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just ordered a 45 acp Lee loader


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Its been awhile since I've posted.

 

I just got into the reloading bug and just picked up a Lee loader for my fnx.

 

Its just a small handloader which is fine for me since I'm brand new to this.

 

Was wondering if you guys had any advice or tips for this beginner. As well as good recipes for 45 acp.

 

I'd also be interested to hear opinions on certain brands for components. As in what to look for. What to avoid. Any good deals?

 

Thanks guys.

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Not sure what to tell you in terms of loads - I just load by the book, which is at a friend's place with all the loading equipment. As for components - if you're loading for plinking, it's hard to go wrong with anything. For plinking .45 ACP in anything but a Glock or other weapon with a polygonal bore, cast lead is cheap and works fine. You can probably find a local supplier for cast lead bullets. I buy from a guy a couple hours away, usually just wait to meet up with him at gun shows. If you want superior accuracy - I'm not your guy, I pretty much just load for plinking.

.45 auto brass varies all over the place, I'm not even sure what a fair price is. Primers, you shouldn't be paying more than $.04 each. around here, they usually sell for about $3.50 per hundred, for large pistol primers.

If you get range brass, you'll probably find a few pieces that use small pistol primers, while the majority use large pistol.

 

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There is small primer brass out there now for the .45 ACP and it is becoming more common.  Gotta keep an eye out for it, especially in a progressive machine since large primers don't want to go into a small primer hole:)

 

Jack

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There are numerous powders out there available for the .45 ACP going back to Winchester 231, Bullseye, Red Dot, Clays etc. 

 

Do you plan to load for anything besides the .45 ACP?  If so, best to find a powder that will work with both/all  cartridge loads.

 

Save this link for reference, and use it to answer most of your questions.  Hodgdon Reload Data:  http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

 

The link can also be found on my website under "Links" at the header.

 

Be very careful about asking people you don't know about reload data, unless you know they are very experienced shooters/re-loaders.

 

Jack

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Its going to be a pain to size with that handloader I would see that tool as a on the run shit hit the fan survival tool not something to use to load a few hundred rounds to plink with. Now lee makes a cheap bench loader and dies are pretty reasonable as well. Id try it out but youll get tired quick where with a bench mounted press you could load all day.

 

I second the bulleyes powder ive used it in 38 and its cheap like 30% less than rifle powders.

Edited by Ak Monty
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What powder do you guys recommend for cheap fun? I just sources some LPP and have some cases that are pretty clean. May actually get started on this.

Win 231 is great, as JT said. I've used Blue Dot before, back when I was first loading, and it worked, but not well. I use Win 231 for 9mm, .40 and .45.

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Lol hey give me a break here. I want to learn this as a skill for instances where I have to load in the field. And yes... Lol I do need to use a rubber mallet on it. Don't jinx me here. But you're right the original purpose for buying this was field use. I will get a real press and so on when I clear up some funds for it.

 

Can I get some links for where to find these deals on primers you were talking about? I heard about federal using small primers and saw pictures so I'd be able to hopefully spot the difference and not blow a finger or two off.

 

I've also looked into casting my own bullets. I've been going to a few tire shops and getting lead weights. Found a Lee furnace for 68$ on amazon and some ingot molds

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I just bought a Lee Progressive 1000 .45acp with the .40 and 9mm die sets.  Going by Lee's "Auto-Disk" powder charge suggestion for 185gr bullets 98% of my first batch of rounds would FTE or stove pipe on me.  Thinking I "may" need to go to the max load...I was using the minimum as suggested to start off. 

 

And yes that Hodgdon link is like a GOLD MINE!! Good info there for all calibers, bullets, and powders. +1 JT!!

 

Gunny NR

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The autodisk system is great. Keep in mind that lee's VMD chart is based off of the heaviest conceivable lot of a given powder ever. So far, I've almost always needed to go two disk settings up from what the charts say to get a certain weight in the real world. And there's the lesson. Always cycle any powder measure a few times, then weigh a few throws to be sure of your load. The autodisk is very clean and reliable as long as you are about 3 grains and up. It likes ball, flake and fine grain powders.

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starting loads are obviously just that, and are often too weak to cycle auto loaders.

 

I just worked up a green dot load in 45 ACP with 243 grain cast truncated cone. There wasn't exact data for the weight, so I started way low and worked up until it worked, watching for soft loads and pressure signs. I started at 3 grains which felt like .22 and did not cycle, and brought the load increased in .2 or .25 grain increments up through my theoretical max. I found a decent charge weight, and tested the loads that were heavier until I deemed I had reached the upper end of safe ammo. I never saw pressure signs, but powder burn became inconsistent well before my max. 

 

The primary danger is weak loads leaving a bore obstruction, not double charges. It's handy if you are starting very low to bring a rod to the range in case of a stuck bullet, or just to check that the bore is clear if something doesn't feel right while you are working things up.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hey y'all.

 

Since this my last post I've invested in a lee turret press for my 45 acp. Got a lee furnace as well. I've read tons on tons of information. However I can't seem to find powder locally anywhere.

 

Quick question though. I got lead wheel weights from a few shops around here and I have a bottom pour furnace for casting bullets. My question is whether or not I should use this furnace to melt the wheel weights as well?

 

I hear the dirt and debris can clog the bottom pour furnaces and that it is a safer bet to use two separate furnaces. One for melting down wheel weights and turning them into ingots then the other to melt the ingots then cast.

 

Opinions?

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If you have a propane stove, get a crappy saucepan at goodwill and  a ladle and a muffin pan to make ingots from your lead in that. It's ok to smelt in your bottom pour pot, but you have to clean crud out of it all the time. Also you risk contaminating it if you miss a zinc wheel weight. 

 

I suggest cutting the wheel weights 50/50 with a "pure" lead source and water dropping. That will make your wheel weights go further.

 

Also watch this channel. He's really helpful and will respond to almost every comment on his videos. He knows his stuff and is just a nice guy.:

 

Series on casting for beginners to advanced 


Trust me, he answers all of your questions with helpful videos. 

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thanks for answering my questions and for the video link. That was actually my next question whether or not I could mix the clip ons and the stick ons at a 50/50 ratio. Right now I'm just trying to sort through this big bucket full of the Weights making sure to Get out any zinc. I need to find a small portable propane stove then this whole process would be heck of a lot easier since I could just throw everything into a pot and set it for say 650-670 and let everything else just float to the top.

 

The stick ons are pure lead right?

Edited by MegamanX
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Hell... screw the old crappy saucepan... get a BIG steel vegetable can, the kind that holds a half gallon or so... you can find them at *ANY* grocery store in the bulk section...  and then use a pair of pliers to form a pour spout on one side, and use THAT as your primary melt pot on the kitchen stove.  SIMPLE, EASY, CHEEEEP!!! :up:

 

I have used one for YEARS...  :lol:

 

:smoke:

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thanks for answering my questions and for the video link. That was actually my next question whether or not I could mix the clip ons and the stick ons at a 50/50 ratio. Right now I'm just trying to sort through this big bucket full of the Weights making sure to Get out any zinc. I need to find a small portable propane stove then this whole process would be heck of a lot easier since I could just throw everything into a pot and set it for say 650-670 and let everything else just float to the top.

 

The stick ons are pure lead right?

 

Stick ons are close enough to pure. I treat stick ons and roof flashing, etc as pure when blending for other alloys. They are a good choice for slugs too. 

 

dental foil is very pure, as is any other lead intended for radiation shielding. They don't want to risk a streak of tin or something in the shield, so they use pure.

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  • 5 weeks later...

OP and GySgt:

 

I too have a Lee Progressive 1000 press for 45ACP. First off, the beaded chain has a short lifespan.  You'll get going at a smooth pace and "pop" goes the chain.  I suggest using two small zip ties and a rubberband between the ties.  Pull the ties tighter to increase the tension.  I came up with this solution after 4 chains broke.

 

My re loads were good but the shoulder of the case wasn't seating in far enough when I inserted the rounds into the removed barrel.  Several days of frustration later I found out the re loads were fine, the culprit was my Springfield XDs.  The chamber is tight on earlier production XDs.  I re sized all the .452 bullets to .451 and all rounds seat properly in the chamber.  

 

Thanks to the good folks at Cast Boolits for noting the XDs has a tight chamber.  I used digital calipers to compare Win, Fed, and Remington commercial round diameter(s) to the reload diameter.  Sure enough the reloads were wider than all factory rounds. The re loads are still wider than commercial rounds but will chamber properly.  Hooray!

 

The recipe I made up:

Brass: Mixed Large pocket primer brass

Bullet: Suters Choice 200 grain RNFP (.452 sized to .451)

Primers: Remington, Federal, and Winchester large primers

Powder: Universal  (5.5 grains)

O.A.L.: 1.188 to 1.200 inches

 

No stove pipes nor any squibs have been noted.  The 200 grain bullets are soft shooting, like flinging cupcakes, compared to Winchester White Box 230 grain bullets.  These loads have only been fired though a Springfield XDs.

 

Safe shooting everyone.

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