Berry's hard cast lead for 45 Colt

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Bartojc

Bartojc

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The title says it, has anyone ever used Berry's lead bullets in 45 Colt ? I bought some blemished plated bullets in 9mm the other day and picked up a box of lead in 45 Colt to try. Specifically I'm talking 250 gr RNFP lead. They advertise as 20 BHN. Anyone ever shot these ?

I plan to test with Unique and maybe some W231. Oh, and they'll be tested with a Ruger Blackhawk 5.5.

-Jeff
 
20 BHN is way to hard for standard .45 Colt pressures, although if the fit to the throats is ear perfect you may be OK. Both powders work well in .45 Colt.
 
I have not used that bullet. I do use their 130 .38 Super and the 124 9MM. They sell a great product and their service is outstanding. :)
 
Dog Soldier said:
I have not used that bullet. I do use their 130 .38 Super and the 124 9MM. They sell a great product and their service is outstanding. :)
Click to expand...

So you used the lead and not their plated ?

I've used thousands of their plated bullets for 9MM and even tried their 45 colt plated. I grabbed the lead to try without realizing they were that hard. I hear of tons of people using their plated but not a lot of info on their lead. Walkalong is right that seems way hard for 45 Colt. Not sure why they are that hard ? So, I was just wondering if anyone had used them and how they worked. Luckily I only got a small box so if they don't work out no huge loss, and I maybe I learn something.

-jeff
 
No, The bullets I buy from Berry are all plated. I cast all of my on lead bullets. I am curious as to why .45 Colt bullets with a high BHN are a poor choice? I suspect you are referring to the soft cowboy loads? In .45 Colt loads above 900 fps the BHN would not matter that much.:)
 
I have always preferred the Cast Bullets from "Oregon Trail". They are rated at 15 bhn. I love their 250/255gn FNSWC for my .45 Colt Loads.
 
Walkalong said:
It's the pressure that's important here, not the velocity. They are not going to bump up at .45 Colt pressure, so if they are not a tight fit to the throats they are very likely to lead. 12 BHN is plenty for up to max standard .45 Colt velocity/pressure.

http://missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=69&category=5&secondary=14&keywords=
Click to expand...

Exactly. I understand at a high level BHN and how pressures work in relationship. My intent was not to start a discussion on BHN, but rather if anyone had used the bullet in less than ideal situations, and how did it work ? I realize the only real way to tell is try it. I intend to do that.

-Jeff
 
Sorry, no experience with them.

That said, MBC makes a quality product with lots of happy customers. I am sure that is a good bullet, but would be more suited to Ruger Only .45 Colt levels.
 
If Berry's wants to sell bare lead, they should use an appropriate alloy. It is less a question of who has experience with the bullets than it is who would have considered buying them and why. It seems like this is just a batch they chose not to plate.
 
Cast bullets should be oversized to throat and bore. They will preform according to breech pressure. This does not automatically render a hard bullet inaccurate in a .45 Colt. The revolvers with .45 ACP cylinders handle the FMJ bullets just fine.:)
 
Dog Soldier said:
Cast bullets should be oversized to throat and bore. They will preform according to breech pressure. This does not automatically render a hard bullet inaccurate in a .45 Colt. The revolvers with .45 ACP cylinders handle the FMJ bullets just fine.:)
Click to expand...
45 ACP FMJ are typically .451, so I don't follow the comparison.
 
Dog Soldier said:
Realgun, Not very likely. Look down the barrel of a S&W 1917 revolver. The grooves are very shallow. :)
Click to expand...
I have considered my use of Br18 a bust in a number of rifling profiles, so am skeptical of even harder at 20. Even coated MO "action" 18s took me 20 minutes to clean my 45 NMBH barrel last evening. I wasn't sure whether I was cleaning coating or lead until I saw the metallic particles on my paper bench cover. Believe I will use gas checks on my Tier III load, currently 13 grains of True Blue.
 
If you are having a "leading" problem it is not directly related to the BHN. The Gas cutting is related to under sized or uneven bullet bases. The hot gas is passing around the bullet usually in the forcing cone. The Gas cutting occurs as it melts lead droplets which adhere to the bore and throat. Slug the bore and shoot bullets .0002 to .0003 + over bore size. A gas check at velocities over 1,500 fps is needed usually. But few large bore handguns turn those numbers.
I do not size the pistol bullets. I tumble lube in JPW/Johnson Paste Wax. My mold block throws a .454 bullet.:)
 
Dog Soldier said:
If you are having a "leading" problem it is not directly related to the BHN. The Gas cutting is related to under sized or uneven bullet bases. The hot gas is passing around the bullet usually in the forcing cone. The Gas cutting occurs as it melts lead droplets which adhere to the bore and throat. Slug the bore and shoot bullets .0002 to .0003 + over bore size. A gas check at velocities over 1,500 fps is needed usually. But few large bore handguns turn those numbers.
I do not size the pistol bullets. I tumble lube in JPW/Johnson Paste Wax. My mold block throws a .454 bullet.:)
Click to expand...
Interesting. You know, it seems like oversized bullets are a workaround to bullets that won't obturate (too hard).
 
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