If you had a pure lead bullet you could slug the barrel.I would believe if you just use the largest diameter bullet you can it should be farely accurate.If there is a slight overbore the softer the cast bullet the better it would work. sam.

11-17-2007, 10:50 PM	#1
billy spiritual counselor Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: a secret lab on the shores of lake titicaca Posts: 14,326 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 154	.45 colt bullet diameter ok i have been using 250 gr. bullets in my colt replicas and havent been impressed with my accuracy. they are .452 diameter. now i have a box of 255 gr. 454 diameter bullets i want to try. will this be safe? they are hard cast match bullets. i guess i am asking is could the larger diameter do anything bad? thanks you guys! bill i just pulled 5 samples out of each box and measured them 250 gr. .455 .455 .455.5 .455 .455 255 gr. .455 .455.5 .455.5 .455.5 .454.5 the 255 gr. is on the right. i have fired about 300 of the 250 gr. bullets the red one falls through the cylinder while the blue one will go through with very gentle pressure. (i took it out and wanted to see) these bullets are from 2 different companies one is D&J bullet company and the other is MI-TE BULLETS they both say match grade hard cast this is where i got the idea GUNS magazine. this author says that if it doesnt just fall right through it should be ok __________________ "I would never die for my beliefs because what if I'm wrong?"- Bertrand Russell Last edited by billy; 11-18-2007 at 06:59 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

11-18-2007, 07:28 AM	#3
billy spiritual counselor Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: a secret lab on the shores of lake titicaca Posts: 14,326 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 154	i am only using 6.8 of green dot with the 250 gr. ones i am VERY conservative with my loads thank you sam yer a good egg! never mind what everybody else says..... how much greendot for those 255 grainers? __________________ "I would never die for my beliefs because what if I'm wrong?"- Bertrand Russell Last edited by billy; 11-18-2007 at 07:36 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

11-18-2007, 08:11 AM	#4
samuel Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 5,232	If they dont go through the freebore ahead of the chamber easily watch for lead and wax buildup in the chamber just behind the freebore.This is all in the cylinder.If you look in the chamber there is a restriction.Thats where I mean you can get a buildup.It could bother when chambering another round.When a bullet goes through there it is "wiped"and can leave a deposit.This is true on any cast bullet of any cal. sam. Last edited by samuel; 11-18-2007 at 08:22 AM.

11-18-2007, 06:26 PM	#6
Pumpkinheaver Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Missouri Posts: 1,378	The .45 colt originally took .454 bullets, it was later changed to today diameter of .452. Most of the inaccuracy in .45 colt revolvers is caused by oversized chamber throats. I don't think you'll hurt your gun shooting LEAD bullets a couple of thousandths over sized. Start low and work up. __________________ Just because your paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you!

11-18-2007, 06:47 PM	#7
billy spiritual counselor Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: a secret lab on the shores of lake titicaca Posts: 14,326 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 154	i am only using 6.8 of green dot with the 250 gr. ones __________________ "I would never die for my beliefs because what if I'm wrong?"- Bertrand Russell

11-18-2007, 07:26 AM	#2
samuel Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 5,232	The more alloys they add to cast bullets the larger they are when they cool.But the less leading you have.Alloys melt at a higher temperature so not as much lead is left in the bore.But the gas seal isnt as good so they make them bigger to get a good seal.They are safe to shoot,the only thing is they might build more pressure.It is handy to have a chronagraph so you can keep the fps below 900.On cowboy action they are running about 700fps.To me you have two choices to prevent leading.One is use very hard cast bullets and clean a lot.The other is gas check which is a pain at best.Not having gas checks once but having treated the bullets with Lee liquid alox,I loaded the nasty things without gas checks and 7.5gr Unique and fired about 150rds without cleaning and the leading was minimal.I believe if you get enough wax or buffer on the bullet and keep the fps well below SS you can prevent most leading.If you are going supersonic rhe only way is gas checks or jacketed bullets with a canilure to make a crimp.I think Lee bullet alox is great but advise getting a box of surgical gloves to handle it as it stinks.But it really helps on the leading problem. sam.

11-18-2007, 12:11 PM	#5
rfc357 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 741	I have had poor luck with accuracy in a variety of .45 Colt revolvers (Rugers, Colts, Ubertis). The problem seems to be inconsistency in the cylinder forcing cones. The Rugers have been particularly loose and inconsistent. I don't think there is much one can do about this, short of having a properly-dimensioned cylinder made. Your larger bullets should be OK. In contrast, my Ruger .44 Magnum single actions shoot light cast loads (in magnum and special brass) very nicely. Since I can essentially duplicate .45 Colt loads in the .44 Special, I have decided to no longer fool with the .45 Colt.

11-18-2007, 07:25 PM	#8
SilentSoul Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 603 Images: 1	Are those laser cast bullets?

11-18-2007, 07:48 PM	#9
billy spiritual counselor Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: a secret lab on the shores of lake titicaca Posts: 14,326 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 154	i dunno __________________ "I would never die for my beliefs because what if I'm wrong?"- Bertrand Russell

11-18-2007, 07:52 PM	#10
Midas Troll B' Gone Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Springdale, Arkansas Posts: 3,906 Images: 2 Blog Entries: 6	How many cups of sugar does it take to get to the moon? __________________ "Recoil lasts for a second, gravity lasts forever"

11-18-2007, 08:01 PM	#11
billy spiritual counselor Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: a secret lab on the shores of lake titicaca Posts: 14,326 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 154	all of em........ duh! __________________ "I would never die for my beliefs because what if I'm wrong?"- Bertrand Russell

11-20-2007, 01:11 PM	#12
454PB Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Helena, Mt. Posts: 45	Even the hardest cast bullet is way softer than a jacketed bullet. We hard core casters always size at least .001" over bore diameter, and if the gun has large throats, as much as .003" over to fit the throat. Work up loads as you would with any change in components when increasing bullet diameter. You will be pleasantly surprised.

11-21-2007, 07:51 AM	#13
billy spiritual counselor Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: a secret lab on the shores of lake titicaca Posts: 14,326 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 154	where is the throat? __________________ "I would never die for my beliefs because what if I'm wrong?"- Bertrand Russell

11-21-2007, 03:57 PM	#15
blackhawk45 Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Millersville Pa. Posts: 83	Measure the throat of your cylinder,and load bullets ,of the same size,(example .452"throat .452" bullets, .454" throat .454" bullets. I've been shooting 45Colt SA Revolvers for many many years,and learned long ago that the throats on 45Colt revolvers can run anywhere from .451"up to and including .454".The closer you are to bullet to throat size will improve accuracy, as for loading accurate 45colt rounds,Try Hodgdens HS-6,I can consistantly hit a 9" steel target at 75yards with only 9grs,of HS-6,and that is the starting load in my Lee manual. Hope this helps you get better accuracy! OH and for this load I use 250gr. Meisterbullets,they look like the bullet pictured on the left,only with the blue lube!

11-21-2007, 05:13 PM	#16
samuel Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 5,232	BH45:That load is right down in CA class.Wont be very rough on revolvers.My figures,that is only about 8k cup.Sounds good for punching paper or varmints.I use 7.2gr Unique for messing around and varmints.Good accurate load.About the same as yours. sam.

11-21-2007, 07:15 PM	#17
billy spiritual counselor Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: a secret lab on the shores of lake titicaca Posts: 14,326 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 154	can these guns be fired so many times that the throats/freebores would become enlarged? these are bigger than .454 . in the front of the cylinder is where i am measuring i can see a little bit of light around the .454 bullets when i put one in the throat. __________________ "I would never die for my beliefs because what if I'm wrong?"- Bertrand Russell

11-22-2007, 01:20 AM	#18
blackhawk45 Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Millersville Pa. Posts: 83	I wouldn't think that you could enlarge a cylinder throat,shooting smokless powder,But shooting Blackpowder it might be possible. (BP being corrosive) And who is the Manufacturer of your replica? You might want to look into the Ruger line of SA revolvers, I just love my Blackhawks,not too expensive,and Deadly accurate!!!!!!!

11-22-2007, 06:10 AM	#19
billy spiritual counselor Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: a secret lab on the shores of lake titicaca Posts: 14,326 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 154	they are piettas and they are definitely not .452 __________________ "I would never die for my beliefs because what if I'm wrong?"- Bertrand Russell Last edited by billy; 11-22-2007 at 06:11 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

11-22-2007, 07:40 AM	#20
samuel Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 5,232	I believe they are bored that way unless you fired some very hot loads which I am sure you didnt.As someone else said,the closer you can come to the freebore diameter the better the accuracy.The one thing I wonder about is the barrel demensions.Being modern it should be .450" bore with .452 lands.The original dem,s were .450 bore with .454 lands.They used pure lead in the originals.They use alloys in castings now and this makes them harder.If you had a pure lead bullet you could slug the barrel.I would believe if you just use the largest diameter bullet you can it should be farely accurate.If there is a slight overbore the softer the cast bullet the better it would work. sam.