I Discovered A Bullet Mold I Had Forgotten

[JimT]

My favorite and most-used bullet in the .45 Colt is the Keith semi-wadcutter Lyman #454424.

IMG_8469.JPG

I have no clue how many thousands I have cast over the years. I shot a lot of these through the 454 Casull. In fact, the first Mule Deer I killed with the 454 was with this bullet. I had loaded it over a stiff charge of H110 which pushed it close to 1500 fps. About a 50 or 60 yard shot in the left side, the bullet went through the heart and on out into the mountail behind. At the shot the buck put his head down and I thought he was going to get a bite to eat! I wondered if I missed and was getting ready to shoot again when I noticed he was wobbly. The buck slowly made its way to a nearby mesquite, laid down and its head fell over.

az_mulie2.jpg

The bullet mold I used was by RCBS, their version of the Keith SWC. I bought the mold back in the late 1970's and shot a lot of the bullets from my Colt SAA. Sometime between then and the early 1990's I somehow broke the mold! Where the sprue plate screw goes into the mold body broke out to the side.

IMG_8459.JPG

I redrilled the hole for the sprue plate screw on the opposite end of the mold, threaded it and put a threaded stud in it and it was back in business.

IMG_8462.JPG

For some reason I later bought a new mold and retired the broken/repaired one. You don't throw molds away. I just put it in safe place.

Last week I discovered it!

I had not seen it in years. So I mounted it on the handles and yesterday I cast a few bullets with it. It makes nice bullets so I am not sure exactly why I retired it. But I will give these a go in a couple of the sixguns and the Shootists Anniversary rifle and we will see how they do.

IMG_8467.JPG

It's always fun discovering things you had pretty much forgotten about!

[earlmck]

Well at least you recognized your old friend, Jim. I was going through my "accumulation" the other day looking for a 45 mold I vaguely recalled having. Didn't find it but found a couple of molds I don't think I ever used and can't recall when or why I acquired them. Senility!

[Bill in Oregon]

That's a mighty useful looking bullet Jim. Is it the RCBS .45-270 SAA mold?

[JimT]

That's a mighty useful looking bullet Jim. Is it the RCBS .45-270 SAA mold?

It's the 45-255-KT. Bill. Throws around 260 with my alloy.

[Ysabel Kid]

It's like a Christmas gift - early!

[LeverGunner]

Glad you became reacquainted with it. Interesting story about the repair.

I've yet to dabble with a 45 Colt. I've been thinking of getting a Blackhawk chambered for it though.

[samsi]

(Snip)

I've yet to dabble with a 45 Colt. I've been thinking of getting a Blackhawk chambered for it though.

Be careful, they have a way of multiplying!

[LeverGunner]

(Snip)

I've yet to dabble with a 45 Colt. I've been thinking of getting a Blackhawk chambered for it though.

Be careful, they have a way of multiplying!

Single actions in general do I reckon. Why I can't be satisfied with the fine 44 Special Blackhawk I have now is beyond me. I feel I need a 357 Magnum and a 45 Colt too! All with 4 5/8" barrels of course lol.

[yooper2]

That's my favorite 45 Colt bullet. I cast a ton of them with the 2 cavity RCBS mold and finally had Mountain Molds make a 4 cavity clone of it.
It does drive me nuts to look for a mold I remember having and put in a "safe place"!

Eric