question regarding price of .45 Colt cowboy ammo - Page 2

wheelyfun · September 28, 2013, 06:01 AM

Sorry to hear about your troubles with the conversion cylinder...

Until you do get reloading equipment, you might check out Freedom Munitions, as I just bought 250 rds of 255gr range ammo for $147 (before shipping)

My LGS has cowboy load 45 for $35 per 50 (ouch...)

I am literally going to get 45 dies and bullets today!

Keep us posted on the Taylor & Co work on your 1858.

Captchee · September 28, 2013, 06:34 AM

Quote:

I also received the R&D conversion cylinder from Taylors. Bolt won't lock up. Contacted Taylors, they said to send the gun or the bolt in. Free of charge they will adjust the bolt.
I'm new to this but I believe the bolt is unable to lock on firing due to the bolt stops in the cylinder being cut less deep than the BP cylinder bolt stops. This is causing the bolt to not lock into place upon bringing the gun to full cock. So a simple small job of grinding of the bolt cam should fix the problem.

Been there on my Uberti with a Kirst converter .
finally gave up and took the 1851 over to sltm1.
a little work on hand and bolt and she was up and running smooth as silk .

Let me also say that I am also new to revolvers and cartridges. But im also a tight wad when it comes to my money . Until I decided to do the conversion on my Uberti , it had been years since I bought a box of ammo . I about cra%%ed when I saw the prices . But I did end up buying 2 boxes of 38 long colt .
Took one trip to the range to realize that I would be going the reloading route and doing it very quickly .
I bought a lee Turret press and a single stage off of criegs list . The turret press and been used a few time and the single stage was new in the box . Also got 2 cans of A.S and 400 small pistol primers and 500 casings for 38 long colt , , 250 bullets , auto primer , slap hammer and a complete 4 die set for both 38 long colt and 45 long colt , all for 175.00.
I sunk another 140.00 in a mould and dies set for 38 cal heeled bullets from Old west bullet moulds .
A couple reloading manuals for rifles and pistol and I was off and running .

dont know why i didnt in fact go the route sooneras i been reloading my own shotgun shells for years . I guess probably becouse past my HD pistol , i never really had a need to reload enough pistol rounds to make it worth my time and exspence

North East Redneck · October 3, 2013, 09:24 PM

Talked to Tom @ Taylors. Sending bolt out tomorrow. See what happens

Been looking at all the Lee reloaders. Many options, but many are out of stock. The end goal is to reload 45 Colt, .38 Special, 5.56/.223. Which setup is best? I've looked at several products. Being new, I'm not sure exactly what to purchase

A few hundred bucks is the limit for a complete set up. What's my best option?

Bezoar · October 4, 2013, 10:56 PM

lee handpress for pure price issue. most places will still be charging 40-50 dollars for the anniversary kit witch has a thing of lube, a few quick change collars if it is the new version, powder funnel, ram primer,

most places will still be charging 36-45 dollars for a single lee die set. ive been looking myself.

Noz · October 6, 2013, 09:43 AM

Grind carefully. You can't put the metal back on.

Captchee · October 6, 2013, 09:46 AM

One thing I learned long ago with buy shop equipment is that its most time better in the long run to get something that will do more then what you need right now . The reason is that inevitably you will end up wanting or needing to do something larger and thus have to go out and do another purchase.
You can get a lee turret press for around 120.00 . If you watch they often offer the press in kit form Midday sells the starter kit for 118.00 dies another 40 for 45 long colt dies . For a while they were also offering the start up kit with dies for 138.00

For me that was the cost of buying 4 boxes of 38 long colt . Adding different die sets run about to just a few dollars more the cost of buying one box

Nathan · October 6, 2013, 09:57 AM

Around here, it is like $40-$50 per box marked cowboy.

Reloading looks like

per 100)
Primer: $4
Case: $1
Powder:$3
Bullet: $14

So, $11 per box. These are pretty easy numbers to match. It might go as high as $15 depending on how you buy components. Still, $11 + 1 hour or so of labor beats $45! I won't usually take a day off to reload, but it could pay for itself, especially reloading 12 ga slugs!

Doc Hoy · October 6, 2013, 04:37 PM

....and the price goes way down.

North East Redneck · October 11, 2013, 07:06 PM

The bolt came back from Taylors. I installed it and tried both the BP and the center fire cylinder, both lock up tight.

.
Now I have to find my Lee turret loading press and dies.
While waiting for the return of the bolt, I started building a large archery target, almost done. (its 4ft by 4ft, 18 inches deep, stuffed with batting and mounted on a metal stand, sick of shooting out $100 targets, this one is being built like the ones we have on the outdoor archery range at the club). When that is complete, the purchase of the reloader is next in line. Many thanks to all the members for their advice regarding .45 Colt, reloading and all the other questions I've asked on this thread.

North East Redneck · October 11, 2013, 07:14 PM

Oh, and as to casting my own, local plumbing supply house I deal with does carry pure lead ingots. So a mold and cook pot are also on the list.

North East Redneck · October 16, 2013, 08:15 PM

Well, I may regret it, but I went cheap. Really wanted the turret press. But I ordered the Lee Precision 45 Colt Loader. $33. Want to try reloading on the cheap. And buy the better stuff when I feel its something I really like. Usually I buy the best stuff and don't really care about price. But, I have so much going on figured I'd try the cheap way. Still going to buy moulds and cook pot though.

If I like doing it, press and dies for .223 and .38 special will be purchased soon.

shafter · October 19, 2013, 12:24 PM

45 Colt is extremely easy to reload with the Lee Handloader (nutcracker) set. I calculated my cost per box at about $9/50. The savings are rediculous when you reload this cartridge. I probably have less than $100 in my reloading set too.

North East Redneck · October 29, 2013, 08:26 PM

Update-

Finally found time to shoot the Pietta with the Conversion cylinder yesterday. She shoots high and right with the Ultramax ammo, I believe the projectiles are 250 gr. High and right didnt bother me as the gun is consistent when I do my part.
So, I tried reloading a few cases with Federal large pistol primers, 777 and .457 round ball last night. Learned a few things

. #1 thing I learned is that I need to purchase a mould to cast my own bullets. Which size (diameter) is correct for the gun? Also, what weight? I see that some say a lighter round is more accurate and in my mind that makes sense as it was made for RB which is not a heavy projectile.
I found the reloading kit easy to use and truly enjoyed the process.
So, what size die do you guys think is correct for a new (2012) pietta? And what gr bullet is best? As always thanks for any input!

North East Redneck · October 29, 2013, 08:34 PM

Also, while purchasing some .38 special and the pistol primers yesterday, noticed some .45 colt ammo on the LGS's shelf, $59.95 for 50 rounds. Yup, Im gonna be reloading

North East Redneck · November 19, 2013, 10:44 PM

Well, the lead arrived yesterday, local plumbing place was to much money. Ordered from Buffalo Arms, good price and real fast shipping. So now I have lead, lube, reloading kit from Lee, new brass, primers and .452 200gr Lee molds. Got the flux, Lee melting pot, primer pocket cleaning tool, etc. Anything I'm missing?
The lead is 40:1. Also bought .457 round ball mold, should the lead be pure for RB?

Hawg · November 20, 2013, 06:05 PM

The harder the lead the harder it will be to load in a revolver. It will also come out of the mold a tad larger than pure lead because it wont shrink as much when it cools. .457 balls are generally used in Rugers. Pietta's and Uberti's do well with .454 balls. IMO trying to cram a hard lead .457 into a Pietta without using an off the gun loader is eventually going to end up breaking something in the loading lever assembly.

North East Redneck · November 20, 2013, 06:37 PM

Hawg, I purchased the lead for casting .452 bullets for 45 Colt Conversion. The .457 mold was bought to make balls for the ROA, and from what you said, I guess pure lead should be used for those. I have used .451, .454 and .457 Hornady balls in my 1851 and 1858 models. In your opinion, is the .457 in pure lead a bad idea in cap and ball Pietta and Uberti revolvers? To me it seems that the shaving is just larger and they load easily. Guess I will also order a .454 mold when I purchase the pure lead.

Hawg · November 20, 2013, 06:51 PM

Its not a bad idea as long as they're not unduly hard to load. They will all swage down to the same size but you will get a larger flat area for the rifling to grip with the .457's which is a plus.

Rigmarol · November 20, 2013, 07:19 PM

I'm working my way through a few hundred HARD RBs I cast using wheel weight lead. I have to load with my stand alone press. Soft is better.

If you aren't getting a shaving or a good swaged seat, you may have leading issues or the much talked about chain fire. Undersized balls are at least prone to inaccuracy and moving forward during recoil.

September 28, 2013, 06:01 AM	#26
wheelyfun Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2010 Location: Vermont Posts: 241	Sorry to hear about your troubles with the conversion cylinder... Until you do get reloading equipment, you might check out Freedom Munitions, as I just bought 250 rds of 255gr range ammo for $147 (before shipping) My LGS has cowboy load 45 for $35 per 50 (ouch...) I am literally going to get 45 dies and bullets today! Keep us posted on the Taylor & Co work on your 1858. __________________ When two of equal skill meet at swords' point, there is no conclusion to the match--Takuan Soho (written in 1629)

October 3, 2013, 09:24 PM	#28
North East Redneck Senior Member Join Date: June 6, 2012 Location: Berkshire Hills Posts: 741	Talked to Tom @ Taylors. Sending bolt out tomorrow. See what happens Been looking at all the Lee reloaders. Many options, but many are out of stock. The end goal is to reload 45 Colt, .38 Special, 5.56/.223. Which setup is best? I've looked at several products. Being new, I'm not sure exactly what to purchase A few hundred bucks is the limit for a complete set up. What's my best option? __________________ NRA Patron Member SAF Life Member GOAL Member

October 6, 2013, 09:57 AM	#32
Nathan Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2001 Posts: 6,326	Around here, it is like $40-$50 per box marked cowboy. Reloading looks likeper 100) Primer: $4 Case: $1 Powder:$3 Bullet: $14 So, $11 per box. These are pretty easy numbers to match. It might go as high as $15 depending on how you buy components. Still, $11 + 1 hour or so of labor beats $45! I won't usually take a day off to reload, but it could pay for itself, especially reloading 12 ga slugs!

October 6, 2013, 04:37 PM	#33
Doc Hoy Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Naples, Fl Posts: 5,440	Cast your own bullets.... ....and the price goes way down. __________________ Seek truth. Relax. Take a breath.

October 11, 2013, 07:06 PM	#34
North East Redneck Senior Member Join Date: June 6, 2012 Location: Berkshire Hills Posts: 741	The bolt came back from Taylors. I installed it and tried both the BP and the center fire cylinder, both lock up tight.. Now I have to find my Lee turret loading press and dies. While waiting for the return of the bolt, I started building a large archery target, almost done. (its 4ft by 4ft, 18 inches deep, stuffed with batting and mounted on a metal stand, sick of shooting out $100 targets, this one is being built like the ones we have on the outdoor archery range at the club). When that is complete, the purchase of the reloader is next in line. Many thanks to all the members for their advice regarding .45 Colt, reloading and all the other questions I've asked on this thread. __________________ NRA Patron Member SAF Life Member GOAL Member

October 4, 2013, 10:56 PM	#29
Bezoar Junior member Join Date: October 19, 2004 Location: michigan Posts: 578	lee handpress for pure price issue. most places will still be charging 40-50 dollars for the anniversary kit witch has a thing of lube, a few quick change collars if it is the new version, powder funnel, ram primer, most places will still be charging 36-45 dollars for a single lee die set. ive been looking myself.

October 6, 2013, 09:43 AM	#30
Noz Senior Member Join Date: February 25, 2009 Posts: 643	Grind carefully. You can't put the metal back on.

October 6, 2013, 09:46 AM	#31
Captchee Senior Member Join Date: April 2, 2013 Posts: 439	One thing I learned long ago with buy shop equipment is that its most time better in the long run to get something that will do more then what you need right now . The reason is that inevitably you will end up wanting or needing to do something larger and thus have to go out and do another purchase. You can get a lee turret press for around 120.00 . If you watch they often offer the press in kit form Midday sells the starter kit for 118.00 dies another 40 for 45 long colt dies . For a while they were also offering the start up kit with dies for 138.00 For me that was the cost of buying 4 boxes of 38 long colt . Adding different die sets run about to just a few dollars more the cost of buying one box

October 11, 2013, 07:14 PM	#35
North East Redneck Senior Member Join Date: June 6, 2012 Location: Berkshire Hills Posts: 741	Oh, and as to casting my own, local plumbing supply house I deal with does carry pure lead ingots. So a mold and cook pot are also on the list. __________________ NRA Patron Member SAF Life Member GOAL Member

October 16, 2013, 08:15 PM	#36
North East Redneck Senior Member Join Date: June 6, 2012 Location: Berkshire Hills Posts: 741	Well, I may regret it, but I went cheap. Really wanted the turret press. But I ordered the Lee Precision 45 Colt Loader. $33. Want to try reloading on the cheap. And buy the better stuff when I feel its something I really like. Usually I buy the best stuff and don't really care about price. But, I have so much going on figured I'd try the cheap way. Still going to buy moulds and cook pot though. If I like doing it, press and dies for .223 and .38 special will be purchased soon. __________________ NRA Patron Member SAF Life Member GOAL Member

October 19, 2013, 12:24 PM	#37
shafter Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2009 Posts: 1,624	45 Colt is extremely easy to reload with the Lee Handloader (nutcracker) set. I calculated my cost per box at about $9/50. The savings are rediculous when you reload this cartridge. I probably have less than $100 in my reloading set too.

October 29, 2013, 08:26 PM	#38
North East Redneck Senior Member Join Date: June 6, 2012 Location: Berkshire Hills Posts: 741	Update- Finally found time to shoot the Pietta with the Conversion cylinder yesterday. She shoots high and right with the Ultramax ammo, I believe the projectiles are 250 gr. High and right didnt bother me as the gun is consistent when I do my part. So, I tried reloading a few cases with Federal large pistol primers, 777 and .457 round ball last night. Learned a few things. #1 thing I learned is that I need to purchase a mould to cast my own bullets. Which size (diameter) is correct for the gun? Also, what weight? I see that some say a lighter round is more accurate and in my mind that makes sense as it was made for RB which is not a heavy projectile. I found the reloading kit easy to use and truly enjoyed the process. So, what size die do you guys think is correct for a new (2012) pietta? And what gr bullet is best? As always thanks for any input! __________________ NRA Patron Member SAF Life Member GOAL Member

October 29, 2013, 08:34 PM	#39
North East Redneck Senior Member Join Date: June 6, 2012 Location: Berkshire Hills Posts: 741	Also, while purchasing some .38 special and the pistol primers yesterday, noticed some .45 colt ammo on the LGS's shelf, $59.95 for 50 rounds. Yup, Im gonna be reloading __________________ NRA Patron Member SAF Life Member GOAL Member

November 19, 2013, 10:44 PM	#40
North East Redneck Senior Member Join Date: June 6, 2012 Location: Berkshire Hills Posts: 741	Well, the lead arrived yesterday, local plumbing place was to much money. Ordered from Buffalo Arms, good price and real fast shipping. So now I have lead, lube, reloading kit from Lee, new brass, primers and .452 200gr Lee molds. Got the flux, Lee melting pot, primer pocket cleaning tool, etc. Anything I'm missing? The lead is 40:1. Also bought .457 round ball mold, should the lead be pure for RB? __________________ NRA Patron Member SAF Life Member GOAL Member

November 20, 2013, 06:05 PM	#41
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	The harder the lead the harder it will be to load in a revolver. It will also come out of the mold a tad larger than pure lead because it wont shrink as much when it cools. .457 balls are generally used in Rugers. Pietta's and Uberti's do well with .454 balls. IMO trying to cram a hard lead .457 into a Pietta without using an off the gun loader is eventually going to end up breaking something in the loading lever assembly.

November 20, 2013, 06:37 PM	#42
North East Redneck Senior Member Join Date: June 6, 2012 Location: Berkshire Hills Posts: 741	Hawg, I purchased the lead for casting .452 bullets for 45 Colt Conversion. The .457 mold was bought to make balls for the ROA, and from what you said, I guess pure lead should be used for those. I have used .451, .454 and .457 Hornady balls in my 1851 and 1858 models. In your opinion, is the .457 in pure lead a bad idea in cap and ball Pietta and Uberti revolvers? To me it seems that the shaving is just larger and they load easily. Guess I will also order a .454 mold when I purchase the pure lead. __________________ NRA Patron Member SAF Life Member GOAL Member

November 20, 2013, 06:51 PM	#43
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	Its not a bad idea as long as they're not unduly hard to load. They will all swage down to the same size but you will get a larger flat area for the rifling to grip with the .457's which is a plus.

November 20, 2013, 07:19 PM	#44
Rigmarol Senior Member Join Date: January 29, 2005 Location: Southern California Posts: 344	I'm working my way through a few hundred HARD RBs I cast using wheel weight lead. I have to load with my stand alone press. Soft is better. If you aren't getting a shaving or a good swaged seat, you may have leading issues or the much talked about chain fire. Undersized balls are at least prone to inaccuracy and moving forward during recoil.