Wax bullets in a 45 Colt?
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Wax bullets in a 45 Colt?
I'd like to try this, but would like advice. I shot a couple with just primers. Is there a little powder that will work? I suppose not black right, or can I just push the wax all the way down to the powder? Thanks
Owen
Owen
Re: Wax bullets in a 45 Colt?
The primer will be plenty for wax bullets. You may have problems with the primers backing out of the cases and binding up the gun with wax bullets unless you enlarge the touch hole. If you do this don't ever load those cases with powder again....bad things will happen.
I make the length of my wax bullets about 1.5 times the diameter of the case and just seat them to the case mouth. Melt the wax in a cookie sheet to the desired depth and just use the case mouth as a cookie cutter to make and load the bullets. Plenty good accuracy out to about 30 or so feet.
Rob
I make the length of my wax bullets about 1.5 times the diameter of the case and just seat them to the case mouth. Melt the wax in a cookie sheet to the desired depth and just use the case mouth as a cookie cutter to make and load the bullets. Plenty good accuracy out to about 30 or so feet.
Rob
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May your rifle always shoot straight, your mag never run dry, you always have one more round than you have adversaries, and your good mate always be there to watch your back.
Because I can!
Never grow a wishbone where a backbone ought to be.
Re: Wax bullets in a 45 Colt?
Owen,
I would not push the wax bullets down into the bottom of the case since that would reduce the wax bullet dia since the case is tapered toward the bottom.
It's been awhile since I shot wax bullets in the .45 Colt. Magnum pistol primers worked pretty well. In a revolver to keep the primers from backing out and making the cylinder hard to turn, I drilled the primer pockets out to 1/8" as I recall.
I did convert some .45 Colt cases to use a shotgun primer...definitely an increase in performance.
I never tried loading any smokeless or b.p. behind the wax bullets but a very low charge of bullseye might work....
Speer makes plastic bullets for the .45.....
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/361904 ... uctFinding
Rubber bullets
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/489581 ... uctFinding
w30wcf
I would not push the wax bullets down into the bottom of the case since that would reduce the wax bullet dia since the case is tapered toward the bottom.
It's been awhile since I shot wax bullets in the .45 Colt. Magnum pistol primers worked pretty well. In a revolver to keep the primers from backing out and making the cylinder hard to turn, I drilled the primer pockets out to 1/8" as I recall.
I did convert some .45 Colt cases to use a shotgun primer...definitely an increase in performance.
I never tried loading any smokeless or b.p. behind the wax bullets but a very low charge of bullseye might work....
Speer makes plastic bullets for the .45.....
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/361904 ... uctFinding
Rubber bullets
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/489581 ... uctFinding
w30wcf
aka John Kort
aka Jack Christian SASS 11993 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
aka w44wcf (black powder)
NRA Life member
.22 WCF, .30 WCF, .44 WCF Cartridge Historian
aka Jack Christian SASS 11993 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
aka w44wcf (black powder)
NRA Life member
.22 WCF, .30 WCF, .44 WCF Cartridge Historian
Re: Wax bullets in a 45 Colt?
That explains a lot. I did have the primers back out on the few I did try. I'll try to dedicate some brass it this and drill out the primer holes. I think I could use my Roosevelt brass, they has a nickel plating and can be spotted easy.
Thanks again, Owen
Thanks again, Owen
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Re: Wax bullets in a 45 Colt?
Yes, oversize the flash holes and use magnum primers. Have fun!!
- Griff
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Re: Wax bullets in a 45 Colt?
As noted in another thread, a good way to segregate and quickly identify modified brass is to notch the case rim. Since you're not using it a rifle, there's no worry about the extractor lining up with that notch.
Griff,
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Re: Wax bullets in a 45 Colt?
This would be a case (no pun intended) where filing 'grooves' in the rim would be something I'd do, even though the cases are different finish, just to make doubly sure if they fall into anyone else's hands that they are obviously 'different' vs. just being nickel plated.hightime wrote:That explains a lot. I did have the primers back out on the few I did try. I'll try to dedicate some brass it this and drill out the primer holes. I think I could use my Roosevelt brass, they has a nickel plating and can be spotted easy.
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- markinalpine
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Re: Wax bullets in a 45 Colt?
I have used Winchester Leadsafe ™ cartridges in .45 ACP. The flash hole is massive, as large as the flash hole in .45 Colt blank cartridges I've bought. The Speer .45 ACP cartridges I've picked up at the range are also very large, and PMC .45 ACP brass has both large and ragged flash holes.....bad things will happen.
What bad things will happen?
Mark
EDIT: I went back to the Winchester website, and couldn't find what I read before. And it is WinClean, not LeadSafe.
A few years ago, this topic came up at another forum about the extra large flash holes on some of the Winchester stuff, as to whether it was safe to use for reloading, and at that time, there was a FAQ entry at the Winchester site stating that it was. I read it! Really.
Anyway, it ain't there no mo' , so I can only guess the Winchester lawyers had it erased.
I had bought some WinClean ™ stuff because it was the only thing available one time, and then, during the "Great Ammo Drought" of 2009, I bought and fired the PMC ammo. It all worked fine. I have reloaded and fired the WinClean ™ and Speer brass with no ill effect. I never reused the PMC brass because it seemed soft.
I have heard the claim that oversize flash holes are bad, but no one has ever quantified this that I know of, so if you have a source to cite, please edumacate me.
Thanks,
Mark
Any way you sell it,
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No matter how you spell it,
When you start to smell it,
BO stinks.
Re: Wax bullets in a 45 Colt?
I had thought about a notch, and yes, I'll do that as well as using the nickel plated cases. All good ideas.
Re: Wax bullets in a 45 Colt?
That's a great idea! How did you do it? Drill press?w30wcf wrote:Owen,
I I did convert some .45 Colt cases to use a shotgun primer...definitely an increase in performance.
w30wcf
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Re: Wax bullets in a 45 Colt?
+1 That is how I have marked cases meant for wax bullets. Very easy to see and feel the difference.Griff wrote:As noted in another thread, a good way to segregate and quickly identify modified brass is to notch the case rim. Since you're not using it a rifle, there's no worry about the extractor lining up with that notch.
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Re: Wax bullets in a 45 Colt?
markinalpine , I also load lots of .45 ACP and have loaded lots of NT brass with large flash holes using standard loads. I have not found they cause any problems at all. I have NOT however tested them from a Ransom rest to see if the grouping is effected. Uniform flash holes is very important in precision shooting but as far as pistol ammo goes, I cant tell any difference.
- J Miller
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Re: Wax bullets in a 45 Colt?
Long long ago, far far away ~or~ Many many summers ago, way back in Phoenix when I was but a child .... .... a friend and I were exploring our neighborhood. We found an open garage. It was mostly empty but the back wall was covered with a huge carpet hung from the ceiling.
This carpet was covered with hundreds of wax lumps stuck to it. We stood there wondering what in the world caused that.
Sometime later we found out the owner was practicing fast draw with wax bullets in the garage.
Looked like fun to us then, I'll bet it still would be.
Joe
This carpet was covered with hundreds of wax lumps stuck to it. We stood there wondering what in the world caused that.
Sometime later we found out the owner was practicing fast draw with wax bullets in the garage.
Looked like fun to us then, I'll bet it still would be.
Joe
***Be sneaky, get closer, bust the cap on him when you can put the ball where it counts .***
Re: Wax bullets in a 45 Colt?
I've heard it wasn't good to use enlarged flash hole cases for regular loads also, but don t know exactly what would happen. It may only be with magnum level loads that it would matter.
I knew a guy that had a large commercial reloading outfit. He said when the Win-clean cases started showing up in their brass supply he was concerned and called Winchester. They told him they were fine to use, so he did, and had no troubles with them.
The wax bullets look like a lot of fun. They would be good for shooting mice and other small critters around the place where a regular load may not be practical. It's been a bad year for mice here, they've been getting in everything, including many peoples vehicles. I've had a chance to shoot many of them, but they weren't in places I couldnt shoot.
I knew a guy that had a large commercial reloading outfit. He said when the Win-clean cases started showing up in their brass supply he was concerned and called Winchester. They told him they were fine to use, so he did, and had no troubles with them.
The wax bullets look like a lot of fun. They would be good for shooting mice and other small critters around the place where a regular load may not be practical. It's been a bad year for mice here, they've been getting in everything, including many peoples vehicles. I've had a chance to shoot many of them, but they weren't in places I couldnt shoot.
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Isnt it amazing how many people post without reading the thread?
Isnt it amazing how many people post without reading the thread?
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Re: Wax bullets in a 45 Colt?
Malamute Once I shot a mouse in my dads house as it ran across the fireplace hearth. I was using wax bullets in a Ruger Blackwawk .357 mag. at about 15 ft. it cut that mouse right in half. My SIL saw it and almost threw up. I should have known better.
- markinalpine
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Re: Wax bullets in a 45 Colt?
Here's an article from the NRA: How to Make and Reload Wax Bullets
http://www.americanrifleman.org/article ... =27&sub=29
It includes a wax recipe, and tips for reloading various revolver calibers. It mentions that oversize flash holes could cause overpressure problems.
Mark
http://www.americanrifleman.org/article ... =27&sub=29
It includes a wax recipe, and tips for reloading various revolver calibers. It mentions that oversize flash holes could cause overpressure problems.
Mark
Any way you sell it,
No matter how you spell it,
When you start to smell it,
BO stinks.
No matter how you spell it,
When you start to smell it,
BO stinks.
Re: Wax bullets in a 45 Colt?
I'm learning a lot here. I think this is going to be fun. Now if I can catch up with work, so I can play.
Owen
Owen