Reloading 45 Colt in a Henry X

GeauxTide · January 18, 2021, 03:54 PM

I've recently purchased a Henry X and have begun the loading process. I'm using new WW Brass, full length sized in Lee dies (40 years old). Things were progressing smoothly until the seating operation. There was some variation in neck tension on Speer Gold Dot 454 Casull bullets, measuring .451. The inside diameter of the sized cases were a consistent .445, which should provide enough bullet pull to have low extreme spread.

I'm having a devil of a time getting the seat/crimp die set properly because I've only loaded the RCBS SAA from the 45 Colt. I've never loaded revolver cartridges in a rifle, so here's the question - It is necessary to crimp and still get good results?

**44 AMP** · January 18, 2021, 05:14 PM

You load .45 Colt for a rifle exactly the way you load it for a revolver. You crimp, not for velocity spread but to keep the bullet in place feeding through the tubular magazine. Same as you crimp for a revolver, but for the opposite reason. A revolver's recoil tries to send the bullet out of the case, the tube magazine system tries to push it in deeper.

The right crimp keeps the bullet where it belongs in both kinds of gun.

I use RCBS dies (don't care for LEE dies) with no problems. Any chance your LEE dies are set up to load .454" bullets??

And, to be clear, are you loading .45 Colt or .454 Casull?? same process applies to both, I'm just curious...

GeauxTide · January 18, 2021, 06:10 PM

Thanks, 44AMP. They're 40 years old, so I'd suspect .454. After sizing, the inside diameter is .445. The bullets are designated for Casull and picked them up for hogs. I'll push them Tier2 and chose the heavy jacketed bullet, so I wouldn't shoot them in my revolver.

**44 AMP** · January 19, 2021, 12:09 AM

Bullets designated for the .454Casull would most likely be made to give proper controlled expansion at Casull speeds. Therefore, it should do well at .45 Colt CARBINE speeds.

Although I think a call to Speer to double check wouldn't hurt anything. They may not be making those bullets today (no idea) but pretty sure they would know a thing or two about them.

rc · January 19, 2021, 05:20 AM

Your expander sounds too large. You should be loading .451 or .452 bullets. If the neck expander is .454 after the flair, it's too big. .454 is an old 45 Colt standard and sometimes seen in the cast bullet world but not common with jacketed bullets. Your set may be set up for larger lead cast bullet reloading and that's why you have poor neck tension when loading 454 Casull with jacketed bullets.

January 18, 2021, 03:54 PM	#1
GeauxTide Senior Member Join Date: April 20, 2009 Location: Helena, AL Posts: 4,424	Reloading 45 Colt in a Henry X I've recently purchased a Henry X and have begun the loading process. I'm using new WW Brass, full length sized in Lee dies (40 years old). Things were progressing smoothly until the seating operation. There was some variation in neck tension on Speer Gold Dot 454 Casull bullets, measuring .451. The inside diameter of the sized cases were a consistent .445, which should provide enough bullet pull to have low extreme spread. I'm having a devil of a time getting the seat/crimp die set properly because I've only loaded the RCBS SAA from the 45 Colt. I've never loaded revolver cartridges in a rifle, so here's the question - It is necessary to crimp and still get good results? __________________ Reloading For: 223R, 243W, 6.5 GR, 6.5 CM, 260R, 6.5-06, 280R, 7mmRM, 300HAM'R, 308W, 30-06, 338-06, 9mm, 357M, 41M, 44SPL, 44M, 45 ACP, 45 Colt, 450BM.

January 18, 2021, 05:14 PM	#2
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,859	You load .45 Colt for a rifle exactly the way you load it for a revolver. You crimp, not for velocity spread but to keep the bullet in place feeding through the tubular magazine. Same as you crimp for a revolver, but for the opposite reason. A revolver's recoil tries to send the bullet out of the case, the tube magazine system tries to push it in deeper. The right crimp keeps the bullet where it belongs in both kinds of gun. I use RCBS dies (don't care for LEE dies) with no problems. Any chance your LEE dies are set up to load .454" bullets?? And, to be clear, are you loading .45 Colt or .454 Casull?? same process applies to both, I'm just curious... __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

January 18, 2021, 06:10 PM	#3
GeauxTide Senior Member Join Date: April 20, 2009 Location: Helena, AL Posts: 4,424	Thanks, 44AMP. They're 40 years old, so I'd suspect .454. After sizing, the inside diameter is .445. The bullets are designated for Casull and picked them up for hogs. I'll push them Tier2 and chose the heavy jacketed bullet, so I wouldn't shoot them in my revolver. __________________ Reloading For: 223R, 243W, 6.5 GR, 6.5 CM, 260R, 6.5-06, 280R, 7mmRM, 300HAM'R, 308W, 30-06, 338-06, 9mm, 357M, 41M, 44SPL, 44M, 45 ACP, 45 Colt, 450BM.

January 19, 2021, 12:09 AM	#4
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,859	Bullets designated for the .454Casull would most likely be made to give proper controlled expansion at Casull speeds. Therefore, it should do well at .45 Colt CARBINE speeds. Although I think a call to Speer to double check wouldn't hurt anything. They may not be making those bullets today (no idea) but pretty sure they would know a thing or two about them. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

January 19, 2021, 05:20 AM	#5
rc Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2001 Location: CA Posts: 1,769	Your expander sounds too large. You should be loading .451 or .452 bullets. If the neck expander is .454 after the flair, it's too big. .454 is an old 45 Colt standard and sometimes seen in the cast bullet world but not common with jacketed bullets. Your set may be set up for larger lead cast bullet reloading and that's why you have poor neck tension when loading 454 Casull with jacketed bullets.