SSL
Gold $$ Contributor
Years ago, I did a complete restoration of a 7 1/2" .45 Colt Ruger Blackhawk. Interior was pretty good but the exterior was really bad. Years spent jammed into a leather holster on a seawater boat had done a lot of damage. Once I acquired it (really cheap, of course) I went to work shortening the barrel, replacing the frame and ejector housing with steel, new hand and oversize cylinder pin, new grips and polish and bluing. While I was at it, I fitted a Bisley style hammer for convenient reach.
During all this, from a now defunct internet forum, an internet friend sent me a quantity of the then new RCBS 45-270-SAA cast bullets he had cast. They were the first bullet that I tried once the revolver was ready to go and they shot wonderfully. Unfortunately, that mold design was new enough to be hard to find and the years passed. During the interim I settled on the old Lee 250-grain RNFP for just plain fun , accurate shooting and cast several hundred.
Fast forward to a month ago and what did I accidentally find at a price not breaking the bank on eBay but a nearly unused mold for the RCBS 45-270-SAA at a great price. I jumped on it and as soon as it arrived I quickly cast a hundred for testing. Cast from my alloy (made from lead sheathing from old telephone cable) the bullets dropped from the mold with an almost boring regularity of 276 to 277 grains after rolling them in White Label lube. A quick run through my Lee .454" sizing die to clean up and true them, load over 17.5 grains of 2400 and I was ready to go. Weather and other problems kept me from shooting them until today. Not able to wait any longer and just to check pressure and etc., I ran out back and popped a quick 24 rounds off. Just shooting at my steel plate, but at 35 yards all shots were on it and the scuff marks were in about a 3" area. Now remember, it is cold and I was really hustling to get back inside so no support of any kind...just shoot and get back inside!
Recoil is fairly sharp but certainly not brutal and velocity should be just about 1,000 fps or a bit less. I can see going a bit higher if I was hunting with that gun, but I have others for that purpose, so if anything I will probably back off for a "use" load that doesn't stress the revolver but still have some "oomph". Just a really long-winded way of saying I'm pretty happy with my find - after all these years!
First picture is just casual shooting off-hand with the old Lee 250-grain RNFP twenty years ago. Second picture is the RCBS 45-270-SAA from my mold lubed and sized. Someday in nicer weather I'll post shooting results on a real target.
During all this, from a now defunct internet forum, an internet friend sent me a quantity of the then new RCBS 45-270-SAA cast bullets he had cast. They were the first bullet that I tried once the revolver was ready to go and they shot wonderfully. Unfortunately, that mold design was new enough to be hard to find and the years passed. During the interim I settled on the old Lee 250-grain RNFP for just plain fun , accurate shooting and cast several hundred.
Fast forward to a month ago and what did I accidentally find at a price not breaking the bank on eBay but a nearly unused mold for the RCBS 45-270-SAA at a great price. I jumped on it and as soon as it arrived I quickly cast a hundred for testing. Cast from my alloy (made from lead sheathing from old telephone cable) the bullets dropped from the mold with an almost boring regularity of 276 to 277 grains after rolling them in White Label lube. A quick run through my Lee .454" sizing die to clean up and true them, load over 17.5 grains of 2400 and I was ready to go. Weather and other problems kept me from shooting them until today. Not able to wait any longer and just to check pressure and etc., I ran out back and popped a quick 24 rounds off. Just shooting at my steel plate, but at 35 yards all shots were on it and the scuff marks were in about a 3" area. Now remember, it is cold and I was really hustling to get back inside so no support of any kind...just shoot and get back inside!
Recoil is fairly sharp but certainly not brutal and velocity should be just about 1,000 fps or a bit less. I can see going a bit higher if I was hunting with that gun, but I have others for that purpose, so if anything I will probably back off for a "use" load that doesn't stress the revolver but still have some "oomph". Just a really long-winded way of saying I'm pretty happy with my find - after all these years!
First picture is just casual shooting off-hand with the old Lee 250-grain RNFP twenty years ago. Second picture is the RCBS 45-270-SAA from my mold lubed and sized. Someday in nicer weather I'll post shooting results on a real target.
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