Lee 230 gr. Bullets in 45LC

Patrick Henry Brown · August 11, 2009, 08:37:52 AM

Is anyone using the Lee 230 gr. TC or TL bullets in their 45LC rifle loads? Smokeless or BP, what are your results. Thinking about buying a 6 cavity mold, and these are available. Wanted the 255 gr. RNFP, but can't find one. I'm wondering if the 230 gr. will do as well as the 255 or 250 gr. bullets at keeping the fouling down in my BP Sub and BP loads.

Springfield Slim · August 11, 2009, 12:54:26 PM

If the 250 grain Big Lube Mold is available from DD I would go with that. It will work the best with BP and it works fine with smokeless powder too. With smokeless you could use the regular BP lube, tumble lube them or Moly coat, I have done all 3.

Jefro · August 11, 2009, 02:07:01 PM

I have the Lee 230gr TC and the 200gr RNFP, both good smokeless, but no way they could carry enough lube to try them with BP. I also have 200gr and 250gr Big Lubes, both are great for BP, and as Slim mentioned should be fine with smokeless. Good Luck.

Jefro

Noz · August 11, 2009, 02:22:37 PM

I have the Lee TL and would not recommend it because it is actually a SWC and the shoulder will give you trouble on a lever gun.

Drydock · August 11, 2009, 02:28:51 PM

I, on the other hand, use the 230 TC extensivly in both handguns and a Taylors Spencer. I dip lube the bullets in 50/50 crisco/beeswax, giving me a nice disc of lube on the base of the bullet as well as the lube groove. Loaded over a full case of Black in a Schofield case, works great. And nothing feeds better in the Spencer than that Truncated Cone.

Springfield Slim · August 14, 2009, 02:00:59 PM

The trouble with a nice disc of lube on the base of the bullet is you risk powder contaminaton if left in there too long, especially if bullets are left in the sun or left in a hot car.

Drydock · August 14, 2009, 06:53:36 PM

Which is why I up the percentage of wax in the summer, and have for the last 10 years or so.

Springfield Slim · August 17, 2009, 07:15:44 PM

Still wouldn't leave them on the dash of an enclosed car. Way back when I drove an Armored Truck, the A.C. broke in the middle of the summer. I told the boss it was VERY hot in the truck, seeing as we couldn't open the windows and such. He thought I was just whining. So I bought a small thermometer and put it on the front of the dashboard, not in the sun. It didn't take long for the temp to reach 130. Beeswax melts at about 145. Crisco WAY less than that, but I haven't actually tested it yet.